Large TVs and streaming increase costs

survey shows

This doubles the power consumption of televisions

Televisions are among the largest consumers of electricity in the home. An evaluation shows that it is not just the screen size that affects electricity costs.

Televisions are among the devices with the greatest power consumption in the home. A large screen and the use of streaming services in particular drive up costs. Most consumers already know this. However, an evaluation by the comparison portal Verivox now shows how much money it takes to operate the television and which model is one of the biggest energy guzzlers.

A total of over 1,400 TV sets were compared in terms of size, energy consumption and acquisition costs. A useful life of ten years was assumed.

The result: Consumers pay an average of 377 euros in electricity costs for a 55-inch television. A device with 85 inches costs just under 850 euros. “If you choose the most energy-hungry TV in the evaluation (the Samsung GQ85QN900B), you will have to expect follow-up costs of 1,500 euros for electricity over the life of the device,” says Verivox.

The reason for these differences is the increasing power consumption with larger screen diagonals: While a 55-inch device uses around 109 kilowatt hours (kWh) annually, the consumption of a 65-inch television is an average of 142 kWh. 75-inch devices have 191 kWh, while an 85-inch model consumes an average of 222 kWh. The annual electricity costs rise from 38 euros (55 inches) to up to 77 euros (85 inches). “As TV size increases, power consumption increases significantly. An additional 10 inches increases electricity costs by an average of a third,” explains Thorsten Storck, energy expert at Verivox.

However, it's not just the screen size that influences energy consumption. Streaming services also draw a lot of power: many films and series are played in HDR (High Dynamic Range). This technology enables better image quality, but significantly increases power consumption compared to SDR (Standard Dynamic Range). A 55-inch television consumes on average 55 percent more power in HDR mode than in SDR mode; for a 65-inch model it is 60 percent more. For 85-inch devices, consumption even doubles.

When purchasing, consumers should therefore pay attention not only to the energy efficiency label but also to the HDR value.

For the analysis, Verivox and testbericht.de used data from around 1,400 TV sets. They estimated the electricity price at 34.75 cents/kWh. Annual usage was estimated at 1,000 hours, which corresponds to approximately 2.7 hours/day.