How Much Electricity Does a TV or Freezer Use?

A typical LED TV uses 30 to 100 watts, costing roughly $10 to $15 per year to run. A standard chest freezer uses around 200 to 400 kWh annually, costing $25 to $50 per year. If you have both running in the same home, they're likely a small but consistent line item on your electricity bill every month. Here's a full breakdown by type, a simple formula to calculate your own costs, and a few ways to reduce what you're spending.

How Much Electricity Does a TV Use?

TV electricity use depends almost entirely on screen type, screen size, and how many hours per day you watch. Here's how the main TV types compare:

• LED TVs are the most energy-efficient option available today. A 32-inch LED TV uses roughly 30 to 50 watts. A 55-inch LED uses 60 to 100 watts. At 4 hours of viewing per day, a 55-inch LED TV costs about $10 to $15 per year to run at the national average electricity rate.

• LCD TVs are similar to LED TVs in energy use — modern LCD panels are often backlit with LEDs, so the distinction has narrowed. Expect 40 to 100 watts depending on screen size.

• Plasma TVs were significantly less efficient. A 50-inch plasma could draw 150 to 300 watts — two to three times what a comparably sized LED uses. Plasma TVs are largely off the market now, but if you're still running one, the energy cost difference versus a modern LED TV is substantial.

• OLED TVs use slightly more power than LED TVs on average but are more efficient than plasma. A 55-inch OLED typically draws 80 to 120 watts.

TV Electricity Use at a Glance

**Based on national average rate of approximately $0.12 per kWh. Your actual cost depends on your rate and viewing hours.

How Much Electricity Does a Freezer Use?

Freezers run 24 hours a day, which means even modest wattage adds up over time. The biggest factor in your freezer's electricity use is its type, age, and where you keep it.

• Chest freezers are the most efficient option. Because cold air is heavier than warm air, it stays in the chest when you open the lid rather than spilling out. A modern chest freezer typically uses 150 to 300 kWh per year, costing $18 to $36 annually.

• Upright freezers are more convenient but use roughly 20 percent more electricity than chest freezers of the same size. Cold air pours out every time you open the door. A modern upright freezer uses around 200 to 500 kWh per year, costing $24 to $60 annually.

• Older freezers (pre-2010) can use two to three times more electricity than current ENERGY STAR models. A freezer more than 15 years old may be costing you $75 to $150 per year compared to $25 to $50 for a modern equivalent.

• Garage freezers cost more to run than basement or indoor freezers. In summer, a freezer in a hot garage works significantly harder to maintain temperature. If you have a standalone freezer in an uncooled garage in Texas, its annual electricity cost can be 50 percent higher than the same model kept indoors.

Freezer Electricity Use at a Glance

**Based on national average rate of approximately $0.12 per kWh.

How to Calculate Your Own TV or Freezer Cost

You can calculate exactly what any appliance is costing you with this formula:

• Step 1: Find the wattage. It's on the energy label on the back or bottom of the appliance, or in the owner's manual.

• Step 2: Divide by 1,000 to convert watts to kilowatts. A 75-watt TV divided by 1,000 equals 0.075 kW.

• Step 3: Multiply by hours used per day. 0.075 kW times 4 hours equals 0.3 kWh per day.

• Step 4: Multiply by 30 for monthly cost in kWh. 0.3 kWh times 30 equals 9 kWh per month.

• Step 5: Multiply by your rate per kWh. 9 kWh times $0.13 equals $1.17 per month for that one TV.

Your rate per kWh is on your electricity bill — usually on the first page or in your usage summary. If you're on a variable-rate plan, your rate changes every month, which makes this calculation less predictable.

Tips to Reduce TV and Freezer Electricity Costs

For your TV:

Turn it off when no one is watching. This sounds obvious but a TV running in the background while no one's in the room is pure waste. Enable the auto-off or sleep timer if your TV has one.

Lower the brightness setting. Most TVs ship from the factory at maximum brightness, which is calibrated for a showroom floor. Reducing brightness to a comfortable level for your room can cut TV power draw by 20 to 30 percent.

Enable energy-saving mode. Most modern smart TVs have a built-in energy-saving setting that automatically reduces backlight and processing intensity during normal viewing.

Unplug when not in use for extended periods. TVs draw phantom load in standby mode — not a huge amount, but if you're leaving for vacation, turn it off at the power strip.

For your freezer:

Keep it full. A full freezer maintains temperature more efficiently than a half-empty one. If yours is mostly empty, fill the extra space with containers of water.

Check the door seal. If the rubber gasket around the door is cracked or loose, cold air escapes and the compressor runs more. Test it by closing the door on a piece of paper — if it pulls out easily, the seal needs replacing.

Keep it away from heat sources. Don't place your freezer next to the oven, in direct sunlight, or in an uncooled garage if you can avoid it. Every degree of ambient heat increases how hard the compressor works.

Defrost if it's manual defrost. Ice buildup in a manual-defrost freezer acts as insulation around the coils and forces the compressor to run longer. Defrost when buildup exceeds a quarter inch.

Consider replacing if it's older than 15 years. The electricity savings from a modern ENERGY STAR freezer versus a 15-year-old model can pay back the cost of a new unit within two to three years.