Electricity usage of an LCD/LED Display or TV Screen

The power consumption of computer or tv displays vary significantly based on the display technology used, manufacturer and build quality, the size of the screen, what the display is showing (static versus moving images), brightness of the screen and if power saving settings are activated.

Click calculate to find the energy consumption of a 22 inch LED-backlit LCD display using 30 Watts for 5 hours a day @ $0.10 per kWh. Check the table below and modify the calculator fields if needed to fit your display.

Hours Used Per Day: Enter how many hours the device is being used on average per day, if the power consumption is lower than 1 hour per day enter as a decimal. (For example: 30 minutes per day is 0.5)

Power Use (Watts): Enter the average power consumption of the device in watts.

Price (kWh): Enter the cost you are paying on average per kilowatt hour, our caculators use the default value of 0.10 or 10 cents. To find an exact price check your electricity bill or take a look at Global Electricity Prices.

LED & LCD screens use the same TFT LCD (thin film transistor liquid crystal display) technology for displaying images on the screen, when a product mentions LED it is referring to the backlighting. Older LCD monitors used CCFL (cold cathode fluorescent) backlighting which is generally 20-30% less power efficient compared to LED-backlit LCD displays.

Power Consumption Comparison Between LED, LCD, CRT & Plasma:

Screen Size	LED	LCD	CRT	Plasma
15 inches	15	18	65	---
17 inches	18	20	75	---
19 inches	20	22	80	---
20 inches	24	26	90	---
21 inches	26	30	100	---
22 inches	30	40	110	---
24 inches	40	50	120	---
30 inches	50	60	---	150
32 inches	55	70	---	160
37 inches	60	80	---	180
42 inches	80	120	---	220
50 inches	100	150	---	300

* Results may vary significantly, results assume displays are calibrated for energy saving performance.

The issue in accurately calculating the energy consumption of your tv or computer display comes down to the build quality of the screen, energy saving features which are enabled and your usage patterns. The only method to accurately calculate the energy usage of a specific model is to use a special device known as an electricity usage monitor or a power meter. This device plugs into a power socket and then your device is plugged into it, electricity use can then be accurately monitored. If you are serious about precisely calculating your energy use, this product is inexpensive and will help you determine your exact electricity costs per each device.

In general we recommend LED displays because they offer the best power savings and are becoming more cheaper. Choose a display size which you are comfortable with and make sure to properly calibrate your display to reduce power use. Enable energy saving features, lower brightness and make sure the monitor goes into sleep mode after 5 or 10 minutes of inactivity. Some research studies also suggest that setting your system themes to a darker color may help reduce energy cost, as less energy is used to light the screen. Also keep in mind that most display will draw 0.1 to 3 watts of power even if they are turned off or in sleep mode, unplugging the screen if you are away for extended periods of time may also help.