TV Licence Explained: Who Needs One, Cost and Refunds

The TV licence is one of the UK bills people are least sure about. Some pay it without needing it, and some need it without knowing. The rules on GOV.UK are short: you need a licence if you watch or record live TV on any channel or service, or if you use BBC iPlayer. A licence costs £180 a year.

This guide covers who needs one, what it costs, who pays less, and how to stop paying if you no longer need it.

Do you need a TV licence?

GOV.UK says you need a TV licence if you:

• watch or record live TV on any channel or service
• use BBC iPlayer

The live TV condition covers programmes as they are shown, on any channel or service, so it is about what you watch rather than the screen you watch it on. The BBC iPlayer condition covers any use of iPlayer.

If you do neither, you do not need a licence. Someone who only watches on-demand programmes on other streaming services, and never watches live TV or uses BBC iPlayer, falls outside both conditions.

A quick check

Ask yourself two questions:

1. Do I ever watch or record a programme as it is being shown live, on any channel or app?
2. Do I ever use BBC iPlayer?

If the answer to either is yes, you need a licence. If both answers are no, you do not.

How much it costs

GOV.UK says a TV licence costs £180, or £60.50 for black and white TV sets, for both homes and businesses.

At £180 a year, a licence is £15 a month if you set the money aside monthly. That is a useful way to budget for it even if you pay in one go: put £15 aside each month and the renewal is covered when it arrives.

Free and discounted licences

GOV.UK lists three ways to pay less.

Free licence at 75 with Pension Credit

You can get a free TV licence if you are 75 or older and you either get Pension Credit or live with a partner who does. You can apply at 74 if you already get Pension Credit. GOV.UK says the licence covers everyone living at your address.

50% off if you are registered blind

You can get a 50% discount if you are registered blind or live with someone who is. The licence must be in the blind person’s name.

£7.50 in some care homes and sheltered housing

You can get a TV licence for £7.50 if you live in an eligible residential care home, or in eligible supported housing or sheltered accommodation, and you are retired and over 60, or disabled. GOV.UK says your housing manager can check if you can get it and will apply for you.

How to cancel or get a refund

If your situation changes and you no longer need a licence, for example because you have stopped watching live TV and BBC iPlayer, GOV.UK says you can cancel your TV licence or apply for a refund on the TV Licensing website. The TV Licensing website sets out the conditions for a refund, so check them for your own case before you cancel.

Moving home

A TV licence covers an address, so it is one of the bills to sort out when you move. If you are moving out on your own for the first time, our moving out bills checklist lists the TV licence with the other bills to set up, and the 25% council tax discount for living alone.

Put it on your bill list

The TV licence is a classic forgotten bill, because it only comes up once a year if you pay in one go. Two habits stop it catching you out:

1. Note the renewal date on your bill list or calendar, with a reminder a couple of weeks before.
2. Set aside £15 a month so the money is waiting when it renews.

A bill tracker like Billo handles yearly bills as well as monthly ones and reminds you 3 days before each is due, so a once-a-year bill gets the same reminder as your rent. Our guide to never missing a bill shows the full system.

Summary

• You need a licence for live TV on any channel or service, or for BBC iPlayer.
• It costs £180 a year, or £60.50 for black and white.
• Free at 75 with Pension Credit, 50% off if registered blind, £7.50 in some care settings.
• Cancel or claim a refund on the TV Licensing website if you no longer need it.