In this article, we take a look at TV licences and answer some of the most common questions our readers have. These include who has to pay for a TV licence, when don't you need a TV licence, can you cancel it and how to cancel your TV licence if you work out you don't need it.
How much does a TV licence cost and who has to pay for it?
The TV Licence is, in essence, a tax and currently stands at £169.50 per annum for a colour TV Licence and £57 for a black and white licence. There are discounts in certain cases which we discuss in more detail below.
You need to be covered by a valid TV Licence if you watch or record TV as it's being broadcast. This includes the use of devices such as a computer, laptop, mobile phone, DVD/VHS recorder or tablet. It also includes Pay TV services like Virgin and Sky TV.
Do you need a TV licence for Netflix?
Netflix has its own subscription fee and you don't need a TV licence to watch it because it doesn't offer live TV streaming. However, you will need a Netflix subscription which costs between £4.99 and £17.99 per month depending on the package you choose.
Can you cancel your TV licence?
You can cancel your TV licence if you do not:
- watch or record programmes as they’re being shown on TV on any channel including Sky
- watch or stream programmes live on an online TV service (such as ITV Hub, All 4, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Now TV, Sky Go, etc.)
- download or watch any BBC programmes on BBC iPlayer
How do I cancel my TV licence?
You will need to inform TV licensing that you don't need a licence. However, this may result in them visiting your property to confirm you don't need a licence. On the TV licensing website, they say:
"If you tell us you don’t need a licence we may visit you to check. If we then find that you have been watching, recording or streaming programmes illegally, you risk prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000 (£2,000 in Guernsey) plus any legal costs and compensation you may be ordered to pay."
If you don't need a TV license, simply visit "Telling us you don't need a licence" for the full checklist and submit your no TV licence needed registration via the website.
How to pay less for your TV licence
In some cases, you may be able to pay less for your TV licence. There are concessions for eligible groups. For example:
- the registered blind get a 50% discount
- people over 75 in receipt of pension credit can apply for a free licence
- people living in a care home or in sheltered housing can pay the discounted rate of £7.50 if they're disabled or retired and over 60
These groups should ensure that they apply for the discount or exemption they are entitled to.
One licence can cover an entire household, so if someone in your home is blind, they can apply for a half-price TV licence that will cover your household. They will need to live in your property however, and not a granny annexe, for example.
As such, it's worth checking whether there is anyone in your home eligible for concessions and applying so you can benefit from a discounted rate. You can apply for a discounted or free TV licence online.
Do university students need their own TV licence?
University students who live away from their parents' home will typically need their own TV licence to watch live TV. If, for example, you live in student halls, the communal TV licence won't cover you to watch TV in your room so you'll need your own TV licence. If you lived in shared housing, you may need your own TV licence if you have a separate tenancy agreement for your room as well.
There is, however, a peculiar exception to this rule. If your out-of-term address is registered at your parents' house and they have a TV licence, you may be able to get away without paying for a TV licence as long as you only watch TV through a battery-powered device such as your phone, tablet, or laptop.
If you plug in your device into the mains (so you can charge it, for instance) or connect it to an aerial while watching TV, you will need a TV licence.
So, to avoid paying for a TV licence, you could simply watch TV on your laptop when it's fully charged and doesn't need plugging in.
In addition to this, as you typically pay for a TV licence on an annual basis but won't always be living in student accommodation for a full year, you could apply for a partial refund on your TV licence.
This means you won't need to pay for the months you haven't used.
What can I watch without a TV licence?
You don't necessarily need a TV licence in all cases. As long as you're not attempting to watch TV live, you can use the following streaming services without a TV licence:
- Netflix
- Disney+
- YouTube
- Amazon Prime
- On-Demand or Catch up TV (except through BBC iPlayer)
- DVDs and Blu-rays
