Hawaii Tops the List for Priciest TV Habit While Washington's Hydropower Keeps Costs Low

Watching TV in Hawaii costs more per year than in any other U.S. state, according to new research from Texas Electricity Ratings. California ranks second most expensive, followed by Connecticut in third. Rhode Island lands fourth on the list, with Massachusetts rounding out the top five.

A new study from energy experts Texas Electricity Ratings has revealed Hawaii as the most expensive state in America to watch TV.

The study analyzed data from the US Energy Information Administration to produce a top list of the most expensive states to watch TV in the United States. Factors assessed for the study include total hours that TVs were switched on per household and the state residential electricity prices.

The total amount of money spent on keeping the TV running per year was then calculated. Hawaii is officially the most expensive state in America to watch TV, with Washington the cheapest, paying three times less.

Top 10 Most Expensive States to Watch TV

Rank	State	Annual TV Electricity Cost per Household	Hours TV Switched On per Day	Electricity Price (¢/kWh)
1	Hawaii	$209.85	7.92	42.75
2	California	$168.01	7.86	32.89
3	Connecticut	$159.03	8.92	28.36
4	Rhode Island	$149.22	8.3	29.01
5	Massachusetts	$146.44	7.7	30.38
6	Maine	$143.19	8.44	28.99
7	New York	$140.68	8.17	27.96
8	New Jersey	$140.36	9.17	23.81
9	New Hampshire	$136.63	8.03	26.27
10	Alaska	$121.35	7.2	26.74

Hawaii sits clear at the top of the table as the most expensive state in America to watch TV. It costs Hawaiians $209.85 per year to run household TVs despite only being switched on for 7.92 hours a day. The Aloha State leads other US states by a huge margin.

Second is California, costing $168.01 per year where TVs are switched on for 7.86 hours per day. There is a $41.84 gap to Hawaii in first place and it costs Californians 32.89 cents per kWh of electricity.

Connecticut ranks third with more hours switched on than both first and second place, but electricity prices are 28.36 cents per kWh, resulting in an annual bill of $159.03.

The fourth most expensive state in America for watching TV is Rhode Island at $149.22 per year with 8.3 hours per day of activity.

Rounding out the top five is Massachusetts with an annual cost of $146.44. Electricity costs 30.38 cents per kWh and TVs are switched on for 7.7 hours per day, the second lowest in the top 10.

Sixth is Maine, where the annual TV-running cost is $143.19. Residents of The Pine Tree State have its TVs switched on for 8.44 hours per day, the third most in the top 10.

Ranking in seventh is New York where it costs $140.68 per year to run the TV. At 27.96 cents per kWh and 8.17 hours per day, New York sits above New Jersey in eighth by just 32 cents annually.

New York is closely followed by New Jersey in eighth place. It costs people of The Garden State $140.36 annually and they have the TVs switched on for 9.17 hours per day.

Ninth is New Hampshire, paying $136.63 per year. With 8.03 hours per day switched on and 26.27 cents per kWh, there is a fair gap back to 10th place.

The final state in the top 10 is Alaska, where it costs $121.35 per year to run household TVs. Despite Alaskans having the third lowest TV activity in the country at 7.2 hours per day, high electricity prices in the state still puts them in the top 10 on annual costs.

Karl Trollinger, CEO of Texas Electricity Ratings, commented on the findings:

"One of the key findings in this study is the sheer difference between first and last place. Hawaii ($209.85) residents are paying more than three times the amount as Washington ($65.11) annually.

"But the difference isn't about the TVs themselves, it's about where the power and electricity is actually coming from. Hawaii runs largely on imported oil where fuel is shipped across an ocean. Whereas Washington is home to the biggest hydroelectric system in America.

"Those two different supply chains could be why there is such a big difference in annual costs, with Hawaiians paying the higher prices."

Sources

https://www.eia.gov/consumption/residential/data/2024/csv/recs2024_public_v1.csv
https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/eia861m/xls/sales_revenue.xlsx
https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/
https://www.eia.gov/consumption/residential/data/2024/state/xls/STelectronicsAndLighting_2024.xlsx

Methodology

Using data from the US Energy Information Administration, the study calculated the annual cost of running household TVs in each state using cost per kWh and how many hours TVs are switched on per day. The findings were then put into a top list from 1-50 that saw Hawaii as the most expensive, and Washington as the cheapest.

Full Ranking: TV-Running Costs by State, 1-50

Full Ranking: Annual TV Electricity Cost by State, 1-50

Rank	State	Annual TV Electricity Cost per Household	Hours TV Switched On per Day	Electricity Price (¢/kWh)
1	Hawaii	$209.85	7.92	42.75
2	California	$168.01	7.86	32.89
3	Connecticut	$159.03	8.92	28.36
4	Rhode Island	$149.22	8.3	29.01
5	Massachusetts	$146.44	7.7	30.38
6	Maine	$143.19	8.44	28.99
7	New York	$140.68	8.17	27.96
8	New Jersey	$140.36	9.17	23.81
9	New Hampshire	$136.63	8.03	26.27
10	Alaska	$121.35	7.2	26.74
11	Michigan	$117.48	9.33	20.75
12	Pennsylvania	$116.85	9.62	20.47
13	Ohio	$113.86	10.59	18.02
14	Maryland	$113.77	8.45	20.75
15	Wisconsin	$109.24	9.66	18.65
16	Alabama	$108.32	11.35	16.39
17	Mississippi	$107.01	12.78	14.66
18	Indiana	$105.79	10.5	16.88
19	Illinois	$104.88	8.14	18.54
20	Delaware	$103.23	9.02	17.59
21	Florida	$99.59	9.86	15.4
22	South Carolina	$99.42	10.54	15.55
23	Texas	$99.11	9.87	15.9
24	West Virginia	$98.59	11.72	15.45
25	Georgia	$98.51	10.36	15.04
26	Louisiana	$95.98	12.78	13.04
27	Vermont	$94.66	6.16	23.65
28	Kansas	$93.20	10.51	14.99
29	Virginia	$92.39	9.6	16.29
30	Oklahoma	$91.50	11.75	13.6
31	Arizona	$91.10	9.05	15.4
32	Colorado	$90.19	8.22	16.45
33	Minnesota	$89.93	8.79	16.15
34	Kentucky	$89.90	11.13	13.85
35	Arkansas	$88.86	11.83	13.31
36	South Dakota	$87.33	9.85	14.11
37	North Carolina	$86.00	9.65	14.57
38	Missouri	$85.97	10.6	13.89
39	Tennessee	$84.67	10.41	13.51
40	Nevada	$83.02	9.78	13.32
41	New Mexico	$82.82	8.64	15.28
42	Iowa	$82.19	9.43	14.04
43	Utah	$77.92	8.12	13.36
44	Oregon	$75.30	7.93	15.47
45	Wyoming	$73.44	8.99	14.03
46	Montana	$72.40	8.63	13.77
47	North Dakota	$71.99	8.54	12.3
48	Nebraska	$70.84	7.89	12.76
49	Idaho	$69.22	8.51	12.5
50	Washington	$65.11	7.18	14.02