Cost to run a DVD player
A DVD player drawing 40 W costs 1.05p for each hour of running at 26.32p/kWh. Used 1.5 hours a day, 3 days a week, that comes to 20.6p a month.
An hour of running costs
1.05p an hour
That is 0.04 kWh. Used as set, it comes to 20.6p a month and £2.47 a year.
On the label or in the manual.
Standby, thermostats and off-peak use
A thermostat switches it on and off to hold a temperature. 100% if it runs flat out.
Drawn while plugged in and not running.
| Period | Cost | Energy | CO2e |
|---|---|---|---|
| An hour of running | 1.05p | 0.04 kWh | 8.7 g |
| A day, on average | 0.68p | 0.026 kWh | 5.6 g |
| A month | 20.6p | 0.78 kWh | 170 g |
| A year | £2.47 | 9.39 kWh | 2 kg |
How we calculated this
Energy is power multiplied by time: 40 W running for an hour uses 0.04 kWh.
The typical and high figures are the average rating Centre for Sustainable Energy gives for a DVD player. The low figure is the bottom of Virginia Tech’s nameplate range for a DVD player, which is lower.
The starting use for a DVD player, 1.5 hours a day, 3 days a week, is where the calculator starts, not a measurement of your home: change it to how you use yours. A day is the average across the week, and a month is a twelfth of a 365-day year.
Electricity costs 26.32p/kWh. That is the published figure for the United Kingdom, 1 Oct – 31 Dec 2026, from Ofgem. Average for England, Scotland and Wales, paying by Direct Debit. No VAT on electricity from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027.
Standing charges are left out: you pay them whether or not the appliance runs.
Emissions use 0.217 kg CO2e per kWh, the lifecycle intensity of electricity generated in the United Kingdom in 2025, from Ember, via Our World in Data. Lifecycle means building the power stations and supplying their fuel are counted too. It is the grid’s average, not the particular power station an extra appliance brings on.
What drives the cost
A DVD player draws 40 W while it plays, and it is only on when a disc is in. At 1.5 hours a day, 3 days a week, a DVD player costs £2.47 a year, so it is one of the smaller costs in a living room.
Also called: Blu-ray player, disc player.
What it costs in the UK, Europe and the US
For a DVD player used as typical (1.5 hours a day, 3 days a week), at each country’s published average electricity price.
| Country | Electricity price | An hour |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 26.32p/kWh | 1.05p |
| United States (average) | 18.19¢/kWh | 0.73¢ |
| Ireland | €0.4042/kWh | €0.016 |
| Germany | 0,3869 €/kWh | 0,015 € |
| France | 0,2561 €/kWh | 0,01 € |
| Spain | 0,2669 €/kWh | 0,011 € |
| Italy | 0,2966 €/kWh | 0,012 € |
| Netherlands | € 0,2558/kWh | € 0,01 |
Compared with similar appliances
| Appliance | Typical power | An hour | A year, typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| DVD player | 40 W | 1.05p | £2.47 |
| LED or LCD TV | 79.5 W | 2.09p | £44.06 |
| TV box | 40 W | 1.05p | £19.21 |
How to spend less on it
- Switch it off at the wall when you are not watching a disc: even a player that is off can keep drawing a small amount.
- Streaming through the television or a box you already have means you do not run a second device at all.
Questions
How much does a DVD player cost to run per hour?
At 26.32p/kWh, a DVD player drawing 40 W costs 1.05p for every hour of running at full power.
How much does a DVD player cost to run a year?
Used 1.5 hours a day, 3 days a week, it costs about £2.47 a year at 26.32p/kWh, or 20.6p a month.
How many watts does a DVD player use?
Most draw between 20 W and 40 W while running, and 40 W is typical. The rating is on the label or in the manual.
Does a DVD player use electricity when it is off?
Many appliances keep drawing a small amount of power when they are switched off, and Virginia Tech’s guide lists players like this among them. Switching it off at the wall saves that small draw; the saving is small next to the television it plays on.
Sources
- How much electricity am I using?, Centre for Sustainable Energy, July 2026. “DVD player (40 W)”
- ENERGY SERIES: Estimating Appliance and Home Electronic Energy Use, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, 26 February 2020. “VCR/DVD = 17–21 / 20–25”
- ENERGY SERIES: Estimating Appliance and Home Electronic Energy Use, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, 26 February 2020. “Many appliances continue to draw a small amount of power when they are switched "off."”
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