TV Licence fee could see biggest rise in 20 years from 2024 – what are your options?
It’s time to ask whether you really need a TV Licence, as prices will rise in 2024 - we go through your options
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- Look After My Bills Newsletter Newsletter

From April 2024, households should prepare to see the biggest rise in the cost of a TV Licence in the last 20 years. Now’s the time to ask if your home really needs one.
Watching TV has become pricey, with broadband hikes in April and increased subscription costs from streaming giants including NOW TV and Amazon Prime.
To add to your outgoings, you could also see a rise in the TV Licence fee from April 2024. This raises the question, do you really need a TV Licence? We tell you why your bill could rise and by how much, and explain your options.
TV Licence fee rise
In the face of the rising cost of living, the government froze the TV Licence fee (opens in new tab) at £159 a year until April 2024.
The Department of Culture, Media and Sport (opens in new tab) told The Money Edit that from April 2024, the freeze will end and the TV Licence fee will rise in line with the rate of inflation at that time.
The Office of Budget Responsibility (opens in new tab) forecasts inflation to be at 8.2% in April 2024. (although this figure is just a prediction and isn’t set in stone).
This means the fee would rise by £13, taking it from £159 to £172 a year – the biggest increase in the last 20 years.
While the government is under pressure to intervene and scrap the fee hike, the news may leave you worried about yet another bill rise.
Now could be a good time to rethink your options and ask if you need a TV Licence.
Your options
You have a year before you see the TV Licence fee hike, but it’s best to start thinking about how you can cut costs now, and part of that is asking ‘do I need a TV Licence?’
Here are some ways to cut costs, and alternative streaming options to consider.
Check if you are exempt from the TV Licence fee. If you are over the age of 75 and you receive pension credit, you don’t need to pay a TV licence fee. Pensioners over 75 who also live in a care home or sheltered accommodation could also be exempt.
Can you get a discounted rate? If you are blind or if your eyesight is severely impaired, you can apply for a 50% discount, bringing your TV Licence fee down to £79.50 yearly.
Don’t pay your fee quarterly. If you pay your fee quarterly, you're actually paying £164 in total over the course of a year. So make sure you choose to pay annually or in monthly instalments to get the normal rate of £159 a year (or £172 a year after the fee rises).
Do you really need a TV licence? If you don’t watch any BBC programmes, you could get away with not having a TV Licence. The rules state that you are allowed to watch on demand or catch up with most channels (for example ITVX or All 4), apart from the BBC.
So, if you’re a Coronation Street or Hollyoaks fan, you could wait until your show is on catch-up and watch it on there later, saving you £159 on a TV Licence. But don’t get caught out when using streaming apps like ITVX – if you choose to watch live TV on these apps, you will need a TV Licence.
Opt for other streaming services. Currently, the TV Licence fee stands at £159 (£13.25 a month). If it does rise to £172, it will cost you £14.33 a month from April 2024. So, it’s a good time to check if it’s really worth having a TV Licence and your alternative options:
- You can pay £10.99 a month for a standard Netflix subscription which lets you stream on up to two devices with no adverts. Yearly, this would come to £131.88 (£27.12 less than the TV Licence fee). If you’re not bothered about adverts, you could even opt for the Netflix basic ads package at £4.99 a month (£59.88 a year), but note, this package also gives restricted access to certain shows and movies.
- If you have kids, consider getting Disney Plus, which costs £10.99 a month. You could get a discounted rate or bag a few months free if you check our best Disney Plus deals (you could save up to £100).
- Apple TV costs slightly less, with a monthly cost of £6.99 (or £83.88 a year). But the same goes with this streamer – there are many opportunities to bag a better deal and up to eight months free. Check out how on our Best Apple TV Plus deals.
To bag the best price when it comes to streaming subscriptions, find out how to get the best TV streaming deals. This might work out a lot cheaper than having a TV Licence.
Vaishali graduated in journalism from Leeds University. She has gained experience writing local stories around Leeds and Leicester, which includes writing for a university publication and Leicester Mercury.
She has also done some marketing and copywriting for businesses.
When she is not writing about personal finance, Vaishali likes to travel and she's a foodie.
-
-
Seven ‘awful April’ price hikes – how to beat them and save money
A whole heap of price hikes are coming in this April – we run through the main ones along with ways to beat them and save money
By Sue Hayward • Published
-
State pension underpayment warning - have you been underpaid and eligible for more than £11,500?
Thousands of retirees, mainly women, are still owed money by the government after being underpaid their state pension. We explain what you need to know
By Katie Binns • Last updated
-
Seven ‘awful April’ price hikes – how to beat them and save money
A whole heap of price hikes are coming in this April – we run through the main ones along with ways to beat them and save money
By Sue Hayward • Published
-
Car tax to rise by 10.1% in April: what the increase means for you
Vehicle excise duty will be increasing from 1 April, meaning higher costs for many motorists. We reveal clever ways to save money on your car tax.
By John Fitzsimons • Published
-
Inflation rises to 10.4% as food prices surge: what does it mean for you?
As prices rise again, household finances are coming under a lot more pressure. We look at what’s increased and why, and how you can beat inflation
By Stephanie Baxter • Published
-
Selling VHS tapes: could your old videotape be worth over $25k?
Some VHS tapes can fetch a small fortune. If you’ve still got boxes of old 80s and 90s cassette tapes, it could be time to dust them off to try and make some cash. We explain what to check for and how to sell them
By Sue Hayward • Published
-
Tesco to slash triple Clubcard voucher exchange perk
Saving up and swapping your Tesco Clubcard vouchers to save money on treats like days out has always been a big part of the supermarket’s popular loyalty scheme.
By Sue Hayward • Published
-
Paying at the pump: why is my payment card pre-authorised for up to £120 when I fill up?
If you choose to ‘pay at the pump’ when filling up with fuel, your payment card could be pre-authorised for up to £120. We explain why this happens and what it means for motorists
By Sue Hayward • Published
-
Alcohol duty freeze – what does it mean for the price of a pint?
Jeremy Hunt postpones the expected alcohol duty rise and cuts the price of draught beer – we have all the details
By Vaishali Varu • Published
-
Free childcare for working parents – how much could it save you?
We reveal how the government’s extended childcare support framework can help save working parents up to £6,500 a year
By Stephanie Baxter • Published