TV Licence Cost per Day Calculator

Convert the annual TV Licence fee into a daily, weekly, monthly and shared-household cost using the current official fee or your own payment amount.

Enter The Licence Cost

Licence type Choose a current official fee or use custom if your letter shows a different amount. Annual amount to spread This may be the official fee, a concession amount or the total shown on your payment plan.GBP Number of licences Most homes need one licence, but landlords, halls or business settings may compare more.licences Days to spread over Use 365 for a normal year, 366 for a leap year or a shorter comparison period.days Credit, refund or discount Enter any known credit that reduces the amount being spread.GBP People sharing the household cost Optional. Use 1 if you want the cost per household only.people Comparison period Use this to compare a holiday let, student term, house share month or short budget window.days Payment already made Optional. This shows the balance left from the amount entered above.GBP

Your Daily TV Licence Cost

–

Enter the annual amount and days to see the daily cost.

What Makes This Result Specific

The result will use your chosen licence fee, any credit, the number of licences, the period length and any shared-household split. It is a cost spread, not a decision on whether a licence is required.

What This Calculator Does

The TV Licence Cost per Day Calculator takes a yearly licence amount and spreads it over a chosen number of days. It is useful when you want to compare the licence with other household bills, split a cost in a shared home, check what a short period represents, or explain a payment plan in everyday amounts. The current official fee used as the default is GBP 180 for a colour TV licence from 1 April 2026. The black and white licence option is GBP 60.50. Both values are editable because official fees, concessions, refunds and payment arrangements can change.

This page does not decide whether you need a TV Licence. That depends on what you watch or record, how you watch it, the property arrangement and the current TV Licensing rules. The calculator only answers a narrower money question: if the annual amount is a given number, what does that mean per day, per week, per month, per comparison period and per person if the household splits the cost?

Daily Cost Formula

net annual amount = annual amount x number of licences - credit or discount daily household cost = net annual amount / days to spread over weekly household cost = daily household cost x 7 average monthly household cost = net annual amount / 12 comparison period cost = daily household cost x comparison days daily shared cost = daily household cost / people sharing the cost balance left = net annual amount - payment already made

The calculator rounds money to the nearest penny for display. The exact internal calculation may contain more decimals, which is why the daily amount multiplied by 365 can differ by a penny from the annual amount. Payment plans can also be cash-flow arrangements rather than simple equal daily charges. For example, a Direct Debit schedule may collect more in the first months and less later, even though the yearly licence fee is the same. Use the daily result to compare value, not to replace the payment schedule shown by TV Licensing.

Worked Examples For Common Questions

Question	Inputs Used	Result	How To Read It
What is the daily cost of a colour licence?	GBP 180, one licence, 365 days, no credit.	About GBP 0.49 per day.	The yearly fee is being spread evenly across a normal year, not across the payment dates.
What changes in a leap year?	GBP 180 spread over 366 days.	About GBP 0.49 per day, a little lower before rounding.	The annual fee is divided by one extra day, so the displayed daily value may look unchanged to the nearest penny.
What if four housemates split the cost?	GBP 180, one licence, four people, 365 days.	About GBP 0.12 each per day.	This is a private sharing calculation. It does not prove that a shared property is covered by one licence.
What is the cost for a 30-day comparison?	GBP 180, one licence, 30 comparison days.	About GBP 14.79.	This helps compare the licence with monthly streaming, broadband or entertainment budgets.

Official Fee Values And Common Daily Costs

Licence Amount	Daily Cost Over 365 Days	Weekly Cost	Average Monthly Cost	Typical Use
GBP 180 colour licence	GBP 0.49	GBP 3.45	GBP 15.00	Main default for a standard colour TV Licence from 1 April 2026.
GBP 60.50 black and white licence	GBP 0.17	GBP 1.16	GBP 5.04	Use only where the black and white licence category really applies.
GBP 0 after a full qualifying concession	GBP 0.00	GBP 0.00	GBP 0.00	Enter the amount shown by TV Licensing rather than assuming eligibility.
Custom payment total	Depends on input	Depends on input	Depends on input	Useful for refunds, credits, house-share settlements or a letter with a different total.

The table uses simple arithmetic. It does not include bank timing, instalment dates, arrears, enforcement matters, refunds already processed, card charges from third parties or any private agreement between housemates. If your TV Licensing letter shows a balance that differs from the official annual fee, type the letter amount into the annual amount field or use the credit and payment fields to reproduce it.

How To Use The Result In A Household Budget

1Choose the licence type and confirm the amount against TV Licensing, especially after 1 April when fee changes commonly take effect.

2Choose the period. Use 365 for a normal year, 366 for a leap year, or a custom number of days for a short comparison.

3Read the result beside your other bills. Daily, weekly and monthly figures help compare the licence with broadband, streaming, mobile and energy costs.

The per-person field is a convenience for housemates and family budgeting. It is not a legal test. Some shared homes, lodgings, student halls or business premises can have special coverage questions. A private split also does not change who is responsible for the licence or what the licence covers. If the property arrangement is unusual, use the official TV Licensing checker rather than relying on a bill split.

Payment Plans And Daily Cost Are Different Things

A daily cost is a fair way to compare the fee with other spending. A payment plan is the way the fee is collected. Those two numbers can look different in a bank account. Monthly Direct Debit, quarterly Direct Debit, payment card and Simple Payment Plan arrangements can have their own timing and eligibility rules. The calculator therefore separates the annual amount from the payment already made and the days used for spreading the cost.

If you want to check affordability, use the balance left row and the comparison period row. If you want to know what TV Licensing will collect next, use the schedule or letter from TV Licensing. If you want to know whether you need a licence for BBC iPlayer, live TV, recording live TV or a specific household setting, use official guidance rather than this cost calculator.

When Not To Rely On This Page Alone

Do not use this calculator to decide whether you are legally covered, whether a concession applies, whether a refund is due, whether a student room needs a separate licence, or whether a business, landlord, care home or holiday let arrangement is covered. It also does not calculate penalties, enforcement action, prosecution risk or arrears terms. It is a transparent cost spread for budgeting and comparison.

FAQs

What is the TV Licence cost per day in 2026?

Using the colour licence fee of GBP 180 from 1 April 2026 and spreading it over 365 days gives about GBP 0.49 per day. The exact displayed value is rounded to the nearest penny.

Why does the calculator let me edit the official fee?

The official fee can change, and your own letter may include a credit, refund, concession, balance adjustment or payment total that differs from the headline fee. Editing the amount lets you match the document in front of you.

Does paying monthly change the daily cost?

The annual licence fee is the same basis for the daily cost, but the cash collected each month can follow a payment schedule. Use TV Licensing documents for collection dates and this calculator for cost comparison.

Can I split the licence cost between housemates?

You can use the people field for a private budget split, but it does not decide whether one licence covers the property. Shared homes, lodgings and student accommodation can have coverage details that need official guidance.

Should I use 365 or 366 days?

Use 365 for a normal year and 366 for a leap year comparison. The yearly amount does not automatically change because of a leap year; only the spread per day changes slightly.

Does this calculator tell me if I need a TV Licence?

No. It only converts a known fee into smaller time periods. Use TV Licensing or GOV.UK guidance for the rules on live TV, BBC iPlayer, recording live TV, business use, refunds and concessions.

Sources

Department for Culture, Media and Sport. (2025). Cost of TV Licence Fee Set for 2026/27. GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cost-of-tv-licence-fee-set-for-202627
TV Licensing. (n.d.). TV Licence Types and Costs. TV Licensing. https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/topics/tv-licence-types-and-costs-top2
GOV.UK. (n.d.). TV Licence. GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/tv-licence
BBC. (n.d.). The Licence Fee. British Broadcasting Corporation. https://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/governance/licencefee