Viewers must have a valid licence, which usually costs £174.50 to watch many programmes including live television and events on Netflix and YouTube
The price of a TV Licence increased for many households last year, with the Government raising the cost to £174.50 in April 2025. This annual charge is generally mandatory for businesses and households watching live television, including events on Netflix and YouTube, as well as BBC iPlayer content.
Although just one licence is required per household, the rules differ slightly for anyone with a second home or caravan. In certain cases, you may need to purchase a second TV Licence to cover that address, potentially taking the cost up to £349.
Additional TV Licences are particularly necessary if you intend to watch TV channels on any TV service, live TV on streaming services, and BBC iPlayer from a second property. According to official TV Licensing online guidance, this applies to any device used in a house, flat, bungalow, or cottage.
The only exception is if you exclusively use devices powered only by their internal batteries, meaning they are not connected to an aerial or plugged into the mains. In these instances, your main home’s TV Licence will cover you.
Meanwhile, very different rules apply to anyone staying in a touring caravan, static caravan, boat, mobile home or moveable chalet. Official guidance states that your TV Licence for your main home should cover you, unless someone is watching live broadcasts or using BBC iPlayer simultaneously at your main licensed address.
In this case, you will need to complete a declaration form rather than pay for an additional licence, which should take only a couple of minutes. These forms are available in both Welsh and English.
Official TV licensing guidance adds: “You could be prosecuted if we find that you have been watching, recording or downloading programmes illegally. The maximum penalty is a £1,000 fine plus any legal costs and/or compensation you may be ordered to pay.
“A standard TV Licence costs £174.50 and a black and white licence costs £58.50.” For more information, click here.
What’s behind the licence fee increase?
The Secretary of State announced a 2.9% rise in the licence fee for 2024, effective from April 1, 2025, aligned with annual CPI inflation. The official TV Licensing website confirms this translates to a daily increase of just over 1p and represents only the second fee rise since April 1, 2021.
This adjustment has pushed the annual colour licence fee to £174.50, whilst the black-and-white licence now stands at £58.50 per year. Going forward, licence fee increases will be linked to CPI inflation for the next four years, concluding in 2027.
What’s covered with a TV Licence?
The TV Licensing website explains that four key things are covered by your payment. This includes:
- All TV channels – like BBC, ITV, Channel 4, U&Dave and international channels
- Pay TV services – like Sky, Virgin Media and EE TV
- Live TV on streaming services – like YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video
- Everything on BBC iPlayer
This covers watching, recording, and downloading on any device.
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