The cost of a TV licence is to rise by £5 to £174.50 in April 2025.

The fee is due to increase in line with inflation each year until 2027, following an agreement made in 2022.

The fee pays for BBC shows and services, and the £5 increase will come into force in April 2025, following the £10.50 rise that was applied in 2024.

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Can I pay in instalments?

The Simple Payment Plan scheme helps households facing financial difficulty  split the annual payment into more manageable fortnightly and monthly instalments.

Do I need a licence?

All UK households need a TV licence if they watch or record TV programmes as they're being broadcast. This rule applies to all programmes on any channel, from soaps and documentaries to films.

Households also need to pay if they download or watch programmes broadcast on BBC iPlayer - whether it's live, catch up, or on demand, but not BBC radio shows.

It's not just regular TV channels - people also need to pay if they watch live online TV services such as ITV Hub, All 4, Amazon Prime Video, Now TV or Sky Go.

However, unlike with BBC iPlayer, a licence is not required if a person only ever watches catch-up programmes on these TV services.

If a household finds themselves only watching catch-up TV (not including BBC iPlayer), they won't need a TV licence - as long as they're not using the TV services to watch anything live.

Households also don't need a TV licence to watch certain streaming services, like Netflix, YouTube or Disney+.

For those considering cancelling their TV licence, it's important to make sure everyone in the same household adheres to the rules.

No I need to pay for a black and white TV?

Yes, but the rates are lower. It will rise from £57 a year to £58.50 in 2025, an increase of £1.50. 

How about people aged 75 and above?

All over-75s used to get a free TV licence, but the rules changed in August 2020 and free licences are now only available to over-75s who receive the Pension Credit benefit.

If you or someone you live with is blind or severely sight-impaired, you'll get a discount of 50% on the cost of a TV licence, so it's £84.75 for colour or £28.50 for black and white.