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The licence fee

The annual cost of a colour TV licence is £145.50 (as from 1 April 2010). A black and white TV licence is £49.

How the licence fee was spent in 2009/2010

Between 1 April 2009 and 31 March 2010 the cost was £142.50 – the equivalent of £11.88 per month or just under 40p per day.

The BBC used its income from the licence fee to pay for its TV, radio and online services, plus other costs, as shown below.

TV

£7.85 per month per household

Television costs

Radio

£2.01 per month per household

Radio costs

Online

£0.67 per month per household

Online costs

Other costs

£1.35 per month per household

Other costs

About the licence fee

Everyone in the UK who watches or records TV as it is broadcast needs to be covered by a TV licence. This includes TV on computers, mobile phones, DVD/video recorders and other devices.

The Government sets the level of the licence fee. In January 2007 the licence fee was agreed for a six-year period with the amount being approved each year by Parliament. More recently the Government decided to freeze the licence fee at its 2010 level of £145.50 until the end of the current BBC Charter period in 2016.

Date from Colour licence Black and white licence
1 April 2007 £135.50 £45.50
1 April 2008 £139.50 £47
1 April 2009 £142.50 £48
1 April 2010 £145.50 £49

Related BBC links

Related internet link

How the 2009/2010 UK licence fee compared with rates across Europe

Licence fee comparison

Source: Broadcasting Fee Association. All licences run for a calendar year except the UK (1 April to 31 March). Euro exchange rate £1=€1.14 (at 1 January 2010). Cost is total per licence to domestic customer for TV and radio. *includes VAT

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