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 2010/11
Between 1 April 2010 and 31 March 2011 the cost was £145.50 – the equivalent of £12.13 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
£7.96 per month per household
Radio
£2.11 per month per household
Online
£0.66 per month per household
Other costs
£1.40 per month per household
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 |
| 1 April 2011 | £145.50 | £49 |
© 2011