Article Updated: 05/04/2022

Save yourself £159 per year and stop paying your TV Licence fee!

If like me you do not watch live TV, nor do you stream anything from the joke that is the BBC then why are you still paying for your TV license? 

I’ve not had or paid for a TV licence for over 10 years which has saved me over £1500. Once every few years I may get a letter threatening to prosecute but I know that I’ve done nothing wrong and so I just remind them that I don’t require a licence and all is good.

How much does a TV Licence cost?

• A colour licence will cost £159.
• If you are blind (severely sight impaired), you are still able to apply for a 50% concession. This means a colour licence will cost £79.50.

TV License Discounts and Concessions

• If you’re aged 74 and over and you, or your partner living at the same address receive Pension Credit, you could get a free licence.
• If you live in a care home or sheltered accommodation you may be able to pay a discounted fee of £7.50.
• If you’re blind (severely sight impaired) you can apply to pay half of the licence fee (£79.50)
• If you only watch on a black and white TV, the licence costs £53.50.

TV Licences for hospitality & entertainment venues

Hospitality businesses can apply for a licence to cover guest accommodation or mobile units (hotels, hostels, mobile units and campsites).

Licences are also available for entertainment venues (such as corporate boxes or sports stadiums).

The licence cost will depend on the number of units or rooms where a licence is needed.

^{Source: https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/topics/tv-licence-types-and-costs-top2}

Licensing Fee Update as of Jan 17th 2022:

The TV licence fee has been frozen for two years as the government moves to support families in the face of rising living costs.

• Fee will remain at £159 until 2024 before rising in line with inflation for four years
• Households will not see any change to the licence fee until 1 April 2024
• New agreement gives broadcaster certainty while protecting public from price hike

^{Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/tv-licence-fee-frozen-for-two-years}

How to LEGALLY stop paying for your TV licence and save £159 per year:

Firstly, let’s cover the TV Licensing definition of Live TV as this is an important keyphrase.
“Live TV means any programme you watch or record as it’s being shown on TV or live on an online TV service. It’s not just live events like sport, news and music. It also covers soaps, series, documentaries and even movies.

You need to be covered by a TV Licence if you watch live TV on any channel or TV service – such as ITV Hub, All 4, YouTube, Sky, Virgin, BT, Freeview, Amazon Prime Video, Now TV – on any device.“

^{Source: https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk}

Now let’s break it down to save any confusion as the rules on TV licencing fees are fairly simple. You are required (by law) to have a TV license if you:

• Watch, stream or record any live TV programmes
  
• Download or watch any BBC programmes on iPlayer.
  
• This applies to any device you use, including a TV, desktop computer, laptop, mobile phone, tablet, games console, digital box or DVD/VHS recorder.
  
• You must not have an aerial connected to your TV or device.

In short, as long as it’s not showing live or via BBC iPlayer then it is classed as pre-recorded. 

Examples of pre-recorded programs and services are:

• Netflix and Disney+ – All content on these platforms is pre-recorded and they do not as yet offer live TV services in the UK. No TV license is required.
• Amazon Prime Video – Although Amazon on occasion does offer some live programming (Usually live sporting events), most of their content is pre-recorded. Films, TV Shows, Documentaries and boxsets. If it’s not live then you do not need to pay.
• Catch Up TV services – ITV Hub, All 4, My5 and similar services offer a mix of live TV and on-demand/catch-up programs. Providing you don’t watch the live programming, you don’t need a TV Licence.
• Google Play (Movies & TV) – You can purchase a huge range of TV series and movies but nothing here is live, so again, no license required. 

There are so many more services out there but by this point there’s enough examples to know the difference between live and pre-recorded. 

What steps to take next?

Are you ready to cancel? Then all you need to do is tell them you no longer require a licence by clicking this link https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/topics/telling-us-you-dont-need-a-tv-licence , fill out a few details (no username or passwords required) and then cancel your Direct Debit.

Unfortunately, the BBC/TV Licensing are well known for their scaremongering and instead of sending out a polite email to confirm the cancellation, they will send out a red-letter threatening an investigation and prosecution (see the example I received below). 

Do not panic and do not give in. This is nothing but an unscrupulous threat to try and scare you into giving them money. Providing you do not watch Live TV or BBC iPlayer, there is absolutely nothing they can do. Remember to make sure you disconnect any TV aerials from your devices.

You may have a TV Licence Investigator randomly turn up to your house. It is entirely your choice to let them in or not. If you say no then he/she may threaten to come back another day with the police. If this happens then just close the door.

This happened to me at an old address. I politely told him to bugger off and that was the end of it.

_{Note: This article is based on my own experiences, views and research. For legal purposes, I must advise that you also do your own research before biting the bullet.}