TV licence: What you can legally watch without forking out £159 fee | Personal Finance | Finance
The TV licence fee costs £159 a year, or £13.25 a month, but not everyone needs one thanks to the rise in popularity of streaming services like YouTube and Netflix. However, when it comes to who needs a licence and what people can watch without a TV licence, there are several rules to note.
If people think they don’t need a licence they can ask TV licensing for a full refund.
However, it pays to be sure before cancelling as a Cheshire couple were recently fined £460 in court bills after they were caught using televisions without a TV licence.
The couple in their 30s and 40s were caught in December 2021 and January 2022 Warrington Magistrates Court heard.
This is almost three times the cost of the BBC licence fee of £159 for the year.
READ MORE: Could this be the end for thousands of free cash machines?
Meanwhile, the BBC licence fee was cancelled by more than a quarter of a million more people last year as more and more Britons refused to pay the controversial fee.
The number of UK residents declaring they did not require a licence hit 1.96 million in 2021 to 2022, according to the BBC’s own figures.
One factor why the BBC saw more cancellations could be that Britons have been struggling to find the money to pay for bills during the cost of living crisis.
Another likely factor is that more and more people are watching streaming services like YouTube and Netflix and no longer watching live TV so they don’t need a licence.
How to get a refund on your TV licence:
On the TV Licensing website it says: “Please check you won’t need your licence again before it expires.
“That means you won’t ever be watching TV live on any channel or service, or using BBC iPlayer.
“If we approve your refund, your licence will be cancelled automatically.”
“People can go to tvlicensing.co.uk to find out more about whether they are eligible for a refund or discount.”
