TV Licence: Thousands could get a refund of up to £159, check if you're eligible

Every household in Britain is legally required to have a valid TV licence in order to enjoy popular content from the likes of BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and others.

It costs £159 for a colour device, and £53.50 for a black and white one.

People have just been informed that they could boost their summer budgets by refunding a year’s worth of this basic expenditure if they meet certain criteria.

Here is who is entitled to the extra cash and how to get it.

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Here is who is eligible for £159 TV licence refund

A TV licence is a must-have in every household.

It is usually heavily policed, with enforcers visiting the houses of those who opted out of paying, in order to check whether they use the service for free.

A TV Licence covers you to watch or record TV on any channel via any TV service (Sky, Virgin, Freeview, Freesat, etc) and watch live on streaming services such as ITVX, Channel 4, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Now, or Sky Go.

You can also use BBC iPlayer if you hold a valid licence.

This applies to any device, including a TV, computer, laptop, phone, tablet, games console or digital box.

It has been revealed that UK households could pocket for a £159 - a year’s worth of service - in refund on their TV licence costs if they do not watch or record live TV, or stream BBC iPlayer.

You can apply for a refund if you won’t need your licence again before it expires, and you have at least one complete month left on it, due to not watching or recording live TV.

You could also be eligible for the extra cash if your licence fee expired less than two years ago.

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Here is how to apply for a TV licence refund

You can expect the refund to be processed within 21 days of application so it’s not too late for it to boost your summer holidays spending.

But keep in mind that it can be delayed if the service needs more info from you.

The amount you’re entitled to will be worked out by TV Licensing - the organisation that issues permission for TV content to UK households, while the payments will be done either by cheque or a BACS transfer directly into your bank account.

TV Licensing commented:

Any refund due is calculated in unused months. You must have at least one complete month left on your licence that you won’t need before it expires.

So, you could get a refund for between one and 11 months, depending on how long you have left on your licence.

The organisation warned that you won’t be eligible for a refund if there is less than one month between the cancellation date and the expiry date.

If you haven’t paid for your licence in full, its expiry date may be changed to reflect what you’ve paid.

UK households can apply for a refund here.

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Sources used:

- The Northern Echo: 'BBC TV Licence refund worth up to £159 for eligible homes'