How to cancel your £169 TV Licence legally

There are many scenarios in which you can legally watch TV without a licence, meaning you could save yourself a small fortune

The TV landscape in the UK has undergone significant changes over the past few years, with the rise of on-demand and streaming services like Netflix, ITVX, YouTube, Disney Plus, and Amazon Prime Video. These platforms have shifted the way we consume television content, moving away from scheduled programming to a more flexible, watch-when-you-want model.

The TV Licence, which funds BBC TV services and other public service functions such as Welsh channel S4C, is currently set at £169.50 per year or roughly £14 a month via Direct Debit, effective from April 2024. However, with the ongoing cost of living crisis causing high inflation, mortgage increases, and spiralling bills, many are looking for ways to cut costs, including reassessing the need for a TV Licence.

If you're a fan of shows like Match of The Day or Strictly Come Dancing, you'll still need a licence. But there are several scenarios where you can legally forego it - and it's not just students who can benefit.

It's a common misconception that a TV Licence is only required for watching BBC content. Many believe that if they don't watch anything on the BBC, they don't need to pay.

This is a myth. The rules for streaming platforms were updated a few years ago, reports the Express. However, there are still plenty of ways to watch TV without needing a TV Licence. A TV Licence is legally required if you do any of the following:

• watch or record TV on any channel via any TV service (such as Sky, Virgin, Freeview, Freesat)
• watch live content on streaming services (e.g. ITVX, Channel 4, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Now, Sky Go)
• use BBCiPlayer at all

TV Licences are required per household, not per individual. This means that in a shared living situation, such as a house with multiple occupants, only one TV Licence is necessary unless each room is considered a separate address.

In essence, one shared address equals one licence, allowing, for example, a group of students living together to split the cost. However, if you reside in a self-contained flat with its own entrance within a larger house, you'll need your own TV Licence.

You don't need a TV Licence for certain activities, but it's not enough to simply avoid purchasing one. You must inform TV Licensing of your exemption status, which could apply if you exclusively watch on-demand services like Netflix, non-live YouTube videos, or only use your console for gaming and do not watch live TV.

The existence of 'TV Licence detection vans' is often considered a myth, yet the TV Licensing authority maintains: "We have a fleet of detector vans that can detect the use of TV receiving equipment at specifically targeted addresses within minutes."

They also state: "We have a database of approximately 31 million licensed and unlicensed addresses. This tells us if your address has a TV Licence."

Additionally, "All our visiting officers have access to this database. This means they can check if you have a licence or not. If you tell us that you do not need a TV Licence, our officers may still visit you to confirm this."

It's advisable to get in touch with TV Licensing before they potentially come knocking. To cancel your TV Licence—if you're certain you won't be watching live TV—visit their website and make a declaration stating that you either don't have a TV or don't use it in any way that necessitates a licence.

Additionally, state pensioners over the age of 74 who get Pension Credit can apply for a free TV Licence, bringing their cost down to £0.