TV Licence 2027: the April fee, the Charter Review and what changes

• ✓GOV.UK, 6 February 2026: the annual colour licence rose by £5.50 to £180 from 1 April 2026, and the black and white licence to £60.50.
• ✓GOV.UK: the licence fee will also rise in line with CPI inflation in April 2027, the final year of the current Royal Charter and funding settlement.
• ✓For the 2026 rise, GOV.UK says the annualised average of CPI from October to September gave a 3.14% uplift. Taupia checked it against the ONS: the twelve monthly CPI annual rates from October 2024 to September 2025 average 3.14%, and £174.50 plus 3.14% is £179.98. The fee was set at £180.
• ✓The April 2027 fee uses the same twelve months a year on, October 2025 to September 2026. The ONS publishes the September 2026 figure on 21 October 2026, so any estimate before then is missing a twelfth of its input.
• ✓The government confirms the fee. GOV.UK does not publish a rounding rule; in 2026 a calculated £179.98 became £180.

Sources: GOV.UK: cost of TV licence fee set for 2026/27 (6 February 2026) (read 15 October 2026); ONS: CPI annual rate, all items (series D7G7) (read 15 October 2026); ONS: consumer price inflation, UK, September 2026 (release calendar) (read 15 October 2026)

• ✓GOV.UK, 6 February 2026: free licences remain available for over-75s on Pension Credit, with reduced fees for care home residents and blind people, and the Simple Payment Plan continues to spread the cost in smaller instalments.
• ✓The Charter Review Green Paper says the government does not plan to remove any existing concessions or revisit the decision on over-75s licences, and will consider whether current concessions could be improved.
• ✓GOV.UK's TV Licence page: you may be able to get a free or discounted licence if you are 75 or over and get Pension Credit, or if you are blind or in residential care.

Sources: GOV.UK: cost of TV licence fee set for 2026/27 (6 February 2026) (read 15 October 2026); GOV.UK: Britain's Story: The Next Chapter, BBC Royal Charter Review Green Paper (read 15 October 2026); GOV.UK: TV Licence (read 15 October 2026)

• ✓GOV.UK: the current BBC Charter began on 1 January 2017 and ends on 31 December 2027. The new Charter is expected to take effect on 1 January 2028.
• ✓The government published its Charter Review Green Paper on 16 December 2025. The public consultation ran until 10 March 2026, and its funding options include reforming the licence fee, updating concessions and more commercial revenue for the BBC.
• ✓GOV.UK's consultation page, read on 15 October 2026, says the government is analysing the feedback. It has not yet published the outcome.
• ✓The government said in December 2025 that its decisions will be set out in a White Paper expected to be published in 2026, and that a draft of the new Charter will be published and debated in Parliament before the current one expires.

Sources: GOV.UK: cost of TV licence fee set for 2026/27 (6 February 2026) (read 15 October 2026); GOV.UK: government launches Charter Review to future-proof the BBC (16 December 2025) (read 15 October 2026); GOV.UK: BBC Royal Charter Review Green Paper and public consultation (read 15 October 2026)

• ✓GOV.UK, 6 February 2026: the government has committed to the licence fee for the remainder of this Charter period, which ends on 31 December 2027, and the fee rises with CPI in April 2027.
• ✓The Green Paper says that because the licence fee is a tried and tested public funding model, the government is not considering replacing it with a new tax on households, funding through general taxation, or a levy on the revenues of streaming services.
• ✓It also says the government has not ruled out keeping the current licence fee in its current structure, while it reviews which services need a licence and considers different rates for specific types of users.
• ✓Other options in the Green Paper include advertising on BBC services and a top-up subscription for some BBC content.
• ✓No decision on any of this has been published. Until it is, the rule is the one on GOV.UK: you need a licence to watch or record live TV on any channel or service, or to use BBC iPlayer.

Sources: GOV.UK: cost of TV licence fee set for 2026/27 (6 February 2026) (read 15 October 2026); GOV.UK: Britain's Story: The Next Chapter, BBC Royal Charter Review Green Paper (read 15 October 2026); GOV.UK: TV Licence (read 15 October 2026)

• ✓On 1 October 2026 the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee published its report on the Charter Review (HC 140).
• ✓It called the current TV licence fee outdated and no longer fit for purpose, and said the best next step is to reform it so it is no longer linked to a television set.
• ✓It recommended that the White Paper set out steps to broaden the scope of the licence fee in time for the new Charter in January 2028, so that it is no longer linked to a particular device or activity, on condition that the cost of an individual licence falls.
• ✓It urged the government to keep an open mind on a household levy as a long-term option, and recommended making the BBC Charter permanent, with regular reviews.
• ✓The government decides. None of these recommendations changes the fee, or who needs a licence, today.

Sources: House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee: BBC Royal Charter Review, HC 140 (1 October 2026) (read 15 October 2026)

• ✓Taupia keeps the TV Licence next to your energy, broadband, mobile and water bills, with its renewal date and each housemate's share on the rule your household sets.
• ✓There is no commission on a TV Licence. Taupia earns nothing whether you pay £180, qualify for a free licence or do not need one at all.
• ✓For energy, broadband and mobile, Taupia compares deals and switches only once your household approves. Nothing changes without your approval, and Taupia never moves your money.
• ✓Taupia is free.