MSE News: TV licence fee to rise to £180 a year from 1 April 2026 – here's what you need to know

IOWJJBTM2025

How can they possibly police this. "It is a criminal offence if anyone at your premises plugs in to watch Live TV…"

If I go to a Cafe and watch a live video on my phone - Is the Cafe liable?

Not sure what they mean by "plugs in" If I charge my phone in the cafe whilst watching live TV does the "plug in" make it illegal?

TimeLord1

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81882013#Comment_81882013

https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/2026/bbc-group-youtube-strategic-partnership

Cornucopia

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81881949#Comment_81881949

Lots of laws aren't enforced. The portable equipment exemption is one of those things. It's intended to allow people with licences to use their portable equipment away from home without needing another licence.

The Cafe isn't liable, but they probably don't want licence evasion on their premises.

Plugging in the device to mains power makes it "installed", in which case the premises would need a licence.

IOWJJBTM2025

A home TV License covers you to watch live TV and BBC iPlayer on any device (phone, tablet, laptop) anywhere in the UK, provided it is powered by its own internal batteries and not plugged into the mains

If plugged into the mains away from home, you are covered only if the other location has a license.

The TV Licence is only in one name at a single property. According to this every member of the household should have their own TV License if they want to watch Live TV outside the home.

I think it has become unmanageable to control. A person from TV licensing could walk up and down a train and start issuing £1000 fines to everyone who does not have a license if they are watching Live TV.

How have they been allowed to change the rules to this level?

Cornucopia

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81882162#Comment_81882162

A TV Licence covers an address. When it is used for the purposes of the Portable Equipment Exemption it covers everyone who is normally resident at that address. This is defined in the Ts & Cs.

https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/topics/terms-and-conditions-top11

The Ts & Cs haven't changed in recent years, although mobile viewing has become way more feasible and way more popular than it was.

BBC/TV Licensing do not patrol public/commercial spaces, and even if they did they would probably not have sufficient reasonable suspicion to make anything other than friendly enquiries.

edit: Also, TV Licensing do not issue fines (courts do). And £1000 is the maximum fine, the average is more like £200.

IOWJJBTM2025

Thanks for the clarification. Personally the rules do not affect me. I cannot remember the last time I watched live TV on my phone outside of my home address. I do like to be compliant with the rules and was very surprised to find the power that TV Licensing has got.

I have personally witnessed the claims that they have information that someone is watching TV in a property without any evidence. Instead of arguing with them I invited them inside to inspect the empty property and they are still sending letters to the proprietor or manager of the property stating that we must contact them to confirm that we do not need a license. The money they spend on chasing empty properties would be better spent on providing better value for money in my opinion. Everyone could have a cheaper license.

Cornucopia

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81882653#Comment_81882653

BBC/TV Licensing has very little power in legislation. Neither the letters or the routine house calls have any statutory basis, and therefore householders are free to ignore them at their discretion.

mta999

Think of the bbc licensing officials knocking at your door and think.of an analogy where someone claiming to be from 'shotguns-R-Us' saying that your address is on their list as not having a shotgun license could they please come in and look around your house looking for shotguns and furthermore could they ask you a few questions about when.yoy last used a shotgun and could you sign this form confirming your answers - what would you do

Cornucopia

I've been watching a series from C5 on Youtube about fare evasion on the trains and tubes. I wasn't surprised to see some similar issues to TV Licensing being played out on screen.

For example: interviewing people who do not speak good English without an interpreter, a caution and an interview process that do not provide for people to have legal advice, built-in contradictions like the voiceover saying "Revenue Protection do not have the power to detain anyone", cut to a scene of people being detained by RP staff blocking their exit, and issues with coercion over Right to Silence.

Seems like routine law enforcement is fraught with issues and there is no one there to help the Public access their rights.

IOWJJBTM2025

🤣Next it will be we have seen you have been on MSE forum and may have got assistance that you should have paid a professional for. Please pay £100 tax for benefit in kind.

Thanks for all your comments and keeping me sane in this world that just seems to surprise me every day.