Interesting and well researched free PDF download booklet here 'TV Licensing Laid Bare' giving all the details of whether you really need a TV licence or not.....
Your unofficial guide to television licence rules, regulations, loopholes and enforcement in the UK:-
http://tv-licensing..../free-book.html
In 2017/18 more than 860,000 individuals cancelled their TV licence, with many of those turning to legally-licence-free streaming services instead - a trend that has been nicknamed the "Netflix effect". The number of cancellations has risen by almost 8 percent since the previous year.
Legally speaking a TV licence is required for any property where equipment is used or installed to receive TV programmes at the time they are shown. Additionally, from 1st September 2016, a TV licence is required to watch on-demand programmes via the BBC iPlayer.
There are a myriad of perfectly legal ways of avoiding paying the TV licence fee.
A TV licence is not legally needed for the following:
- Watching pre-recorded DVDs;
- Watching content that has been previously downloaded from the web;
- Watching non-live, on-demand content on video sharing sites like YouTube;
- Watching non-live, on-demand programmes on platforms other than the BBC iPlayer;
- Watching non-live, on-demand content on subscription services like Netflix or Amazon Prime.
Ownership of TV receiving equipment does not require a TV licence. It is perfectly legal to own a TV set without a licence, as long as it isn't used to receive TV programmes. Similarly it is perfectly legal to own an internet-enabled computer without a TV licence, as long as it isn't used to navigate to "live" broadcast TV programmes or BBC iPlayer on-demand programmes.
Anyone who does not legally require a TV licence is under no obligation to communicate or co-operate with TV Licensing. They do not legally need to confirm their no-TV status.
Edited by mab01uk, 22 March 2019 - 07:31 PM.