The short answer
The ongoing running costs of home CCTV are modest. The main one is electricity: cameras and a recorder draw a small, continuous amount of power, typically adding up to a low annual figure for a few cameras — far less than most appliances. The biggest avoidable cost is an optional cloud storage subscription, charged monthly per camera or per account, which a system recording locally to a hard drive avoids entirely. Beyond that there is your existing broadband (used for remote viewing), and occasional maintenance such as cleaning lenses and checking the hard drive. These are typical UK guidance points, not quotations, and local recording is the way to keep running costs lowest.
Once a CCTV system is fitted, the cost of running it is small — but cloud subscriptions can change that. The points below are typical UK guidance, not quotations.
Typical running costs
- Electricitysmall, continuous — low annual cost
- Cloud storageoptional monthly fee; avoidable
- Local recordingno storage fee (hard drive)
- Broadbanduses existing connection for remote view
- Servicingoccasional, low — see maintenance
Electricity: the main running cost
The one cost every CCTV system carries is electricity, because the cameras and the recorder run continuously — they have to, since you cannot predict when an incident will happen. The good news is that the draw is small. Modern cameras and recorders are low-power devices; a typical home system of a few cameras and a recorder consumes a fraction of what everyday appliances like a fridge, a kettle or a tumble dryer use. Over a year this adds a low, predictable amount to your electricity bill rather than a noticeable one.
The exact figure depends on how many cameras you run, whether the recorder spins a hard drive constantly, and how much you use features like infrared night vision, which draws a little more after dark. More cameras and a larger recorder mean more power, so an eight-camera system costs a little more to run than a two-camera one — but even then the total stays modest. Because the draw is continuous, the cost is steady and easy to plan for, unlike appliances that spike when used.
If running cost is a concern, a few choices help. Mains-powered systems are efficient and reliable; battery cameras use no household power at all but need recharging, shifting the cost from electricity to your time. Some cameras record on motion rather than continuously, reducing recorder workload, though at the risk of missing footage between events. For most homes, electricity is simply a small line on the bill, and not a reason to leave the system switched off.
| Running cost | Typical level | Avoidable? |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity (cameras + recorder) | small, continuous | no — but it's low |
| Cloud storage subscription | monthly, per camera/account | yes — record locally instead |
| Broadband for remote viewing | uses existing connection | n/a — already have it |
| Servicing / maintenance | occasional, low | partly — some DIY checks |
Indicative UK guidance, not quotations. Sources: Checkatrade and Which? home security guidance.
Cloud storage: the cost worth scrutinising
The running cost that catches people out is cloud storage. Many smart and wireless cameras store footage on a remote server rather than locally, and to keep that footage beyond a brief free window they charge a monthly subscription — sometimes per camera, sometimes per household. Individually these fees look small, but across several cameras and over several years they can add up to more than the cameras cost to buy. It is the single most significant ongoing cost a CCTV owner can face, and the one most worth examining before purchase.
The alternative is local recording, where footage is stored on a hard drive inside a DVR or NVR, or on a memory card in the camera. This is a one-off cost — the drive is bought with the system — and carries no recurring fee. A wired system almost always records locally, which is a large part of why it is cheaper to own over time despite costing more to fit. If keeping running costs low matters to you, a locally-recording system is the clear choice, and many wireless systems also offer a local hub option that avoids the subscription.
If you do opt for cloud storage — for the convenience of off-site backup, useful if the recorder is stolen — read the terms carefully. Check how long footage is kept on each tier, whether the fee is per camera or per account, and whether the free tier retains anything useful or just a few seconds. Some owners use a hybrid approach: local recording for full retention, plus a modest cloud tier as backup for the most important camera. That keeps the recurring cost minimal while gaining the off-site safety net.
Broadband, servicing and the true cost of ownership
Two smaller items complete the picture. The first is broadband: remote viewing on your phone, and any cloud upload, uses your home internet connection. For most households this is no extra cost because you already pay for broadband, and CCTV's data use is modest unless you stream high-resolution footage constantly. The only time it matters is on a metered or very limited connection, where continuous cloud upload could use noticeable data — another reason local recording is the economical default.
The second is servicing and maintenance. CCTV is largely set-and-forget, but it benefits from occasional attention: cleaning lenses and housings so the image stays clear, checking the hard drive is healthy and still recording, confirming the time and date stamp are correct, and updating firmware for security. Much of this you can do yourself; a professional service visit is an option for larger systems or for peace that everything is recording as it should. Either way the cost is occasional and low rather than a regular outgoing.
Putting it together, the true cost of owning home CCTV is the install plus a small, steady running cost — chiefly electricity, plus servicing now and then, plus a cloud subscription only if you choose one. For a locally-recording wired system, the ongoing cost is genuinely minor and predictable. For a cloud-dependent wireless one, the subscription is the figure to watch. Knowing which model you are buying into is the key to understanding what the system will cost you year after year, not just on the day it is fitted.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run CCTV in electricity?
Only a small, continuous amount. Cameras and a recorder are low-power devices, so a typical home system adds a low, predictable figure to your annual electricity bill — far less than appliances like a fridge or tumble dryer. More cameras cost a little more, but the total stays modest.
Do I have to pay a monthly subscription for CCTV?
No, not if the system records locally to a hard drive or memory card, which most wired systems do. Subscriptions apply mainly to cloud-based cameras that store footage remotely. Choosing local recording avoids the recurring fee entirely, which keeps long-term running costs lowest.
Does CCTV use a lot of broadband data?
Not usually. Remote viewing and any cloud upload use your existing home broadband, and the data use is modest for typical home use. It only becomes a consideration on a metered or very limited connection where continuous high-resolution cloud upload could add up.
Sources & further reading
Figures on this page are typical UK ranges drawn from published sources and depend on your specific property and system. They are guidance, not a quotation.