Up to 1,000 households a day stop paying the BBC licence fee claiming they no longer have a TV or only watch catch-up services

‘More than 1,000 homes a day get rid of their televisions as viewers increasingly avoid the licence fee by watching shows on catch-up.

Half a million households said they no longer had sets – potentially allowing them to opt out of the £145.50 annual charge – during the 15-month period to the end of 2014.

The number is expected to soar in the next few years as rising numbers switch to viewing programmes on catch-up services such as BBC iPlayer and ITV Player using laptops, tablets and phones, which are often exempt from the licence fee.’

Read more: Up to 1,000 households a day stop paying the BBC licence fee claiming they no longer have a TV or only watch catch-up services