Two numbers appear on every LED screen spec sheet: maximum power and average power. Most buyers in Pakistan size their budget on the wrong one.
Maximum power tells your electrician what cable and breaker to fit. Average power tells your accountant what the monthly bill will be. Mix them up and you either overpay for infrastructure or get an electricity bill that makes the screen look like a loss-maker.
This guide shows how to calculate both, what a real screen costs to run each month in PKR, and how to cut that cost without dimming your message.
Maximum vs Average Power: The Key Difference
- Maximum power is what the screen draws showing full white at full brightness. It rarely happens in real content, but your wiring, breaker and backup must handle it.
- Average power is the typical draw on normal video and graphics. It usually sits at 30 to 40 percent of maximum.
For the basics of how SMD modules draw power, see our explainer on SMD screen power consumption. This article goes further, into bills, backup and savings.
Typical Power Draw by Screen Type
| Screen Type | Max Power (W per m²) | Average Power (W per m²) |
| Indoor fine pitch P1.5 to P2.5 | 450 to 600 | 150 to 200 |
| Indoor P3 to P4 | 500 to 650 | 160 to 220 |
| Semi-outdoor P4 to P5 | 600 to 750 | 200 to 260 |
| Outdoor P5 to P6 | 700 to 900 | 250 to 350 |
| Outdoor P8 to P10 | 650 to 850 | 230 to 320 |
Outdoor screens draw more because they run at 5,000 to 8,000 nits against sunlight. Our guide to outdoor SMD screen brightness in Lahore explains why that brightness is necessary and how to avoid running it all night.
The Running Cost Formula
Step 1: Convert screen area to square metres. 1 m² = 10.764 sq ft.
Step 2: Daily units (kWh) = Area (m²) x Average power (W per m²) x Hours per day ÷ 1,000
Step 3: Monthly cost = Daily units x Days in operation x Your per-unit rate (PKR)
Use the per-unit rate from your own recent commercial bill, including taxes and fuel adjustments. In the examples below we use an illustrative PKR 65 per unit. Your rate may be higher or lower depending on your DISCO, connection type and time-of-use.
Real Running Cost Examples in PKR
| Scenario | Size | Avg Draw | Hours | Units per Month | Monthly Cost at PKR 65 |
| Retail indoor P3 wall | 8 x 5 ft (3.7 m²) | 0.67 kW | 12 h x 30 days | about 240 | about PKR 15,600 |
| Wedding hall P3.9 backdrop | 12 x 8 ft (8.9 m²) | 1.8 kW | 6 h x 25 days | about 270 | about PKR 17,500 |
| Corporate lobby P2.5 | 10 x 6 ft (5.6 m²) | 1.0 kW | 10 h x 26 days | about 260 | about PKR 16,900 |
| Outdoor P6 billboard | 10 x 20 ft (18.6 m²) | 5.6 kW | 18 h x 30 days | about 3,010 | about PKR 195,700 |
| Outdoor P6 with night dimming | 10 x 20 ft (18.6 m²) | mixed | 18 h x 30 days | about 2,150 | about PKR 139,800 |
| Outdoor P10 highway | 20 x 40 ft (74.3 m²) | 20.8 kW | 18 h x 30 days | about 11,230 | about PKR 730,000 |
Two things stand out. Indoor screens are cheap to run. Large outdoor screens are serious electricity consumers, and their power bill must be priced into ad rates from day one. Screen purchase costs are covered separately in our SMD screen price in Pakistan guide.
For wedding halls, where screens run only a few hours per event, the running cost is small compared with the visual impact. See how halls use them in our SMD screens for Lahore wedding halls article.
The Time-of-Use Catch
If your site is on a time-of-use commercial meter, the evening peak window carries a higher rate. That is exactly when outdoor screens get the most views. Check your bill’s peak and off-peak rates and apply them to the hours your screen runs, instead of one flat rate.
Sizing Cables, Breakers and Phase Supply
Use maximum power here, never average.
Current (amps) on single phase = Max watts ÷ 230
A 10 x 20 ft outdoor P6 screen at 800 W per m² peaks at about 14.9 kW, or roughly 65 amps on single phase. That is too much for most single-phase connections. Screens above about 6 to 8 kW peak should run on a three-phase supply, balanced across phases.
| Screen Peak Load | Supply Recommendation |
| Up to 5 kW | Single phase, dedicated circuit |
| 5 to 8 kW | Single phase possible, three phase preferred |
| Above 8 kW | Three phase, balanced distribution board |
Always add a voltage stabiliser and surge protection. Pakistan’s voltage swings shorten the life of LED power supplies. Our team plans this as part of every SMD screen installation for businesses.
Backup Power: UPS, Inverter or Generator?
Load-shedding creates a choice. Do you keep only the control system alive, or the whole screen?
| Backup Option | What It Keeps Running | Best For |
| Small UPS (1 to 2 kVA) | Media player, sending card, router | Avoiding content resets and corrupted files |
| Inverter with batteries | Indoor screens up to a few kW | Retail and corporate indoor walls |
| Generator | Full outdoor screen | Billboards selling guaranteed airtime |
| Hybrid solar with batteries | Indoor screens, partial outdoor | Sites with roof space and daytime operation |
Generator sizing rule: kVA = Peak kW ÷ 0.8, then add 25 percent headroom. For the 14.9 kW peak billboard above, that means a generator of around 23 kVA.
Can Solar Power an LED Screen?
In most of Pakistan, 1 kW of solar panels produces around 4 to 5 units a day. An indoor retail wall using 8 units a day needs roughly 2 kW of panels plus batteries for evening hours. A large outdoor billboard running at night needs a large battery bank, which is often not economical yet. We break down real options in powering digital signage with solar energy.
Seven Ways to Cut Running Costs
- Automatic brightness control. A light sensor lowers brightness at dusk. This alone can cut outdoor bills by 25 to 35 percent.
- Scheduled on and off times. No one needs a billboard at full power at 4 am. Most media players and controller software support schedules. See our roundup of SMD screen software.
- Smarter content. White backgrounds draw the most power. Dark backgrounds with bright text use far less and read better at night.
- Common-cathode modules. These drive red, green and blue LEDs at different voltages instead of one shared voltage. Manufacturers report savings of roughly 20 to 40 percent over common-anode designs.
- Efficient power supplies. Look for 85 to 90 percent efficiency or higher. Cheap PSUs waste power as heat.
- Right pitch, right brightness. An outdoor spec in a shaded location wastes money every hour. Semi-outdoor may be enough.
- Clean fans and filters. Clogged cooling makes components run hotter and less efficiently.
For advertisers running multi-site campaigns, our guide on energy efficiency in digital billboard campaigns covers scheduling across locations.
TCO View: Power as a Share of 5-Year Cost
| Screen | Purchase Cost (approx.) | 5-Year Electricity (approx.) | Electricity as % of 5-Year Cost |
| Indoor P3 retail wall, 40 sq ft | PKR 1.1 million | PKR 0.94 million | about 46% |
| Outdoor P6 billboard, 200 sq ft, with dimming | PKR 6.5 million | PKR 8.4 million | about 56% |
This is the number most buyers never see. On a busy outdoor billboard, five years of electricity can cost more than the screen itself. A small premium for efficient modules and brightness control pays back fast.
Choosing Energy-Efficient Hardware at SMDLED
Our BIA Plus SMD screen module and BIA Ultra Thin SMD screen module run on control systems that support brightness scheduling, so you can match output to the environment instead of burning full power all day. Browse our indoor SMD screens for lower-consumption options, or read how to plan cost-effective SMD screens for commercial advertising.
Businesses in Faisalabad’s industrial and retail hubs can reach our team through the SMD screen provider in Faisalabad page.
Want a power and running-cost estimate for your exact screen? Send your size, location and daily hours through our contact page and we will calculate peak load, monthly units and the backup you need.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many units does an LED screen use per day?
Multiply area in m² by average watts per m² and hours, then divide by 1,000. A 40 sq ft indoor screen running 12 hours uses about 8 units a day.
Why is my LED screen bill higher than expected?
The most common causes are full brightness at night, white-heavy content, no scheduling, and evening peak-hour tariffs.
Can an LED screen run on a UPS?
Small indoor screens can. For outdoor screens, a UPS usually protects only the control system, while a generator powers the full display.
Does a higher pixel pitch use less power?
Not always. Brightness and LED efficiency matter more than pitch. An outdoor P10 still uses far more power than an indoor P3.