SMD screen power consumption is the first thing buyers forget to check, and the first thing they notice when the electricity bill arrives. A 6 m² indoor screen that runs 12 hours a day can add about Rs 17,000 a month to a commercial bill. If you are planning to install SMD screens in Pakistan, you need to know the power draw before you sign the quote.
This guide shows how much power a screen uses, how to work out monthly units from the spec sheet, and how to size a UPS or solar system so the screen keeps running during load shedding. The tariff figures are current, and the solar numbers come from a real installation we completed.
Quick answer: An indoor SMD screen uses about 150 to 200 watts per square metre on average and up to 500 W/m² at full white. An outdoor screen uses about 250 to 350 W/m² on average and up to 900 W/m². At the base commercial rate of Rs 45.43 per unit, a 6 m² indoor screen running 12 hours a day uses about 378 units a month and costs roughly Rs 17,000.
How much power does an SMD screen use?
Every spec sheet gives two numbers. Maximum power is what the screen draws when every pixel shows full white at full brightness. Average power is what it draws with normal video and images. You will almost never see the maximum in daily use.
Published sheets from major brands show the same pattern. On LG’s indoor LED sheets, average draw is about 40 to 45 percent of the maximum. Dark backgrounds and text push the average even lower.
| Screen type | Average draw (W/m²) | Peak draw (W/m²) |
| Indoor SMD screen | 150 to 200 | 400 to 500 |
| Outdoor SMD screen | 250 to 350 | 700 to 900 |
Typical ranges used in our own project planning. Always confirm with the datasheet of the exact screen you buy.
Outdoor screens draw more because they run at 5,000 nits or higher to stay visible in sunlight. Indoor screens run at 800 to 1,500 nits.
What changes the power draw
- Brightness setting. Lowering brightness lowers power directly. Many screens are set far brighter than the room needs.
- White and bright colours use more power than dark backgrounds.
- Screen size. Power grows with area. Double the area, double the load.
- The controller, video processor and any cooling fans add to the total.
How to calculate SMD screen power consumption
You only need the screen area, the average watts per square metre, and the hours it runs each day.
Monthly units = (W/m² × area in m² ÷ 1000) × hours per day × 30
- Measure the screen. Length times height in metres. One square metre is about 10.76 square feet.
- Take the average W/m² from the spec sheet. If it is not listed, use the ranges in the table above.
- Multiply watts per square metre by the area to get total watts.
- Divide by 1,000 to get kilowatts, then multiply by the hours the screen runs each day.
- Multiply by 30 for monthly units, then by your rate per unit for the cost.
Worked example: 6 m² indoor screen, 12 hours a day
- Total draw: 6 m² × 175 W/m² = 1,050 W, or 1.05 kW
- Daily use: 1.05 kW × 12 hours = 12.6 units
- Monthly use: 12.6 × 30 = 378 units
- Monthly cost at Rs 45.43: about Rs 17,170
Add 100 to 150 W for the controller and processor. That small load runs all day, so it counts.
LED screen electricity bill: what to expect
NEPRA’s base commercial tariff is Rs 45.43 per unit, and general service connections pay Rs 43.17. These are base rates. Fuel adjustments and taxes are added on top, so your real rate is higher. Check the latest rate on your own bill before you budget.
Here is what that means for common screen sizes, running 12 hours a day at average draw. The figures use Rs 45.43 and leave out taxes and adjustments.
| Screen size | Type | Daily units | Monthly units | Monthly cost |
| 2 m² (22 sq ft) | Indoor | 4.2 | 126 | Rs 5,700 |
| 6 m² (65 sq ft) | Indoor | 12.6 | 378 | Rs 17,200 |
| 12 m² (129 sq ft) | Indoor | 25.2 | 756 | Rs 34,300 |
| 2 m² (22 sq ft) | Outdoor | 7.2 | 216 | Rs 9,800 |
| 6 m² (65 sq ft) | Outdoor | 21.6 | 648 | Rs 29,400 |
| 12 m² (129 sq ft) | Outdoor | 43.2 | 1,296 | Rs 58,900 |
Indoor at 175 W/m² average, outdoor at 300 W/m² average. Commercial rates are mostly flat, so there is no slab relief for heavy use.
Simple ways to lower the bill
- Set brightness by time of day. Night content needs far less brightness than noon.
- Schedule the screen off when the shop or venue is closed.
- Use dark backgrounds in your content where the design allows it.
- Move the daytime load to solar. This is the biggest saving, and the solar section below covers it.
UPS for LED screen: size it the right way
Power cuts and voltage dips make an SMD screen flicker, restart or shut down in the middle of a campaign. A UPS gives clean power and covers short outages. It is also the first piece of backup most buyers add.
The rule is simple: size the UPS for the peak load, and size the battery for the average load.
Step 1: Find the peak load
Use the peak W/m² from the spec sheet, not the average. For a 6 m² indoor screen: 6 × 450 W/m² = 2,700 W, plus 100 W for the controller, gives 2,800 W.
Step 2: Convert watts to VA
UPS units are rated in VA, not watts. Divide watts by the power factor. LED power supplies often sit between 0.7 and 0.95, so use 0.8 if the sheet does not say.
- 2,800 W ÷ 0.8 = 3,500 VA
Step 3: Add 20 percent headroom
- 3,500 VA × 1.2 = 4,200 VA, so choose a 5 kVA UPS
An online (double conversion) UPS is the better pick for a screen. It has no switching gap, so the screen does not blink when the grid drops.
Step 4: Size the battery
Battery capacity in Ah = (load in watts × hours) ÷ (battery voltage × efficiency × usable depth). Using the average load of 1,150 W, a 48 V battery bank, 90 percent efficiency and 50 percent usable depth for lead-acid batteries:
- 1 hour of backup: about 53 Ah at 48 V
- 2 hours of backup: about 107 Ah at 48 V
- 4 hours of backup: about 213 Ah at 48 V
Batteries cost more than the UPS itself once you pass two hours. That is the point where a generator or solar hybrid starts to make more sense.
Solar power for LED screen: why daytime screens fit well
Most screens run during business hours, and that is when solar panels produce power. The panels cover the screen’s daytime load, and the hybrid inverter switches to battery or grid when the sun drops.
We saw this on a live project. In our Inverex Solar SMD Screen Case Study, an indoor and outdoor screen pair was moved to an Inverex solar hybrid setup. The results after 8 weeks:
- Grid use for the screens fell from about 180 to 200 units a month to about 60 to 70 units.
- Both screens ran 6 to 8 hours through daytime outages and 2 to 3 hours at night, where the battery was the limit.
- One issue came up in week 3. The outdoor screen flickered on cloudy afternoons. We fixed it by setting the inverter to switch to grid support earlier.
- The installer estimated payback at 3 to 4 years, with monthly savings of Rs 18,000 to Rs 25,000.
How to size solar for one screen
Use the same 6 m² indoor screen with an average load of 1,150 W, running 8 daylight hours.
- Daily daytime energy: 1.15 kW × 8 hours = 9.2 kWh
- Divide by 4 peak sun hours and 0.8 system efficiency: 9.2 ÷ (4 × 0.8) = about 2.9 kW of panels
- Choose a hybrid inverter that covers the 2,800 W peak with margin. A 5 kW unit works.
- Units offset: 9.2 × 30 = 276 units a month, worth about Rs 12,500 at Rs 45.43
Four sun hours is a cautious planning number. It allows for dust, haze and cloudy days. Solar alone cannot run the screen at night, so you still need a battery or the grid for evening hours.
Size solar for the screen load, not for a household load. SMD screens draw power continuously, and undersizing is the most common reason they still go dark during outages.
Load shedding backup: UPS, generator or solar?
Outages in Pakistan change by city, area and season. K-Electric runs scheduled load shedding in high-loss areas, and in July 2026 residents of several Karachi neighbourhoods reported cuts of up to 14 hours a day. In October 2026 the utility added one to three hours of temporary load shedding in areas that are normally exempt, then ended it on 14 October. Our own installation work shows typical windows of 4 to 8 hours.
Pick the backup that matches your longest realistic outage.
| Option | Best for | Strength | Watch out for |
| UPS with batteries | Outages up to 1 to 4 hours | No blink, clean power | Battery cost rises fast with hours |
| Generator | Long outages, any hour | Runs as long as it has fuel | Fuel cost, noise, switchover delay |
| Solar hybrid | Daytime outages and bill savings | Cuts the monthly bill | Night runtime depends on the battery |
| Solar hybrid + online UPS | Screens that must never blink | Bill savings and zero-break power | Highest upfront cost |
A hybrid inverter can take 2 to 3 seconds to switch sources. If the screen must not blink, put an online UPS in front of it.
Before you finalise any backup plan
- Ask your supplier for the exact power rating of the screen, in writing.
- Check the real outage pattern for your area, including forced cuts outside the schedule.
- Decide the minimum runtime you need, then size for it.
- Ask for earthing and surge protection in the quote.
- Ask the installer for a review visit after the first few weeks.
Common mistakes that cost money
- Sizing the UPS for the average load. The screen will trip it at peak.
- Skipping the power factor. A 2,800 W load is not a 2,800 VA load.
- Forgetting the controller, processor and cooling in the total.
- Running the screen at full brightness all day. It wastes units and adds heat.
- Using a household-sized inverter for a screen that runs 12 hours or more.
Check power before you buy
Power draw should be part of your buying decision, next to size and brightness. Our SMD Screen Buying Guide for Pakistan has a full checklist for comparing quotes. When you ask suppliers for a price, ask for the average and peak watts per square metre as well.
Frequently asked questions
How many watts does an SMD screen use per square metre?
An indoor screen averages 150 to 200 W/m² and peaks at 400 to 500 W/m². An outdoor screen averages 250 to 350 W/m² and peaks at 700 to 900 W/m².
How many units does an SMD screen use in a month?
A 6 m² indoor screen running 12 hours a day uses about 378 units a month. The same size outdoors uses about 648 units.
What size UPS do I need for an LED screen?
Take the peak watts, divide by the power factor (use 0.8 if unknown), then add 20 percent. A 6 m² indoor screen needs about 4,200 VA, so a 5 kVA online UPS.
Can solar power run an SMD screen all day?
Solar covers the daytime load. For evening and night hours, you need batteries or the grid. In our case study, batteries kept both screens running for 2 to 3 hours at night.
Will my screen restart when load shedding starts?
Without backup, yes. With an online UPS, the screen keeps running with no break. With a hybrid inverter alone, expect a switchover of 2 to 3 seconds.
Does lowering brightness reduce the electricity bill?
Yes. Power draw falls as brightness falls. Setting lower brightness for evening hours is the easiest saving.
Summary
SMD screen power consumption is easy to estimate once you know three things: watts per square metre, screen area and daily hours. Use average load for bills and battery runtime. Use peak load for UPS and inverter size. Match the backup to your longest outage, and move the daytime load to solar if the screen runs on business hours.
Need help sizing power for your screen? Call World Wide Electronics on 0331 5575501 or email info@worldwideelectronics.com.pk. We will check your site, the screen load and your outage pattern before we quote.
