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Display Energy Use and Running Costs
Work out what your business screens cost to run: a display energy calculator, typical power draw, what drives consumption, energy labels and ways to cut costs.
Key takeaways
- Annual energy (kWh) = watts × hours on ÷ 1,000; multiply by your tariff to get the cost.
- Brightness and hours are the biggest drivers: high-brightness window screens can use several times more than indoor screens.
- Scheduling screens off out of hours and matching brightness to the room are the quickest savings.
On this page
Business displays run for long hours, so their electricity use adds up, especially across many sites. The calculation is simple: energy in kilowatt-hours (kWh) = power in watts × hours on ÷ 1,000, and cost is that figure multiplied by your electricity price. A typical indoor signage screen might draw somewhere around 100 to 200 watts, but a high-brightness window display or an LED wall can use far more. The calculator below works out the annual cost for any number of screens using your own figures.
Display energy cost calculator
Display energy cost calculator
Use the typical power figure from your display’s spec sheet or energy label, and your own electricity price. Currency follows whatever price you enter.
Enter your figures.
With the default figures, a 150-watt screen on 12 hours a day, every day, uses about 659 kWh a year, which costs about 165 at a price of 0.25 per kWh.
Where to find the power figure
- Spec sheets usually list typical and maximum power. Use typical for everyday estimates; maximum is for sizing electrical circuits.
- Energy labels: in the UK and EU, TVs and monitors carry a label showing energy use per 1,000 hours. A figure of 80 kWh per 1,000 hours means an average draw of about 80 watts.
- Measure it: a plug-in energy meter shows real consumption with your actual content and brightness.
- LED walls quote average and maximum power per square metre. Real use depends heavily on brightness and content, and is usually well below the maximum.
If you’d like a refresher on how watts, energy and time connect, our sister site explains how power, energy and time relate.
What drives consumption
| Factor | Effect |
|---|---|
| Brightness | The biggest factor; high-brightness window displays (often 2,500 nits or more) can draw several times more than standard indoor screens |
| Screen size | Larger panels need more backlight power |
| Hours of operation | Doubling hours doubles energy use |
| Technology | LED backlights are far more efficient than older CCFL models; LED walls vary with pitch and brightness |
| Content | On OLED and LED walls, darker content uses less power; on most LCDs it makes little difference |
| Standby | Usually small per screen, but it adds up across large networks |
| Media player | Small players often use a few watts to tens of watts; PCs use more |
Hidden costs
- Cooling: screens add heat, which air conditioning must remove, especially in enclosures and sunny windows.
- Lifespan: running at full brightness around the clock can shorten component life and bring forward replacement costs.
- Carbon reporting: convert kWh to emissions using official factors, such as the UK government’s greenhouse gas conversion factors, if you report your carbon footprint.
How to cut costs
- Schedule screens off outside opening hours through your CMS or display settings; see signage media players for display control options.
- Match brightness to the room. Indoor screens rarely need full brightness; use ambient light sensors where available. Our guide to window display brightness explains how bright is bright enough.
- Choose efficient models by comparing typical power and energy labels, not just price.
- Replace old screens with CCFL backlights or failing power supplies.
- Use e-paper for static information such as room signs and timetables; see e-paper displays for signage.
- Avoid oversizing. A screen larger than the space needs uses more power for no benefit.
- Check commercial vs consumer models. Commercial displays are built for long hours; see commercial vs consumer TVs.
Compare screens over their lifetime
A cheaper screen that draws more power can cost more overall. Over five years at 12 hours a day, a screen drawing 200 watts uses about 4,380 kWh, while one drawing 120 watts uses about 2,628 kWh. At 0.25 per kWh, that’s a difference of about 438 per screen, which can outweigh a small difference in purchase price, especially across a network. Use typical power figures from spec sheets and your own tariff to compare models before you buy.
Worked example: a small chain
Ten stores each run two 55-inch menu boards at 120 watts for 14 hours a day, seven days a week. That’s 20 screens × 120 W × 5,110 hours ÷ 1,000 = about 12,264 kWh a year. At 0.25 per kWh, that’s roughly 3,066 a year. Switching each screen off two hours earlier saves about 1,752 kWh, or around 438 a year, before any cooling savings. Factor running costs into your digital signage ROI and your digital menu board setup.
Frequently asked questions
How much electricity does a digital signage screen use?
It depends on size, brightness and hours. Many indoor screens draw roughly 100 to 200 watts when on, while high-brightness and outdoor screens use much more. Check the spec sheet or measure with an energy meter.
Does screen brightness affect energy use?
Yes, a lot. Brightness is usually the single biggest factor in a display’s power consumption, so lowering it where possible saves energy.
How do I calculate the cost of running a screen?
Multiply the power in watts by the hours it’s on, divide by 1,000 to get kWh, then multiply by your price per kWh. The calculator above does this for you, including standby.
Is it cheaper to leave screens on or turn them off?
Turning them off when nobody is watching saves energy, and modern commercial displays are designed to be scheduled on and off daily.
Sources
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