How much does it cost to run a Wi-Fi router?
A Wi-Fi router drawing 10 watts, running around the clock, uses about 0.24 kWh per day and costs about $0.05 per day, $1.41 per month, and $16.87 per year at the US average residential rate of 19.3¢/kWh. Enter your own wattage, hours, and state below for an exact figure.
Estimates only — based on typical wattages and average state rates, not your actual bill.
What drives the cost
A router draws only about 10 watts, but it runs continuously, so it's a small always-on cost that never stops. Mesh systems with multiple nodes multiply this, and combined modem-router-gateway units tend to sit at the higher end of the range.
Cost at different daily usage
Same Wi-Fi router at 10 watts, run for different amounts of time, at 19.3¢/kWh.
| Usage | kWh/day | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 h/day | 0.06 kWh | $0.01 | $0.35 | $4.22 |
| 12 h/day | 0.12 kWh | $0.02 | $0.70 | $8.44 |
| 18 h/day | 0.18 kWh | $0.03 | $1.06 | $12.65 |
| 24 h/day | 0.24 kWh | $0.05 | $1.41 | $16.87 |
Cost by model power draw
Not all models are equal. At 24 h/day, here is what the range costs.
| Model | Power | kWh/day | Per day | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low-draw model | 5 W | 0.12 kWh | $0.02 | $0.70 |
| Typical | 10 W | 0.24 kWh | $0.05 | $1.41 |
| High-draw model | 20 W | 0.48 kWh | $0.09 | $2.81 |
Cost by state
A Wi-Fi router at 10 W for 24 h/day, priced at each state's average residential rate.
| State | Rate | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 16.4¢ | $0.04 | $1.20 | $14.37 |
| Alaska | 28.8¢ | $0.07 | $2.11 | $25.26 |
| Arizona | 15.4¢ | $0.04 | $1.12 | $13.47 |
| Arkansas | 14.3¢ | $0.03 | $1.05 | $12.55 |
| California | 33.6¢ | $0.08 | $2.46 | $29.44 |
| Colorado | 17.0¢ | $0.04 | $1.24 | $14.89 |
| Connecticut | 24.2¢ | $0.06 | $1.77 | $21.16 |
| Delaware | 18.5¢ | $0.04 | $1.35 | $16.19 |
| District of Columbia | 25.2¢ | $0.06 | $1.84 | $22.08 |
| Florida | 15.0¢ | $0.04 | $1.10 | $13.17 |
| Georgia | 16.3¢ | $0.04 | $1.19 | $14.25 |
| Hawaii | 48.0¢ | $0.12 | $3.51 | $42.05 |
| Idaho | 13.7¢ | $0.03 | $1.00 | $12.03 |
| Illinois | 19.2¢ | $0.05 | $1.40 | $16.84 |
| Indiana | 16.7¢ | $0.04 | $1.22 | $14.66 |
| Iowa | 16.0¢ | $0.04 | $1.17 | $14.01 |
| Kansas | 15.3¢ | $0.04 | $1.12 | $13.38 |
| Kentucky | 13.8¢ | $0.03 | $1.01 | $12.10 |
| Louisiana | 12.7¢ | $0.03 | $0.93 | $11.14 |
| Maine | 32.4¢ | $0.08 | $2.37 | $28.39 |
| Maryland | 21.4¢ | $0.05 | $1.56 | $18.76 |
| Massachusetts | 30.5¢ | $0.07 | $2.23 | $26.71 |
| Michigan | 23.1¢ | $0.06 | $1.68 | $20.19 |
| Minnesota | 17.4¢ | $0.04 | $1.27 | $15.29 |
| Mississippi | 14.5¢ | $0.03 | $1.06 | $12.74 |
| Missouri | 16.1¢ | $0.04 | $1.18 | $14.09 |
| Montana | 15.0¢ | $0.04 | $1.10 | $13.13 |
| Nebraska | 13.8¢ | $0.03 | $1.01 | $12.07 |
| Nevada | 12.8¢ | $0.03 | $0.93 | $11.19 |
| New Hampshire | 26.6¢ | $0.06 | $1.94 | $23.30 |
| New Jersey | 25.2¢ | $0.06 | $1.84 | $22.07 |
| New Mexico | 16.1¢ | $0.04 | $1.18 | $14.09 |
| New York | 29.9¢ | $0.07 | $2.18 | $26.19 |
| North Carolina | 15.2¢ | $0.04 | $1.11 | $13.28 |
| North Dakota | 13.4¢ | $0.03 | $0.98 | $11.75 |
| Ohio | 19.4¢ | $0.05 | $1.42 | $17.04 |
| Oklahoma | 14.3¢ | $0.03 | $1.05 | $12.57 |
| Oregon | 16.0¢ | $0.04 | $1.17 | $13.99 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.7¢ | $0.05 | $1.59 | $19.03 |
| Rhode Island | 28.3¢ | $0.07 | $2.07 | $24.78 |
| South Carolina | 15.5¢ | $0.04 | $1.13 | $13.55 |
| South Dakota | 15.4¢ | $0.04 | $1.12 | $13.46 |
| Tennessee | 13.7¢ | $0.03 | $1.00 | $12.01 |
| Texas | 15.9¢ | $0.04 | $1.16 | $13.91 |
| Utah | 13.1¢ | $0.03 | $0.96 | $11.49 |
| Vermont | 23.8¢ | $0.06 | $1.74 | $20.80 |
| Virginia | 17.6¢ | $0.04 | $1.28 | $15.37 |
| Washington | 14.7¢ | $0.04 | $1.07 | $12.89 |
| West Virginia | 15.8¢ | $0.04 | $1.15 | $13.82 |
| Wisconsin | 19.1¢ | $0.05 | $1.39 | $16.70 |
| Wyoming | 14.4¢ | $0.03 | $1.05 | $12.58 |
How to cut the cost
- There's little to optimize here — leave it on; rebooting for energy reasons isn't worthwhile.
- Retire old auxiliary equipment like unused range extenders or a second modem.
- If you have mesh nodes in rooms you no longer use, unplug those nodes.
Compare with related appliances
Monthly cost at typical usage and 19.3¢/kWh.
Questions
Should I turn my router off at night?
The savings are negligible — a router costs only a few dollars a year to run. Convenience almost always outweighs it.
How do you calculate what a Wi-Fi router costs to run?
Multiply its wattage by the hours it runs per day, divide by 1,000 to get kilowatt-hours, then multiply by your electricity rate. For a Wi-Fi router: 10 W × 24 h ÷ 1,000 = 0.24 kWh per day, which at 19.3¢/kWh is $0.05 per day.
How many watts does a Wi-Fi router use?
Typically 10 watts, with most models falling between 5 and 20 watts. The label on the appliance or its power supply gives the figure for your specific unit.