How much does it cost to run a WiFi router?
EIA data · June 2026About $1.34 a month at the U.S. average price of 18.34¢ per kilowatt-hour — but that figure moves a long way depending on where you live. Set your state below.
7.3 kWh a month at the U.S. average, 18.34¢/kWh for June 2026. Excludes fixed charges, taxes and time-of-use rates, which vary by utility and are on your bill.
Typical 5–25 W. Use the figure on your own label if you have it.
A WiFi router sits mid-table at #60 of 88, which means something else in the house costs more. See whether electronics or something else drives your bill.
This figure covers the hours it is switched on. What it costs while you are not using it.
How many watts a WiFi router uses
A consumer router draws roughly 6–12 W. Combined modem-router units and mesh systems with several nodes reach 20–25 W in total.
- Low
- 5 W
- Typical
- 10 W
- High
- 25 W
What it costs across the country
Same appliance, same usage, different electricity price. Annual cost at 10 W and the default usage above.
| State | ¢/kWh | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 52.72 | $46.18 |
| California | 34.74 | $30.43 |
| Massachusetts | 29.61 | $25.94 |
| New York | 29.49 | $25.83 |
| Ohio | 19.19 | $16.81 |
| Texas | 15.94 | $13.96 |
| Florida | 15.10 | $13.23 |
| Utah | 13.37 | $11.71 |
| Nebraska | 13.25 | $11.61 |
| Nevada | 13.11 | $11.48 |
Worth knowing
- A router is the clearest example of why hours matter more than watts. At 10 W it is a trivial load, but running 8,760 hours a year makes it cost about as much as a microwave used daily — despite drawing a hundredth of the power.
- Mesh systems multiply the figure by the number of nodes, since each satellite is a full radio drawing its own power.
- There is nothing useful to do about it. Turning off the internet overnight saves a few dollars a year and is listed here only for completeness.
Other appliances
Prices are statewide residential averages for June 2026 from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. They exclude fixed monthly charges, taxes and time-of-use rates. See how these figures are calculated.