How Much Does It Cost to Run a Wi-Fi Router in Australia? (2026)
A router runs 24 hours a day, but at 5 to 20 watts it costs very little. Mesh systems with several nodes and combined modem-router units sit at the higher end.
A typical Wi-Fi router (10 W) costs A$0.003 per hour, or about A$2.52 per month at 24 hours a day in Australia. Cheap to run
| Wattage | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low 5 W | A$0.002 | A$0.042 | A$1.26 | A$15.33 |
| Typical 10 W | A$0.003 | A$0.084 | A$2.52 | A$30.66 |
| High 20 W | A$0.007 | A$0.17 | A$5.04 | A$61.32 |
Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 24 h/day ≈ 88 kWh per year.
One day of a Wi-Fi router (0.24 kWh) is the same electricity as
- 2.4kettle boils
- 4.8hours of a fridge
- 5.3hours of a laptop
- 27hours of an LED bulb
In Australia, with electricity at 35.0¢ per kWh (source: AER Default Market Offer 2026–27, 2026-07), a typical wi-fi router costs A$0.003 per hour and about A$30.66 per year at 24 hours a day. Each A$1.00 of electricity buys roughly 285.7 hours of use.
How to lower the cost of running a Wi-Fi router
- Turning the router off at night saves roughly 3 kWh a year. Most people find the hassle not worth it.
- Replace an old modem plus router pair with a single combined unit to halve draw.
- Disable unused radios such as a guest network on a separate band.
- Avoid running more mesh nodes than your home needs.
Is an efficient Wi-Fi router worth it?
Old modem plus separate router, about 20 W: about 175 kWh a year. Current combined gateway, about 8 W: about 70 kWh. The difference is worth A$36.75 a year in Australia.
- Replacing one that still works pays back in 2.7 years.
- When yours needs replacing anyway, the extra cost of the efficient model pays back in 2.7 years.
Usage assumed: always on. Typical prices: A$100.00 for the efficient model, A$100.00 more than a basic one. Work it out with your own prices
Frequently asked questions
Should I turn off my Wi-Fi router at night?
Only for the small saving. A 10 watt router costs less than 90 kWh a year even running continuously.
Does a mesh Wi-Fi system use a lot of electricity?
Each node adds 5 to 10 watts, so a three node system is comparable to a light bulb.
Does a router use more power with more devices connected?
Slightly, but the difference is a watt or two at most.
Cost by region
US states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Canadian provinces
Related appliances
- Computer Monitor30 W typical
- Printer (Inkjet or Laser)30 W typical
- Phone Charger10 W typical
- Cable or Fiber Modem8 W typical
Use the generic electricity cost calculator · Which uses more? Take the quiz