How Much Does It Cost to Run a Wi-Fi Router in India? (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 ₹0.060 per hour, or about ₹43.20 per month at 24 hours a day in India. Cheap to run

Electricity price region

Hours used per day

Wattage	Per hour	Per day	Per month	Per year
Low 5 W	₹0.030	₹0.72	₹21.60	₹262.80
Typical 10 W	₹0.060	₹1.44	₹43.20	₹525.60
High 20 W	₹0.12	₹2.88	₹86.40	₹1,051

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

Electricity per year at typical use, on a log scale: #29 of 95 appliances, from least to most.

In India, with electricity at ₹6.00 per kWh (source: Typical urban domestic slab rate; national average ≈ ₹5.5/unit FY2025-26, 2026-04), a typical wi-fi router costs ₹0.060 per hour and about ₹525.60 per year at 24 hours a day. Each ₹1.00 of electricity buys roughly 16.7 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 ₹630.00 a year in India.

Replacing one that still works pays back in 2 months.
When yours needs replacing anyway, the extra cost of the efficient model pays back in 2 months.

Usage assumed: always on. Typical prices: ₹100.00 for the efficient model, ₹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

Canadian provinces

Related appliances

Use the generic electricity cost calculator · Which uses more? Take the quiz