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How Much Does It Cost to Run a Wi-Fi Router in the US? (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 $0.002 per hour, or about $1.30 per month at 24 hours a day in United States (average). Cheap to run
| Wattage | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low (5 W) | $0.001 | $0.022 | $0.65 | $7.88 |
| Typical (10 W) | $0.002 | $0.043 | $1.30 | $15.77 |
| High (20 W) | $0.004 | $0.086 | $2.59 | $31.54 |
Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 24 h/day ≈ 88 kWh per year.
In the US, with electricity at $0.18 per kWh (source: EIA Electric Power Monthly, 2026-06), a typical wi-fi router costs $0.002 per hour and about $15.77 per year at 24 hours a day. Each $1.00 of electricity buys roughly 555.6 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.
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
- United States (average)
- California
- Texas
- New York
- Florida
- Canada (average)
- United Kingdom
- Germany
- France
- Australia
- India