💻 Computers & Office
How Much Does a Cable Modem Cost to Run?
At the current U.S. average rate of 18.3¢/kWh (July 2026), a cable modem costs about $1.34 per month at typical usage — 24 hours/day (always on).
Per hour
0.2¢
at 6–15 W
Per day
4.4¢
24 hours/day (always on)
Per month
$1.34
7.3 kWh
Per year
$16.03
88 kWh
A cable or fiber modem adds another 6–15 always-on watts alongside the router. Combined home networking gear typically totals 20–40 watts of permanent draw — a small but genuinely constant bill floor.
Calculate it for your home
Per hour
0.2¢
Per day
4.4¢
Per month
$1.34
Per year
$16.03
Uses 7.3 kWh/month at 18.3¢ per kWh.
Cheapest and most expensive states
Monthly cost at typical usage, using each state's current average residential rate.
Cost in every state
| State | Rate (¢/kWh) | Per hour | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 12.7 | 0.1¢ | $0.93 | $11.13 |
| Nevada | 12.8 | 0.1¢ | $0.93 | $11.21 |
| Utah | 13.1 | 0.1¢ | $0.96 | $11.48 |
| North Dakota | 13.4 | 0.1¢ | $0.98 | $11.74 |
| Idaho | 13.7 | 0.1¢ | $1.00 | $12.00 |
| Tennessee | 13.7 | 0.1¢ | $1.00 | $12.00 |
| Kentucky | 13.8 | 0.1¢ | $1.01 | $12.09 |
| Nebraska | 13.8 | 0.1¢ | $1.01 | $12.09 |
| Arkansas | 14.3 | 0.1¢ | $1.04 | $12.53 |
| Oklahoma | 14.4 | 0.1¢ | $1.05 | $12.61 |
| Wyoming | 14.4 | 0.1¢ | $1.05 | $12.61 |
| Mississippi | 14.5 | 0.1¢ | $1.06 | $12.70 |
| Washington | 14.7 | 0.1¢ | $1.07 | $12.88 |
| Florida | 15.0 | 0.1¢ | $1.09 | $13.14 |
| Montana | 15.0 | 0.1¢ | $1.09 | $13.14 |
| North Carolina | 15.2 | 0.2¢ | $1.11 | $13.32 |
| Kansas | 15.3 | 0.2¢ | $1.12 | $13.40 |
| Arizona | 15.4 | 0.2¢ | $1.12 | $13.49 |
| South Dakota | 15.4 | 0.2¢ | $1.12 | $13.49 |
| South Carolina | 15.5 | 0.2¢ | $1.13 | $13.58 |
| West Virginia | 15.8 | 0.2¢ | $1.15 | $13.84 |
| Texas | 15.9 | 0.2¢ | $1.16 | $13.93 |
| Iowa | 16.0 | 0.2¢ | $1.17 | $14.02 |
| Oregon | 16.0 | 0.2¢ | $1.17 | $14.02 |
| Missouri | 16.1 | 0.2¢ | $1.17 | $14.10 |
| New Mexico | 16.1 | 0.2¢ | $1.17 | $14.10 |
| Georgia | 16.3 | 0.2¢ | $1.19 | $14.28 |
| Alabama | 16.4 | 0.2¢ | $1.20 | $14.37 |
| Indiana | 16.7 | 0.2¢ | $1.22 | $14.63 |
| Colorado | 17.0 | 0.2¢ | $1.24 | $14.89 |
| Minnesota | 17.5 | 0.2¢ | $1.28 | $15.33 |
| Virginia | 17.6 | 0.2¢ | $1.28 | $15.42 |
| Delaware | 18.5 | 0.2¢ | $1.35 | $16.21 |
| Wisconsin | 19.1 | 0.2¢ | $1.39 | $16.73 |
| Illinois | 19.2 | 0.2¢ | $1.40 | $16.82 |
| Ohio | 19.5 | 0.2¢ | $1.42 | $17.08 |
| Maryland | 21.4 | 0.2¢ | $1.56 | $18.75 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.7 | 0.2¢ | $1.58 | $19.01 |
| Michigan | 23.1 | 0.2¢ | $1.69 | $20.24 |
| Vermont | 23.8 | 0.2¢ | $1.74 | $20.85 |
| Connecticut | 24.2 | 0.2¢ | $1.77 | $21.20 |
| Washington, D.C. | 25.2 | 0.3¢ | $1.84 | $22.08 |
| New Jersey | 25.2 | 0.3¢ | $1.84 | $22.08 |
| New Hampshire | 26.6 | 0.3¢ | $1.94 | $23.30 |
| Rhode Island | 28.3 | 0.3¢ | $2.06 | $24.79 |
| Alaska | 28.8 | 0.3¢ | $2.10 | $25.23 |
| New York | 29.9 | 0.3¢ | $2.18 | $26.19 |
| Massachusetts | 30.5 | 0.3¢ | $2.23 | $26.72 |
| Maine | 32.4 | 0.3¢ | $2.36 | $28.38 |
| California | 33.6 | 0.3¢ | $2.45 | $29.43 |
| Hawaii | 48.0 | 0.5¢ | $3.50 | $42.05 |
How to lower the cost
- Enable sleep after 15–20 minutes of idle — modern machines wake in seconds.
- Anything always-on (servers, mining, chargers on strips) deserves a smart plug and a schedule.
- Laptops do the same office work as desktops on a quarter of the power.
Frequently asked questions
How much electricity does a cable modem use?
A typical cable modem draws about 10 watts in use. At 24 hours/day (always on), that works out to roughly 0.2 kWh per day, or 7.3 kWh per month.
How much does it cost to run a cable modem for 1 hour?
At the current U.S. average residential rate of 18.3¢/kWh, one hour costs about 0.2¢. In Louisiana (12.7¢/kWh) it's 0.1¢, while in Hawaii (48¢/kWh) it's 0.5¢.
How much does a cable modem cost to run per month?
With typical usage (24 hours/day (always on)), expect about $1.34 per month at the U.S. average rate — from $0.93 in Louisiana up to $3.50 in Hawaii. Rates are as of July 2026.
Does a cable modem use a lot of electricity?
Not really — at typical usage it's under 1% of an average home's monthly consumption. Heating, cooling, hot water, and drying are the loads that move bills.