💻 Computers & Office
How Much Does a Wi-Fi Router Cost to Run?
At the current U.S. average rate of 18.4¢/kWh (May 2026), a wi-fi router costs about $1.61 per month at typical usage — 24 hours/day (always on).
Per hour
0.2¢
at 6–20 W
Per day
5.3¢
24 hours/day (always on)
Per month
$1.61
8.8 kWh
Per year
$19.34
105 kWh
Routers run 24/7 at 6–20 watts. That constant draw lands around a dollar or two per month in most states — worth knowing, but not worth the connectivity headaches of switching it off at night.
Calculate it for your home
Per hour
0.2¢
Per day
5.3¢
Per month
$1.61
Per year
$19.34
Uses 8.8 kWh/month at 18.4¢ 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho | 12.4 | 0.1¢ | $1.09 | $13.03 |
| Utah | 13.0 | 0.2¢ | $1.14 | $13.67 |
| Oklahoma | 13.4 | 0.2¢ | $1.17 | $14.09 |
| Nebraska | 13.6 | 0.2¢ | $1.19 | $14.30 |
| Nevada | 13.6 | 0.2¢ | $1.19 | $14.30 |
| North Dakota | 13.6 | 0.2¢ | $1.19 | $14.30 |
| Missouri | 13.7 | 0.2¢ | $1.20 | $14.40 |
| Iowa | 14.1 | 0.2¢ | $1.23 | $14.82 |
| New Mexico | 14.1 | 0.2¢ | $1.23 | $14.82 |
| Louisiana | 14.2 | 0.2¢ | $1.24 | $14.93 |
| Arkansas | 14.4 | 0.2¢ | $1.26 | $15.14 |
| Tennessee | 14.5 | 0.2¢ | $1.27 | $15.24 |
| Montana | 14.7 | 0.2¢ | $1.29 | $15.45 |
| Wyoming | 14.8 | 0.2¢ | $1.30 | $15.56 |
| Kentucky | 15.0 | 0.2¢ | $1.31 | $15.77 |
| Washington | 15.0 | 0.2¢ | $1.31 | $15.77 |
| Kansas | 15.1 | 0.2¢ | $1.32 | $15.87 |
| North Carolina | 15.1 | 0.2¢ | $1.32 | $15.87 |
| Arizona | 15.2 | 0.2¢ | $1.33 | $15.98 |
| Florida | 15.2 | 0.2¢ | $1.33 | $15.98 |
| South Dakota | 15.7 | 0.2¢ | $1.37 | $16.50 |
| Georgia | 15.8 | 0.2¢ | $1.38 | $16.61 |
| Colorado | 16.2 | 0.2¢ | $1.42 | $17.03 |
| Mississippi | 16.2 | 0.2¢ | $1.42 | $17.03 |
| South Carolina | 16.2 | 0.2¢ | $1.42 | $17.03 |
| Oregon | 16.3 | 0.2¢ | $1.43 | $17.13 |
| Texas | 16.4 | 0.2¢ | $1.44 | $17.24 |
| Alabama | 16.8 | 0.2¢ | $1.47 | $17.66 |
| West Virginia | 16.8 | 0.2¢ | $1.47 | $17.66 |
| Minnesota | 17.0 | 0.2¢ | $1.49 | $17.87 |
| Virginia | 17.6 | 0.2¢ | $1.54 | $18.50 |
| Indiana | 18.2 | 0.2¢ | $1.59 | $19.13 |
| Delaware | 19.4 | 0.2¢ | $1.70 | $20.39 |
| Ohio | 19.5 | 0.2¢ | $1.71 | $20.50 |
| Wisconsin | 19.7 | 0.2¢ | $1.72 | $20.71 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.6 | 0.3¢ | $1.89 | $22.71 |
| Maryland | 21.8 | 0.3¢ | $1.91 | $22.92 |
| Michigan | 22.0 | 0.3¢ | $1.93 | $23.13 |
| New Jersey | 23.3 | 0.3¢ | $2.04 | $24.49 |
| Illinois | 23.9 | 0.3¢ | $2.09 | $25.12 |
| Vermont | 24.9 | 0.3¢ | $2.18 | $26.17 |
| Washington, D.C. | 25.4 | 0.3¢ | $2.22 | $26.70 |
| New Hampshire | 27.3 | 0.3¢ | $2.39 | $28.70 |
| Connecticut | 27.4 | 0.3¢ | $2.40 | $28.80 |
| Alaska | 28.2 | 0.3¢ | $2.47 | $29.64 |
| Maine | 28.6 | 0.3¢ | $2.50 | $30.06 |
| Massachusetts | 28.8 | 0.3¢ | $2.52 | $30.27 |
| Rhode Island | 29.5 | 0.4¢ | $2.58 | $31.01 |
| New York | 29.9 | 0.4¢ | $2.62 | $31.43 |
| California | 33.3 | 0.4¢ | $2.92 | $35.00 |
| Hawaii | 52.0 | 0.6¢ | $4.55 | $54.66 |
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 wi-fi router use?
A typical wi-fi router draws about 12 watts in use. At 24 hours/day (always on), that works out to roughly 0.3 kWh per day, or 8.8 kWh per month.
How much does it cost to run a wi-fi router for 1 hour?
At the current U.S. average residential rate of 18.4¢/kWh, one hour costs about 0.2¢. In Idaho (12.4¢/kWh) it's 0.1¢, while in Hawaii (52¢/kWh) it's 0.6¢.
How much does a wi-fi router cost to run per month?
With typical usage (24 hours/day (always on)), expect about $1.61 per month at the U.S. average rate — from $1.09 in Idaho up to $4.55 in Hawaii. Rates are as of May 2026.
Does a wi-fi router 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.