💻 Computers & Office
How Much Does a Wi-Fi Router Cost to Run?
At the current U.S. average rate of 18.3¢/kWh (July 2026), a wi-fi router costs about $1.60 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
$1.60
8.8 kWh
Per year
$19.24
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
$1.60
Per year
$19.24
Uses 8.8 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 | 0.2¢ | $1.11 | $13.35 |
| Nevada | 12.8 | 0.2¢ | $1.12 | $13.46 |
| Utah | 13.1 | 0.2¢ | $1.15 | $13.77 |
| North Dakota | 13.4 | 0.2¢ | $1.17 | $14.09 |
| Idaho | 13.7 | 0.2¢ | $1.20 | $14.40 |
| Tennessee | 13.7 | 0.2¢ | $1.20 | $14.40 |
| Kentucky | 13.8 | 0.2¢ | $1.21 | $14.51 |
| Nebraska | 13.8 | 0.2¢ | $1.21 | $14.51 |
| Arkansas | 14.3 | 0.2¢ | $1.25 | $15.03 |
| Oklahoma | 14.4 | 0.2¢ | $1.26 | $15.14 |
| Wyoming | 14.4 | 0.2¢ | $1.26 | $15.14 |
| Mississippi | 14.5 | 0.2¢ | $1.27 | $15.24 |
| Washington | 14.7 | 0.2¢ | $1.29 | $15.45 |
| Florida | 15.0 | 0.2¢ | $1.31 | $15.77 |
| Montana | 15.0 | 0.2¢ | $1.31 | $15.77 |
| North Carolina | 15.2 | 0.2¢ | $1.33 | $15.98 |
| Kansas | 15.3 | 0.2¢ | $1.34 | $16.08 |
| Arizona | 15.4 | 0.2¢ | $1.35 | $16.19 |
| South Dakota | 15.4 | 0.2¢ | $1.35 | $16.19 |
| South Carolina | 15.5 | 0.2¢ | $1.36 | $16.29 |
| West Virginia | 15.8 | 0.2¢ | $1.38 | $16.61 |
| Texas | 15.9 | 0.2¢ | $1.39 | $16.71 |
| Iowa | 16.0 | 0.2¢ | $1.40 | $16.82 |
| Oregon | 16.0 | 0.2¢ | $1.40 | $16.82 |
| Missouri | 16.1 | 0.2¢ | $1.41 | $16.92 |
| New Mexico | 16.1 | 0.2¢ | $1.41 | $16.92 |
| Georgia | 16.3 | 0.2¢ | $1.43 | $17.13 |
| Alabama | 16.4 | 0.2¢ | $1.44 | $17.24 |
| Indiana | 16.7 | 0.2¢ | $1.46 | $17.56 |
| Colorado | 17.0 | 0.2¢ | $1.49 | $17.87 |
| Minnesota | 17.5 | 0.2¢ | $1.53 | $18.40 |
| Virginia | 17.6 | 0.2¢ | $1.54 | $18.50 |
| Delaware | 18.5 | 0.2¢ | $1.62 | $19.45 |
| Wisconsin | 19.1 | 0.2¢ | $1.67 | $20.08 |
| Illinois | 19.2 | 0.2¢ | $1.68 | $20.18 |
| Ohio | 19.5 | 0.2¢ | $1.71 | $20.50 |
| Maryland | 21.4 | 0.3¢ | $1.87 | $22.50 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.7 | 0.3¢ | $1.90 | $22.81 |
| Michigan | 23.1 | 0.3¢ | $2.02 | $24.28 |
| Vermont | 23.8 | 0.3¢ | $2.08 | $25.02 |
| Connecticut | 24.2 | 0.3¢ | $2.12 | $25.44 |
| Washington, D.C. | 25.2 | 0.3¢ | $2.21 | $26.49 |
| New Jersey | 25.2 | 0.3¢ | $2.21 | $26.49 |
| New Hampshire | 26.6 | 0.3¢ | $2.33 | $27.96 |
| Rhode Island | 28.3 | 0.3¢ | $2.48 | $29.75 |
| Alaska | 28.8 | 0.3¢ | $2.52 | $30.27 |
| New York | 29.9 | 0.4¢ | $2.62 | $31.43 |
| Massachusetts | 30.5 | 0.4¢ | $2.67 | $32.06 |
| Maine | 32.4 | 0.4¢ | $2.84 | $34.06 |
| California | 33.6 | 0.4¢ | $2.94 | $35.32 |
| Hawaii | 48.0 | 0.6¢ | $4.20 | $50.46 |
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 18.3¢/kWh, one hour costs about 0.2¢. In Louisiana (12.7¢/kWh) it's 0.2¢, while in Hawaii (48¢/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 $1.60 per month at the U.S. average rate — from $1.11 in Louisiana up to $4.20 in Hawaii. Rates are as of July 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.