How Much Electricity Does a Router Use?
How much electricity does a router use? Only about 7 watts. Enter your wattage and rate below for the exact cost.
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Router electricity cost calculator
Enter your rate to see your estimate.
How the math works: 7 W × 24 hours ÷ 1,000 = 0.168 kWh a day. × 30 days = 5.04 kWh a month. × $0.165 per kWh (the 2024 U.S. average) = about $0.83 a month.
A Wi-Fi router or modem draws only about 7 watts, one of the lowest wattage figures of any device in the house. Even run continuously, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, since that's how most people actually use one, the cost barely registers.
What affects how much electricity a router uses
- Model: wattage doesn't vary much. Even higher-end mesh systems and combo router/modem units stay in a low single-digit-to-teens wattage range.
- Hours on: the main variable is whether it runs around the clock (the normal setup) or gets turned off during long absences.
- Combo units: a combined router/modem draws somewhat more than a router alone, since it does the job of two devices.
How to reduce your router's electricity use
- There's little to gain here. A router's wattage is already so low that adjusting settings won't meaningfully change your bill
- If you have a separate modem and router, consider a combo unit if you're replacing hardware anyway, since running one device instead of two saves a small amount
- Turn it off during extended trips away from home if you won't need remote access to anything on your network
- Focus energy-saving effort on higher-wattage devices elsewhere in the house instead, where the potential savings are far larger
Typical wattage figure: roughly 7 W for a Wi-Fi router or modem. Source: Jackery: Appliance Wattage Chart. (This is a commonly cited estimate, not a government-published figure.) This is a commonly cited commercial estimate, not a government-published figure. Routers and modems are designed to run continuously, but their wattage is low enough that even 24/7 use adds little to a monthly bill. We review this figure periodically and update it if the source changes; last checked September 2026. Cedrick Reese built this router cost calculator and rechecks the wattage figure against the source above.
Frequently asked questions
How many watts does a router use?
A Wi-Fi router or modem draws roughly 7 watts, based on a commonly cited commercial wattage reference chart. This is not a government-published figure, but router wattage is consistently low across most consumer models, whether basic or higher-end mesh systems.
How much does it cost to run a router 24/7?
A 7-watt router run continuously, 24 hours a day, at the U.S. average rate of about 16.5 cents/kWh costs roughly $0.03 a day, or about $0.83 a month. Use the calculator above with your own router's wattage for an exact figure.
Is it worth turning my router off at night to save electricity?
Not for the electricity cost specifically, since a router's wattage is so low that turning it off overnight saves only a fraction of a cent. Some people do it for other reasons, like reducing network access overnight, but the electricity savings alone aren't meaningful.
Where should I actually focus if I want to lower my electricity bill?
Look at higher-wattage appliances that run for longer stretches, like heating and cooling equipment, a water heater, or a clothes dryer, since even small changes there have far more impact than anything you could do with a 7-watt router.
This page provides estimates based on a commonly cited commercial wattage reference chart, not a government-published figure, and the numbers you enter. Actual electricity cost depends on your specific router or modem model.