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How much does it cost to run a Wi-Fi router?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.16¢ per kilowatt-hour (August 2026), running a Wi-Fi router costs about $15.91 a year. Your own bill depends on your state's rate, which ranges from 12.72¢ to 47.18¢ across the country.
- Per hour
- 0.2¢
- Per day of use
- 4.4¢
- Per month
- $1.33
- Per year
- $15.91
Assumption: 10 W, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year — 88 kWh a year. Router plus modem. Mesh systems multiply this by the number of nodes.
Cost by state
Same appliance, same usage, 51 different prices. Sorted cheapest first.
| State | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 12.72¢ | 92.9¢ | $11.14 |
| Louisiana | 12.87¢ | 94.0¢ | $11.27 |
| North Dakota | 13.31¢ | 97.2¢ | $11.66 |
| Utah | 13.31¢ | 97.2¢ | $11.66 |
| Idaho | 13.37¢ | 97.6¢ | $11.71 |
| Tennessee | 13.42¢ | 98.0¢ | $11.76 |
| Nebraska | 13.54¢ | 98.8¢ | $11.86 |
| Kentucky | 13.80¢ | $1.01 | $12.09 |
| Arkansas | 14.37¢ | $1.05 | $12.59 |
| Mississippi | 14.43¢ | $1.05 | $12.64 |
| Wyoming | 14.43¢ | $1.05 | $12.64 |
| Washington | 14.63¢ | $1.07 | $12.82 |
| Oklahoma | 14.82¢ | $1.08 | $12.98 |
| North Carolina | 14.95¢ | $1.09 | $13.10 |
| Florida | 14.99¢ | $1.09 | $13.13 |
| Arizona | 15.05¢ | $1.10 | $13.18 |
| South Dakota | 15.15¢ | $1.11 | $13.27 |
| Kansas | 15.47¢ | $1.13 | $13.55 |
| Montana | 15.57¢ | $1.14 | $13.64 |
| South Carolina | 15.76¢ | $1.15 | $13.81 |
| Georgia | 15.90¢ | $1.16 | $13.93 |
| Texas | 15.91¢ | $1.16 | $13.94 |
| Oregon | 15.92¢ | $1.16 | $13.95 |
| Missouri | 16.02¢ | $1.17 | $14.03 |
| West Virginia | 16.31¢ | $1.19 | $14.29 |
| Alabama | 16.33¢ | $1.19 | $14.31 |
| New Mexico | 16.51¢ | $1.21 | $14.46 |
| Indiana | 17.02¢ | $1.24 | $14.91 |
| Iowa | 17.06¢ | $1.25 | $14.94 |
| Colorado | 17.17¢ | $1.25 | $15.04 |
| Minnesota | 17.20¢ | $1.26 | $15.07 |
| Virginia | 17.64¢ | $1.29 | $15.45 |
| Delaware | 18.70¢ | $1.37 | $16.38 |
| Illinois | 19.32¢ | $1.41 | $16.92 |
| Ohio | 19.38¢ | $1.41 | $16.98 |
| Wisconsin | 19.41¢ | $1.42 | $17.00 |
| Maryland | 21.40¢ | $1.56 | $18.75 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.77¢ | $1.59 | $19.07 |
| Michigan | 22.99¢ | $1.68 | $20.14 |
| Vermont | 23.84¢ | $1.74 | $20.88 |
| Connecticut | 24.51¢ | $1.79 | $21.47 |
| New Jersey | 24.61¢ | $1.80 | $21.56 |
| District of Columbia | 25.98¢ | $1.90 | $22.76 |
| New Hampshire | 27.64¢ | $2.02 | $24.21 |
| Rhode Island | 28.18¢ | $2.06 | $24.69 |
| New York | 28.65¢ | $2.09 | $25.10 |
| Alaska | 29.41¢ | $2.15 | $25.76 |
| California | 29.75¢ | $2.17 | $26.06 |
| Massachusetts | 30.48¢ | $2.23 | $26.70 |
| Maine | 32.11¢ | $2.34 | $28.13 |
| Hawaii | 47.18¢ | $3.44 | $41.33 |
Cutting the number down
- Small and always-on is the pattern worth understanding: 10 W around the clock is 88 kWh a year, more than a microwave.
- Mesh nodes each carry their own around-the-clock draw, so an extra node is an extra annual line item.
Questions
- How many watts does a Wi-Fi router use?
- About 10 W while running.
- How much does a Wi-Fi router cost per month?
- About $1.33 a month at the U.S. average rate, or $15.91 a year.
- Where is it cheapest to run?
- Nevada, at $11.14 a year, versus $41.33 in Hawaii — a spread of $30.19.