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How much does it cost to run a Wi-Fi router?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.31¢ per kilowatt-hour (July 2026), running a Wi-Fi router costs about $16.04 a year. Your own bill depends on your state's rate, which ranges from 12.72¢ to 48.00¢ across the country.
- Per hour
- 0.2¢
- Per day of use
- 4.4¢
- Per month
- $1.34
- Per year
- $16.04
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 12.72¢ | 92.9¢ | $11.14 |
| Nevada | 12.77¢ | 93.2¢ | $11.19 |
| Utah | 13.12¢ | 95.8¢ | $11.49 |
| North Dakota | 13.41¢ | 97.9¢ | $11.75 |
| Tennessee | 13.71¢ | $1.00 | $12.01 |
| Idaho | 13.73¢ | $1.00 | $12.03 |
| Nebraska | 13.78¢ | $1.01 | $12.07 |
| Kentucky | 13.81¢ | $1.01 | $12.10 |
| Arkansas | 14.33¢ | $1.05 | $12.55 |
| Oklahoma | 14.35¢ | $1.05 | $12.57 |
| Wyoming | 14.36¢ | $1.05 | $12.58 |
| Mississippi | 14.54¢ | $1.06 | $12.74 |
| Washington | 14.71¢ | $1.07 | $12.89 |
| Montana | 14.99¢ | $1.09 | $13.13 |
| Florida | 15.03¢ | $1.10 | $13.17 |
| North Carolina | 15.16¢ | $1.11 | $13.28 |
| Kansas | 15.27¢ | $1.11 | $13.38 |
| South Dakota | 15.37¢ | $1.12 | $13.46 |
| Arizona | 15.38¢ | $1.12 | $13.47 |
| South Carolina | 15.47¢ | $1.13 | $13.55 |
| West Virginia | 15.78¢ | $1.15 | $13.82 |
| Texas | 15.88¢ | $1.16 | $13.91 |
| Oregon | 15.97¢ | $1.17 | $13.99 |
| Iowa | 15.99¢ | $1.17 | $14.01 |
| Missouri | 16.09¢ | $1.17 | $14.09 |
| New Mexico | 16.09¢ | $1.17 | $14.09 |
| Georgia | 16.27¢ | $1.19 | $14.25 |
| Alabama | 16.40¢ | $1.20 | $14.37 |
| Indiana | 16.73¢ | $1.22 | $14.66 |
| Colorado | 17.00¢ | $1.24 | $14.89 |
| Minnesota | 17.45¢ | $1.27 | $15.29 |
| Virginia | 17.55¢ | $1.28 | $15.37 |
| Delaware | 18.48¢ | $1.35 | $16.19 |
| Wisconsin | 19.06¢ | $1.39 | $16.70 |
| Illinois | 19.22¢ | $1.40 | $16.84 |
| Ohio | 19.45¢ | $1.42 | $17.04 |
| Maryland | 21.41¢ | $1.56 | $18.76 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.72¢ | $1.59 | $19.03 |
| Michigan | 23.05¢ | $1.68 | $20.19 |
| Vermont | 23.75¢ | $1.73 | $20.80 |
| Connecticut | 24.16¢ | $1.76 | $21.16 |
| New Jersey | 25.19¢ | $1.84 | $22.07 |
| District of Columbia | 25.21¢ | $1.84 | $22.08 |
| New Hampshire | 26.60¢ | $1.94 | $23.30 |
| Rhode Island | 28.29¢ | $2.07 | $24.78 |
| Alaska | 28.83¢ | $2.10 | $25.26 |
| New York | 29.90¢ | $2.18 | $26.19 |
| Massachusetts | 30.49¢ | $2.23 | $26.71 |
| Maine | 32.41¢ | $2.37 | $28.39 |
| California | 33.61¢ | $2.45 | $29.44 |
| Hawaii | 48.00¢ | $3.50 | $42.05 |
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 $1.34 a month at the U.S. average rate, or $16.04 a year.
- Where is it cheapest to run?
- Louisiana, at $11.14 a year, versus $42.05 in Hawaii — a spread of $30.91.