How much electricity does a Wi-Fi router use?
Short answer: Most home Wi-Fi routers draw roughly 5 to 20 watts, and 10 W is a common planning figure. Running 24/7, 10 W is 87.6 kWh a year, or about $16 at 18 cents/kWh. A separate modem adds to that. The adapter rating on the label is a maximum, not typical use.
How many watts does a Wi-Fi router use?
EnergySage puts most Wi-Fi routers at 5 to 20 watts, depending on the model, and calls 10 W a safe average for modern routers. Mesh systems have one unit per node, so total draw grows with the number of nodes. See mesh Wi-Fi vs extender.
Is the adapter rating what my router actually uses?
No. It is a ceiling. NETGEAR’s support page says a router’s “power consumption does not exceed the power adapter rating.” Volts × amps gives that ceiling.
| NETGEAR models (examples) | Adapter rating | Maximum (V × A) |
|---|---|---|
| R6020, R6080, R6120 | 12 V, 1 A | 12 W |
| RAX45, RAX50, R7000P | 12 V, 2.5 A | 30 W |
| RAX120, RAX200, R8000 | 19 V, 3.16 A | about 60 W |
Real draw is usually well below the ceiling. To learn yours, run a plug-in watt meter for a day.
How much does it cost to run a router per year?
Formula: watts × 8,760 hours ÷ 1,000 = kWh per year. Then kWh × your rate = dollars.
| Draw | kWh/year | 12¢ | 15¢ | 18¢ | 25¢ | 30¢ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 W | 43.8 | $5.26 | $6.57 | $7.88 | $10.95 | $13.14 |
| 10 W | 87.6 | $10.51 | $13.14 | $15.77 | $21.90 | $26.28 |
| 15 W | 131.4 | $15.77 | $19.71 | $23.65 | $32.85 | $39.42 |
| 20 W | 175.2 | $21.02 | $26.28 | $31.54 | $43.80 | $52.56 |
The 18¢ column matches the EIA’s expected 2026 U.S. average residential price of about 18.2¢/kWh.
Router plus modem: what’s the combined cost?
If a separate modem and router each draw about 10 W, the pair uses 20 W: 175.2 kWh, or about $31.54 a year at 18¢. A combined gateway may draw less than two boxes; check the label or measure.
For scale, NRDC had 60 small network devices measured and estimated that a typical household’s network equipment uses just under 100 kWh a year, about $18 at 18¢.
Is it worth turning off your router at night?
The savings are small. Switching off a 10 W router for 8 hours a night saves 10 × 8 × 365 ÷ 1,000 = 29.2 kWh, about $5.26 a year at 18¢. A 20 W router-and-modem pair saves about $10.51.
The downsides:
- Some routers install firmware updates overnight, so shutting down may delay security patches.
- Smart thermostats, cameras, doorbells and alarms go offline.
- Some modems take several minutes to reconnect.
A scheduled smart plug can automate it, but the plug draws a little power itself. See do smart plugs save electricity and standby power and phantom load. Better router placement usually matters more.
How long can a power station run a router?
Formula: usable Wh ÷ watts = hours. Assuming roughly 15% inverter loss (it varies by model), a 1,000 Wh station gives about 850 Wh.
| Load | Hours on 850 Wh usable |
|---|---|
| Router only, 10 W | about 85 h |
| Router + modem, 20 W | about 42 h |
Your internet still depends on the provider’s network staying up. See what a 1000Wh power station can run or the power station size calculator.
Safety note: use only the original adapter or an exact match in voltage and polarity, and keep routers ventilated, not in closed cabinets.
Quick answers
Does a Wi-Fi router use a lot of electricity? No. A 10 W router uses about 87.6 kWh a year, roughly $16 at 18¢/kWh.
How many watts does a router use per hour? A 10 W router uses 10 watt-hours each hour, or 0.24 kWh a day.
Should I unplug my router on vacation? You can, if no cameras or smart devices need it. A week off at 10 W saves only about 1.7 kWh, roughly 30¢.
Does the router use more power with more devices connected? Draw may rise under heavy load, but per NETGEAR it does not exceed the adapter rating.
How much does a modem and router cost per month? At 20 W combined and 18¢/kWh, about $2.63 a month.