How Much Electricity Does a Wi-Fi Router Use in a Year?

A standard Wi-Fi router draws between 6 and 12 watts continuously, consuming roughly 52 to 105 kWh per year. At the U.S. residential average rate of 18.34¢ per kWh, running a single router costs between $9.54 and $19.26 per year ($0.80 to $1.60 per month). Multi-node mesh systems with tri-band or quad-band radios draw 25 to 45 watts total across two or three units, costing $40 to $72 annually.

Key takeaways

• A standalone Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6 router uses 7 to 10 watts under normal home load.
• Multi-node mesh systems multiply continuous energy use by the number of access points.
• Wi-Fi routers run 8,760 hours per year, making small wattage differences noticeable over time.
• Turning off a router overnight saves $4 to $8 per year but interrupts automated backups and smart home devices.

Wattage across Wi-Fi generations

Older single-band or dual-band 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) routers draw modest power, usually 5 to 8 watts. Modern Wi-Fi 6, 6E, and Wi-Fi 7 hardware includes multi-core ARM processors, 2.5 Gbps or 10 Gbps Ethernet switches, and radios operating across 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz spectrums with 4x4 MU-MIMO arrays.

These advanced processing capabilities increase baseline electrical draw. A modern Wi-Fi 7 flagship router draws roughly 14 to 22 watts even when no heavy downloading occurs. Over 8,760 hours in a year, a 18-watt router consumes 157.7 kWh, costing $28.82 annually. You can calculate your specific setup on our Wi-Fi router electricity calculator.

Mesh networks and satellite nodes

Mesh systems provide seamless whole-home coverage by placing satellite nodes in bedrooms, basements, or hallways. Each satellite contains its own power supply, radio transmitters, and processor. A system with one main router and two satellites drawing 9 watts each consumes 27 watts continuously.

That 27-watt continuous draw totals 236.5 kWh per year, or $43.37 at national average electricity rates. In states with high electric rates such as California (32¢/kWh) or Hawaii (44¢/kWh), running a 3-node mesh setup costs $75 to $104 per year. If your home has wired Ethernet backhaul, choosing wired access points with power management features can shave 5 to 8 watts from the total.

Should you unplug your router at night?

Powering down your router for 8 hours every night saves one-third of its annual electrical consumption, which equals $3 to $7 per year for a single unit. However, modern smart home hardware (security cameras, smart doorbells, thermostats, and leak sensors) relies on continuous connectivity. Automated phone and computer cloud backups also execute during overnight hours.

FAQ

Does Wi-Fi network traffic increase power consumption? Only slightly. Downloading large files at full gigabit speeds increases power draw by 1.5 to 3.5 watts compared to idle. The baseline radio beaconing and CPU idle state account for the vast majority of consumption.

Do modem-router combo gateways use more power than separate units? A combined modem and Wi-Fi gateway usually draws 10 to 14 watts, which is slightly less than running a standalone cable modem (5 to 7 watts) and an independent router (8 to 12 watts).

How does router power compare to other continuous home electronics? A 10-watt router consumes about 88 kWh per year, which is roughly half of an efficient

Data notes & sources

Wattage measurements are sourced from testing benchmarks conducted on consumer networking hardware and utility field evaluations.

Home networking energy studies: Natural Resources Defense Council Small Network Equipment Study.

Federal energy guidance: ENERGY STAR Small Network Equipment Specification.