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How many watts does a wifi router use? (8 W)
A wifi router uses about 8 W
Typical range 5–20 watts.
Typical range 5–20 watts.
Running cost calculator
Per hour—
Per day—
Per month—
Per year—
Energy/mo—
A wifi router runs 24/7 but draws only a handful of watts, so its yearly cost is small despite never switching off.
Wifi router power specs
| Typical running power | 8 W |
| Typical range | 5–20 W |
| Energy use | 0.19 kWh/day · 5.8 kWh/mo |
What affects the wattage
- Model size, age and energy rating.
- Settings and how hard it works (heat, speed, load).
- How many hours a day you run it.
Running cost at $0.17/kWh
| Electricity rate | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0.10/kWh | $0.02 | $0.58 | $7.01 |
| $0.15/kWh | $0.03 | $0.86 | $10.51 |
| $0.20/kWh | $0.04 | $1.15 | $14.02 |
| $0.25/kWh | $0.05 | $1.44 | $17.52 |
| $0.30/kWh | $0.06 | $1.73 | $21.02 |
| $0.40/kWh | $0.08 | $2.30 | $28.03 |
See the full breakdown of what it costs to run a wifi router, or what size power station runs a wifi router.
FAQ
How many watts does a wifi router use?
Typically 5-20 watts running continuously.
Should I turn off my router at night?
It saves only pennies and disrupts updates - most people leave it on.
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