How many watts does a wi-fi router use?
A wi-fi router uses 6–20 W (about 12 W on average). Running 24 hours/day, that is about 0.29 kWh a day and 8.6 kWh a month — roughly $1.58 a month at the U.S. average rate of 18.31 ¢/kWh.
This is the wi-fi router electricity usage reference: watts, amps on a 120 V circuit, the kWh math, and links to what that usage costs in each state.
Watts, amps, and kWh for a wi-fi router
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Rated wattage range | 6–20 W |
| Average draw used in our math | 12 W |
| Amps at 120 V | 0.1–0.2 A (0.1 A at the average draw) |
| kWh per hour | 0.01 kWh |
| kWh per day at 24 hours/day | 0.29 kWh |
| kWh per month | 8.6 kWh |
| Cost per month at the U.S. average (18.31 ¢/kWh) | $1.58 |
The math is kWh = watts × hours ÷ 1000 and amps = watts ÷ volts. A standard 120 V household circuit on a 15 A breaker carries about 1,800 W. For the dollars in your state, open cost to run a wi-fi router in Texas and switch states from there.
Wi-Fi Router electricity usage profile
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| kWh per hour | 0.01 kWh |
| kWh per day (typical) | 0.29 kWh |
| kWh per month (typical) | 8.6 kWh |
| kWh per year (typical) | 105.1 kWh |
| Low runtime scenario | 24 hours/day |
| High runtime scenario | 24 hours/day |
Connect usage to cost tools
Related appliance usage pages
Source & Method
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Retail Sales of Electricity. Last dataset period: July 2026. Usage calculations use fixed appliance wattage and runtime assumptions so results stay comparable across pages.
Frequently asked questions
How many watts does a wi-fi router use?
A wi-fi router uses 6–20 W (about 12 W on average). Our usage and cost math uses 12 watts running 24 hours/day.
How many amps does a wi-fi router draw?
On a 120 V circuit, 6–20 W works out to about 0.1–0.2 A; at the 12 W we use in the math that is 0.1 A.
How much electricity does a wi-fi router use per month?
About 8.6 kWh a month. It runs around the clock, so month-to-month differences come from how hard the compressor works — room temperature, how often the door opens, and the unit's age — rather than hours of use.
How much does it cost to run a wi-fi router?
About $1.58 a month at the U.S. average rate of 18.31 ¢/kWh — from roughly $1.10 in Louisiana to $4.15 in Hawaii at the same usage. The state cost-to-run pages price it at every state's rate.