How Many Watts Does a WiFi Router Use?

Usually, a WiFi router is not considered as an energy-hungry device. But, as it runs 24/7 throughout the year, it adds up to the total cost of power you use. Do you want to understand how exactly your WiFi router uses the power? Well, it uses energy primarily through the electronic components, including memory chips, radio transceivers, and processors.

Are you wondering how many watts does a WiFi router use? When should you turn the router off to reduce the overall consumption? Don't miss this article, as it covers everything, including using solar power to run your WiFi router. Let's get into further details.

How many watts does a Wi-Fi router use?

The WiFi router wattage is not close to the power requirements of frequently used appliances, like washing machines, microwave ovens, air conditioners, and coffee makers. However, knowing the energy consumption of your WiFi router is still useful in determining the right power source for calculating the energy use of your whole home.

A typical home-based WiFi router uses between 5W and 20W. Though it is even less than the power usage of your smartphones and laptops, it still adds up to the overall cost if you leave them running all day throughout the year. As stated earlier, most WiFi routers run 24/7, so estimate the consumption cost accordingly.

The average energy consumption of routers launched by top brands is around 10 watts. To get an uninterrupted supply of this much power, the Renogy 200W portable solar panel and 220W portable solar suitcase are great options. They can not only power up your WiFi router but can also charge other small appliances like mobile devices.

With the technological advancements, more features have been introduced to WiFi routers that make them consume more power than traditional routers. The size of the network a router covers also determines the amount of extra power it can use.

Remember, the power rating mentioned on the router is the power that the router needs only to run. When more devices request data from the router, it may use more power to streamline the process. The basic formula to calculate the power consumption of a router is as follows.

Watt (W) = Amps (A) x Volts (V)

How much does it cost to run a Wi-Fi router?

When you look at your electricity bill, you won't be able to see how much each appliance has contributed to the total cost. However, considering the standard rate of electricity in your state, you can calculate the cost of running a standard 10-watt WiFi router. The average electricity cost per kWh in the US is 16.54 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh). However, the rates may vary from one state to another.

Cost breakdown based on electricity rates

The table below shows the breakdown of cost of electricity rates in different states of the US and the monthly and yearly costs of running a WiFi router in these states.

State	Cost of electricity	Monthly cost of running a router	Annual cost of running a router
Louisiana	11.23	$0.8	$9.8
Colorado	12.28	$0.88	$10.75
Arizona	13.16	$0.94	$11.52
Pennsylvania	14.38	$1.03	$12.59
New York	19.30	$1.38	$16.9
Hawaii	40.10	$2.88	$35.12

 

Louisiana is the state with the lowest electricity rates (11.23 cents per kWh). In contrast, the state of Hawaii offers electricity at the highest cost, i.e., 40 cents per kWh. Suppose you live in New York state where 19.30 cents is the cost of electric power per kWh.

Estimating the monthly & annual costs

Let's calculate the monthly and yearly cost of running a 10W WiFi router in New York.

Total hours in a month = 24 x 30 = 720h

Monthly power usage in kWh = 0.01 (kW) x 720 (h) = 7.2kWh

Monthly cost of running a WiFi router = 19.30 x 7.2 = 138.96 cents or $1.38

It is time to calculate the annual cost of running the same WiFi router in the same state.

Total hours in an year = 24 x 365 = 8,760h

Yearly power usage in kWh = 0.01 (kW) x 8760 (h) = 87.6kWh

Yearly cost = 19.30 x 87.6 = 1690.68 cents or $16.9

Should I turn my WiFi off at night?

Every one of us wants to save energy and this desire is understandable. Keeping this thing in mind, many people ask whether turning a WiFi router off at night is worth it. Do you have the same concern?

Well, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) recommend leaving your router on at night for different reasons. For example, routers receive important security and performance updates usually at night. Moreover, regularly turning your router on and off disrupts the health of the overall network.

Furthermore, your smart devices, like voice assistants and cameras, rely on an internet connection. When you turn the router off, the seamless integration and accessibility of these smart devices are interrupted.

Considering all these factors, it is not a good idea to switch your WiFi router off at night just because of saving some amount of energy. So, when does switching the router off make sense? Is this what you are thinking about?

Well, you can turn the WiFi router off during troubleshooting. Sometimes, just rebooting the device helps you resolve internet connection problems. Similarly, if you are planning to spend your holidays for more than a week or so outside of your house and there is no need to keep your smart devices connected to the WiFi router, you can switch it off to reduce unnecessary energy usage.

How to reduce WiFi router energy consumption?

Now that you know how much power does a WiFi router use, it is time to learn how you can reduce its power consumption without switching it off at night. Below are some valuable tips to follow.

• See if you can turn off or dim those blinking lights. Though it is a tiny saving, everything helps.
• If you don't usually have guests at home, disabling the guest network feature can help you save some energy.
• If you are using an old router, it might add more to your power consumption. Replace it with a modern WiFi router that comes with more efficient components and offers advanced features like power-down scheduling.

Solar power for Wi-Fi routers: Is it feasible?

Solar power offers a range of benefits not only for running WiFi routers but also for various home appliances, covering fans, lights, refrigerators, air conditioners, microwave ovens, and the list continues.

One of the more prominent advantages of using solar power for WiFi routers is that you get a seamless internet connection in remote areas without having any supply from the utility grid. It is an environmentally friendly and affordable solution.

PV panels have years of shelf-life and the maintenance cost is minimal. At the same time, you get free access to a stable source of power. If you install batteries with your solar panels, you can even run WiFi routers at night.

Are you searching for reliable solar panel options at a fair price? Be sure to explore a decent collection of PV panels at Renogy.

Since a standard WiFi router needs 5-10 watts of power to perform its functions, a solar panel that can produce at least 5W of power is enough for running the typical router. However, it is better to consider sunlight variations to ensure an uninterruptible power supply. Therefore, using a router with a slightly higher wattage (10W) is preferable.

FAQs about Wi-Fi router power consumption

How much power does a 12V router use?

A standard 12-volt WiFi router uses 5-15 watts of power. The exact energy consumption depends on the features and specific model of the chosen device.

How much electricity does a Wi-Fi router use in 24 hours?

Suppose you have a 5W router. It will consume 120Wh (5x24) of power in 24 hours if it runs continuously at the average rated power.

Does a Wi-Fi router consume high electricity?

A WiFi router is a low-power device that does not use a high amount of electric power. The power consumption of a WiFi router is almost negligible compared to other home appliances.

Conclusion

If you are concerned about how much power does a WiFi router use, it consumes only 5-10 watts on average. Switching the router off at night does not help you save a good amount of energy.

However, you can dim or turn off its blinking lights and disable the guest network feature to reduce its energy consumption. You can also use modern routers as they use energy-efficient components to minimize energy usage.