How much does it cost to run a wi-Fi router in the UK?
Price updated 9 July 2026 · Q3 2026 (Jul–Sep)
A typical wi-Fi router (10 W) used 24 hours a day, every day costs about £1.91 a month (£22.87 a year) at 26.11p/kWh.
A broadband router is one of the few devices most homes genuinely leave on 24 hours a day, every day. The good news is that it sips power — typically 7–12W — so even running non-stop it costs only a few pounds a year. Turning it off overnight saves very little and can interrupt overnight updates and phone calls, so it's rarely worth it. It's a useful benchmark for what 'always on but low power' actually costs.
Work out your own cost
About £1.91 a month · £22.87 a year
Uses about 87.6 kWh a year. Prefilled with the Ofgem cap of 26.11p/kWh — edit any box for your own figures.
Cost by model power
The same wi-Fi router can vary a lot between models, so here is the range from a low-power to a high-power example.
| Model | Power | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low-power model | 5 W | 0.13p | 3.1p | 95p | £11.44 |
| Typical model | 10 W | 0.26p | 6.3p | £1.91 | £22.87 |
| High-power model | 18 W | 0.47p | 11p | £3.43 | £41.17 |
What changes the cost
- Low continuous draw (7–12W typical)
- Runs 24/7, so hours are fixed
- Combined modem-router units draw a little more
- Attached devices (mesh nodes) add their own small draw
Common questions
Should I turn my router off at night to save money?
There's little point — at around 10W it costs only a few pounds a year to run continuously, and switching it off interrupts updates and internet-based phone service.
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