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Wi-Fi Router Running Costs When It Is On 24 Hours a Day

Your router runs every hour of the year. Here is what that costs on 2026-27 electricity prices, and whether switching it off at night is worth it.

Checked against regulator sources, October 2026

Typical draw
10 W
Modem router
Usage assumed
88 kWh
a year
NSW cost
$29
a year, Ausgrid
Cost an hour
0.3c
NSW reference rate
watts
hrs
days

Use decimals for short times. 15 minutes is 0.25 hours.

State or territory

Wi-fi router: cost a year

$29

0.3c an hour8c a day55.7c a week$2.42 a month
Energy usedper year88 kWh
Electricity priceAusgrid, flat rate33.14c
Share of a typical homeagainst 4,000 kWh a year2%
Cost a year, GST included$29.03

Appliances on a thermostat cycle on and off, so real use is often lower than the full power draw.

Prices are 2026-27 regulated rates including GST. Market offers can be cheaper. Estimates only.

What a router costs to run in each state

The table assumes a 10 W modem router running 24 hours a day.

Wi-fi router: modem router, 24 hours a day, every day
StateRateA monthA year
TasmaniaAurora Energy24.75c$1.81$22
QueenslandEnergex27.97c$2.04$25
Victoriaaverage of five networks28.2c$2.06$25
Northern TerritoryJacana Energy31.68c$2.31$28
New South WalesAusgrid33.14c$2.42$29
Western AustraliaSynergy33.26c$2.43$29
Australian Capital TerritoryEvoenergy network36.95c$2.70$32
South AustraliaSA Power Networks41.91c$3.06$37
Flat regulated usage rate for each state's main network in 2026-27, including GST. Victoria uses the average of its five networks.

Routers, NBN boxes and mesh systems

Running costs by type, 24 hours a day, every day
TypePowerCost an hourA year
Modem router10 W0.3c$29
Modem router plus NBN box18 W0.6c$52
Mesh system, three units25 W0.8c$73
Priced at the Ausgrid reference rate of 33.14c/kWh. Use the calculator for your own state and hours.

A fibre or fixed wireless NBN connection adds a separate network box with its own power supply. Mesh systems spread wi-fi with two or more units, each drawing power all day.

Should you turn the router off at night?

You can, and a timer plug makes it automatic, but the saving is small: a 10 W router off for eight hours a night saves about $10 a year in NSW. Keep it on if you rely on it for security cameras, smart home devices, medical alarms or overnight software updates.

Bigger standby savings elsewhere

energy.gov.au says standby power can make up to 3% of household energy use and cost up to $100 a year. Our standby power guide shows where the larger standby loads hide.

Questions about router running costs

A 10 W router left on all year uses about 88 kWh, roughly $29 on the Ausgrid reference rate.

Most home modem routers draw somewhere around 6 W to 15 W. NBN boxes and extra mesh units add to that.

It saves only a few dollars a year, about $10 for a 10 W router off eight hours a night. Leave it on if you rely on it for cameras, alarms or smart devices.

Sources

Every rate on this page comes from the regulator or the regulated retailer. Last checked October 2026. Prices include GST unless we say otherwise.