Electronics & Office · West
Cost to run a wifi router in Colorado
At Colorado’s average residential rate of 17.17¢ per kWh, a wifi router drawing 10W for 24 hours a day, at a 100% duty cycle, costs about $1.25 per 30.44 use days. Change the numbers below to match how you actually use yours.
WiFi Router electricity cost calculator
Use watts and running time, or enter energy from a label, meter or completed load. Your inputs stay on this device.
Enter a number within each field’s limits to calculate your cost.
Your estimated energy cost
88 kWh across 365 use days per year
Power mode includes your selected duty cycle. The monthly figure assumes 30.44 use days; the annual total uses your selected use days. These are estimates at the entered rate.
Energy charges only. Fixed utility fees, purchase, installation and maintenance are excluded. See the calculation method and sources.
Why the cost differs in Colorado
Colorado has the 30th cheapest residential electricity of the 50 US states and Washington, DC we track, at 17.17¢ per kWh against a national average of 18.16¢. That is -5.5% compared with the national figure. Colorado has built out wind generation rapidly, which has held rates near the national average despite strong population growth and rising delivery investment. The climate produces a genuine dual peak: cold, dry winters drive heating demand, while high altitude and low humidity keep summer cooling needs comparatively modest. Retail service is regulated, with Xcel Energy serving most of the Front Range.
For this appliance specifically, the difference works out to a saving of $0.87 a year against what the same wifi router would cost at the national average rate. Run the identical appliance in Hawaii and it would cost $41.33 a year; in Nevada it would cost $11.14. That spread of $30.19 is entirely down to location.
Reducing use by 100 kWh would save $17.17 in energy charges at Colorado's average rate, compared with $18.16 at the US average. Whether a replacement appliance pays for itself also depends on its purchase price and the energy it actually saves.
Use the energy and delivery price that applies to your own utility plan in Colorado. If your plan has time-of-use prices, calculate each period separately or use a rate weighted by the electricity used in each period. Fixed monthly fees are outside this appliance energy-cost estimate.
| Location | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado this page | 17.17¢ | $1.25 | $15.04 |
| US average | 18.16¢ | $1.33 | $15.91 |
| Nevada cheapest state | 12.72¢ | $0.93 | $11.14 |
| Hawaii most expensive | 47.18¢ | $3.45 | $41.33 |
Colorado electricity rate trend
Rates in Colorado have moved from 16.49¢ to 17.17¢ per kWh between September 2025 and August 2026. The national residential average changed +3.4% from the same month a year earlier.
2025-09 to 2026-08 · cents per kWh
About running a wifi router
Small but constant. A router running continuously all year is a genuine if modest line item, and unlike most loads there is no way to reduce it other than replacing the hardware.
How we worked this out
The arithmetic is simple and we would rather show it than hide it. Divide watts by 1,000 to get kilowatts, multiply by hours of use and by the duty cycle to get kilowatt-hours, then multiply by your rate:
10W ÷ 1000 × 24h = 0.240 kWh/day × 17.17¢ = $0.041 per day
One honest caveat: Colorado’s figure is a state average published by the EIA. Your own utility’s tariff, any time-of-use pricing, fixed monthly service charges and local taxes all shift the real number. Put your actual per-kWh rate into the calculator above for a figure that reflects your bill.
How to estimate your wifi router electricity use
Router cost is usually measured over long operating periods, often all day. Electrical input at the adapter is different from the radio transmit power or wireless speed in the product specification.
Wi-Fi speed in Mbps and radio output in mW do not describe total outlet power. Internet service charges are not part of this electricity estimate.
- Use measured adapter wall input or a suitable model power specification. Adapter output capacity is not necessarily the amount the router draws continuously.
- For an illustrative constant 10W wall draw, 24 hours uses 0.24 kWh and costs $0.048 at $0.20/kWh. Over 365 days that is $17.52 at the same draw and rate.
- Count a separate modem, optical network terminal and each powered mesh node if estimating the whole network. A combined gateway may already perform several of those roles.
- With Power over Ethernet, an upstream supply measurement can include powered access points or other devices. Do not add those downstream loads a second time.
Calculation and data sources
Daily kWh = watts ÷ 1,000 × hours × duty cycle ÷ 100. Multiply kWh by your rate in dollars per kWh to get cost. The wattage, hours and duty cycle above are editable example assumptions, not EIA measurements of this appliance.
The US and state average prices come from the EIA for August 2026. A state average is a starting point; your bill is the better source for your tariff.
Questions about wifi router running costs
How much electricity does a wifi router use?
In this example, 10 watts at a 100% duty cycle uses 0.010 kWh per scheduled hour. At 24.00 hours per day, that is 0.240 kWh per use day. Your model and operating conditions can differ.
How much does it cost to run a wifi router for an hour?
The default example costs $0.002 per scheduled hour at the Colorado average of 17.17¢/kWh for August 2026. This includes the selected duty cycle. Enter your watts, duty cycle and electricity price for your own estimate.
Does the annual cost assume I use it every day?
The reference tables use 365 days at the stated daily hours; monthly figures use 30.44 days. These are comparison scenarios, not forecasts. For a heater used on 90 days, enter 90 use days per year in the calculator.
Why does electricity running cost vary by state?
For August 2026, the EIA state averages range from 12.72¢/kWh in Nevada to 47.18¢/kWh in Hawaii. Equal electricity use costs more at a higher rate. Your utility tariff can differ from the state average.
How do I calculate a router left on all day?
Multiply its average wall watts by 24 and divide by 1000 for daily kWh, then multiply by your rate. Use 100% duty if the watts are already an average.
Does the router estimate include my modem and mesh nodes?
Only if they are included in the measurement or combined device. Calculate separately powered equipment separately when estimating the full home network.
Can I use Wi-Fi transmit power to calculate electricity cost?
No. Radio transmit power is only part of the device operation. Use total electrical input at the outlet for running cost.