Electronics & Office · Northeast
Cost to run a wifi router in Rhode Island
At Rhode Island’s average residential rate of 29.46¢ per kWh, a wifi router drawing 10W for 24 hours a day costs about $2.15 a month. Change the numbers below to match how you actually use yours.
Quick answer
Based on 10W and 29.46¢/kWh, the Rhode Island average for May 2026.
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— per year
Why the cost differs in Rhode Island
Rhode Island has the 48th cheapest residential electricity of the 51 US states and territories we track, at 29.46¢ per kWh against a national average of 18.44¢. That is +59.8% compared with the national figure. Rhode Island is a small market carrying New England's high winter natural gas costs across a limited customer base, which spreads fixed infrastructure expense thinly. Retail supplier choice is available. Winter heating dominates annual consumption, and the compact service territory means distribution costs are lower per customer than the region's generation costs would suggest.
For this appliance specifically, the difference works out to an extra $9.65 a year over what the same wifi router would cost at the national average rate. Run the identical appliance in Hawaii and it would cost $45.55 a year; in Idaho it would cost $10.82. That spread of $34.73 is entirely down to location.
That works out to roughly 0.8% of a typical Rhode Island household's annual electricity bill - modest individually, though appliances in this range add up.
Because Rhode Island is among the most expensive states for electricity, efficiency upgrades pay back faster here than almost anywhere. A more efficient wifi router that saves a given number of kilowatt-hours saves noticeably more money in Rhode Island than the same upgrade would in a cheap-power state.
Because Rhode Island has retail supplier choice, the state average blends many different contracted rates. If you have shopped for a plan, your own price per kWh is the number to put in the calculator.
| Location | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island this page | 29.46¢ | $2.15 | $25.81 |
| US average | 18.44¢ | $1.35 | $16.15 |
| Idaho cheapest state | 12.35¢ | $0.90 | $10.82 |
| Hawaii most expensive | 52.00¢ | $3.80 | $45.55 |
Rhode Island electricity rate trend
Rates in Rhode Island have moved from 26.84¢ to 29.46¢ per kWh over the last twelve months of published data. Nationally, residential rates rose about 6.2% year over year.
2025-06 to 2026-05 · 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.
What actually changes the cost
- Models vary widely, from about 6W to 20W. Check the nameplate on your own unit rather than assuming an average, because the spread is more than 2x.
- Because this runs continuously, small wattage differences between models compound into large annual differences.
- If your utility offers time-of-use pricing, shifting this load off-peak can cut its cost substantially without using any less energy.
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 × 29.46¢ = $0.071 per day
One honest caveat: Rhode Island’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.
Questions about wifi router running costs
How many watts does a wifi router use?
A typical wifi router draws about 10 watts while running, with most models falling between 6W and 20W. Check the nameplate label or manual for your specific unit - the range is wide enough that averages can mislead.
How much electricity does a wifi router use per day?
At around 24 hours of use a day and a 100% duty cycle, that works out to roughly 0.24 kWh per day, or about 7 kWh a month. Your actual figure depends on your usage and model.
Why does the cost differ so much between states?
Residential electricity rates across the US range from about 12.35 cents per kWh in North Dakota to 46.62 cents in Hawaii - nearly a fourfold difference. The same wifi router, used identically, therefore costs almost four times as much to run in the most expensive state as in the cheapest.
Is it cheaper to run a wifi router at night?
Only if you are on a time-of-use or variable tariff. On a flat rate, the time of day makes no difference to cost. If you are on time-of-use pricing, off-peak hours are typically materially cheaper, and shifting this load can reduce its cost without reducing usage.