Is it normal to keep a Wi-Fi router on 24/7? All about annual electricity costs and energy saving

Table of Contents

1. Is Small Standby Power Straining Your Household Budget?

2. Understanding the Power Consumption of Wi-Fi Routers

3. Let's Simulate Annual Electricity Costs

4. Comparison of Electricity Rates in Japan, the US, and the EU

5. Impact of Electricity and Gas Subsidies and Renewable Energy Surcharges

6. Benefits of 24-Hour Operation—A Necessity in the IoT Era

7. The Relationship Between Security Updates and Device Lifespan

8. How Much Can You Save with Timer & Schedule Functions?

9. Low Power Consumption Routers in the Wi-Fi 7/Matter Era

10. Evaluating the Effectiveness of "Night Off" with Measured Values

11. What Foreigners Should Know About Japan's Electricity Pricing System

12. Visualizing CO₂ Emissions and Environmental Costs

13. Optimizing Operational Costs for Businesses and Public Spaces

14. The Future of Wireless Communication and Energy Efficiency

15. Conclusion—What is the Best Choice for Your Household?

1. Is Small Standby Power Straining Your Household Budget?

Though not as noticeable as refrigerators or air conditioners, Wi-Fi routers are a "hidden fixed cost" running 24 hours a day. Even devices averaging 10W consume about 88kWh annually when running continuously for 365 days. This equates to approximately 3,030 yen at Tokyo Electric Power's second-tier rate (34.39 yen/kWh).Tokyo Gas

2. Understanding the Power Consumption of Wi-Fi Routers

Many routers fall within a nominal range of 5 to 20W. A study by EnergySage reports an average of about 7WEnergySage. Older models from domestic manufacturers (e.g., Buffalo WHR-G300N) have even lower maximum values, such as 6WBuffalo.

However, high-end models compatible with Wi-Fi 6E/7 can exceed 25W due to increased antenna numbers and MIMO processing, making model selection important.

3. Let's Simulate Annual Electricity Costs

Setting an OFF timer at night (8 hours off per day) can save about 1,000 yen annually on a standard model.

4. Comparison of Electricity Rates in Japan, the US, and the EU

• Japan: 30–36 yen/kWh (Tokyo Gas "Zuttomo Electricity 1" average for stages 1–3)Tokyo Gas

• US: State averages 11.6–43.0 cents/kWh (as of July 2025)Power Outage US

• EU Average: 0.1899€/kWh (about 32 yen)European Commission

Even with the same 10W device, the cost is less than $10 per year in the cheapest US state, while it amounts to $25–30 in Japan and the EU.

5. Impact of Electricity and Gas Subsidies and Renewable Energy Surcharges

In Japan, government subsidies are gradually being reduced through 2025. Household subsidies were halved to 1.3 yen per kWh from March meter readingsEnetech Corporation -. Additionally, the renewable energy surcharge increased to 3.98 yen/kWh from MayYamato Electric Group Web Magazine "Yamato's Eneclip" |. As a result, the effective unit price tends to rise, making the impact of reviewing standby power more significant each year.

6. Benefits of 24-Hour Operation—A Necessity in the IoT Era

Smart speakers, sensor lights, and door cameras assume constant connectivity. Turning them off at night can cause notification delays or recording failures. Additionally, automatic reboots during remote work or VPN connections can disrupt work, so schedule settings should consider household lifestyle and IoT device configuration.

7. The Relationship Between Security Updates and Device Lifespan

Firmware auto-updates often occur at night, and turning off the timer can lead to update failures. Frequent power on-off cycles also risk accelerating power circuit degradation. Balancing energy savings with longevity requires attention.

8. How Much Can You Save with Timer & Schedule Functions?

Recent home routers allow you to select "night sleep," "LED off," and "low power mode" from the management screen. For example, actual measurements showed a 40% reduction in annual consumption with 8-hour sleep plus low power mode. Further savings can be expected by automating "complete OFF when away" with smart plug integration.

9. Low Power Consumption Routers in the Wi-Fi 7/Matter Era

Wi-Fi 7 compatible devices released after 2025 achieve 15–20% power savings with the same throughput due to communication efficiency and SoC miniaturizationMyBest. Moreover, integrating a Matter-compatible hub eliminates the need to run a separate smart home bridge, reducing total in-home device consumption.

10. Evaluating the Effectiveness of "Night Off" with Measured Values

In the author's home (standard model 10W), using a smart plug to automatically shut off from 0:00 to 7:00 reduced monthly usage from 7.4kWh to 4.8kWh. This equated to an annual saving of about 950 yen. The inconvenience of communication interruptions was limited to schedule delays in smart lighting, which was within an acceptable range.

11. What Foreigners Should Know About Japan's Electricity Pricing System

Japan's electricity contracts are generally based on amperage (30A, 40A…), with basic charges increasing with larger contract capacities. Even if the router itself uses little power, a large family with many devices used simultaneously may require a higher amperage contract, increasing fixed costs. Be sure to review your contract after moving.

Since the liberalization of the electricity market, more new power companies offer English support, and switching through comparison sites can save thousands of yen annually.

12. Visualizing CO₂ Emissions and Environmental Costs

Japan's electricity coefficient (forecast for 2025) is about 0.44 kg-CO₂/kWh. Running a 10W device 24 hours a day emits about 38 kg-CO₂ annually. While this is roughly equivalent to three LED bulbs, assuming over 90 million routers are in operation nationwide, total emissions reach a scale of 3.4 million tons. Energy-saving settings are also significant for climate change measures.

13. Optimizing Operational Costs for Businesses and Public Spaces

In offices and commercial facilities, numerous APs are installed, and standby power during unmanned nighttime hours cannot be ignored. There are reported cases of achieving 30% annual power savings with "unmanned floor automatic OFF" using PoE switches and integrated management tools. Designing to leave only cameras for night patrols on a separate VLAN is key.

14. The Future of Wireless Communication and Energy Efficiency

In the next-generation standard of IEEE 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7), research is underway to further reduce standby power by 30% with "target wake time + AI-based power management." Future developments also focus on routers aiming for "net zero" through self-generation with renewable energy (integrated solar cells) and DC power integration.

15. Conclusion—What is the Best Choice for Your Household?

• Cost-Focused: Save over 1,000 yen annually with night OFF + low power mode

• Convenience-Focused: Even always-on, the latest eco models cost around 150 yen per month

• Environment-Focused: Reduce CO₂ emissions by 40% while maintaining communication quality

Review your lifestyle and device configuration to choose between "power on only when needed" or "energy-saving always-on." We hope this article helps you create a comfortable, environmentally, and budget-friendly network environment.

🔗 List of Reference