Cable routers often use slightly more power than DSL or fiber routers. For a long time I wasn’t even aware that my Vodafone station with 25-30 watts of power is one of the three biggest power guzzlers in my household and generates more than 5 euros per month in electricity costs. Some current routers on the market draw up to 60 watts of power. And even with significantly less, you can still save a lot of money. Do the math yourself with our two router electricity cost calculators:

How much power does a router consume?
How much power your router uses depends on how old the device is, whether it has a power-saving mode, how powerful it is, and what transmission technology it's used for.  On average, you can assume the following estimated performance data:

DSL router: 5-20 watts
Gaming routers: 15-70 watts
Wired router: 15-45 watts
Fiber optic router: 5-20 watts
5G/LTE/mobile router: up to 20 watts

In it are the consumption values ​​of a modems not even included.  Some providers install a modem permanently in your wall, such as a fiber optic modem.  You therefore need a router so that you have two devices continuously on.  So it's better if you have the option of using only one device that combines a router and modem.

How do I determine the performance of my router?
The information about how much power your router uses is often found in the manufacturer's data sheet.  You can find this on the product website, sometimes also the store website or in the technical data of the user manual.  If the manufacturer has not stated the power in watts, but in volts and amperes, you can easily calculate this, for example:
10 volts x 2.5 amps = 25 watts
The manufacturer itself must also place an energy label on your router.  You will also find the information in watts or volts and amperes there or on the charging plug that supplies your router with power.  The statement should look something like this:

That's what your router can pull at maximum power.  It doesn't mean he's really constantly calling this show.  You can check this more accurately with a power meter in the form of a smart socket, such as the AVM Fritz Dec 210 or the Homematic IP switch and meter connection.
In my case I determined similar values ​​as stated on my router.  The power pack can deliver up to 30 watts;  on average I measure about 25 watts.

Once you've determined your router's performance, you can enter the values ​​above into our calculator.  It then helps you calculate your electricity costs for the router based on the price you pay for a kilowatt hour (kWh).  This is the consumption or energy price that you have agreed with your electricity supplier.  The value of this can be found on your monthly electricity bill or in the order confirmation that your provider sent you when the contract was signed.

For example, you pay 40 cents per kWh.  If your router draws 42 watts and runs 24 hours a day, it will have consumed (42 x 24 =) 1,008 Wh, so slightly more than 1 kWh.  So for the use of this router you pay 40 cents per day – or 12 euros per month.  Pretty much, isn't it?
How do I save power with a router?
You can also use our electricity cost calculator above to compare how much less you would pay if you turned your router off for a few hours a day.  That is in any case the best energy-saving tip we can give you: switch off the router and ideally unplug it completely - for example with a switchable power strip;  so that it no longer consumes any power, even in standby.

Not surprisingly, the ideal times to turn off your router are when no one in your household needs the router.  For example, because everyone is sleeping (that is, at night), because they are not at home because of work or school, or because they have flown out for a weekend or holiday.  If you turn off the router here, you save the most power and money.
Some routers offer a power saving option in the settings.  However, check the technical data in the manual to see exactly how little power the router uses, whether it actually puts itself into sleep mode or just disconnects the Wi-Fi connection.  Negative example: My old router used 20 watts even in power-saving mode.

Router: save energy using the settings
If you have the option in your router settings, you can disable individual features to save more power:

Disable the LAN ports if you're only using Wi-Fi (and vice versa)
Turn off the media server/NAS function when not in use
Unplug USB sticks or mounted mobile hard drives if you won't be using them on your router's NAS for a long time.
Turn off the Dect function for cordless phones if you are not using one
Your router may only send on one network.  Many broadcast on the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz network by default.  If you don't have that many devices up and running, it may be worth disabling one of the two transmission routes.

Experts also advise against the possibility of reducing the transmission power of a router to save energy.  This will only result in poorer reception in your home.  It is then better to temporarily disconnect individual WLAN-compatible devices from the mains if you do not need them for a long time.  For example, a voice assistant or a WiFi speaker.

Conclusion
Routers are secret power guzzlers.  Especially with rising electricity costs, you can save a few euros per month with a more economical appliance or optimized settings.  The best tip, however, remains: it is best to turn off the router if you do not need it for a long time.  At night when you sleep, during the day when you drive to the office or when you go away for a weekend.