Starlink's high internet speeds have made it a lure for many, but what effect does it have on your electricity bill? Just how much power does Starlink consume?

Starlink is an internet service that strives to provide high speeds to users in populated and remote areas. The Starlink network consists of thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO). A division of Elon Musk's SpaceX, Starlink's constellation is still being added to, with a confirmed 12,000 satellites set to make up the full network (though talks of further satellite additions have circulated).

At the time of writing, Starlink is available in 54 countries, with over one million customers. It is by no means cheap, with prices sitting at around $110 with a hefty $599 installation fee.

But are you at risk of a pricier energy bill if you sign up for this service?

electric outlet in wall next to wifi icon

Your standard Starlink router (along with the antenna and power cables) uses an average of 50-75W when active (i.e., when connected to LEO satellites) and around 20W when connected to the internet without network activity, as reported by Starlink Hardware.

But things don't stop there. Starlink also lets you choose a Starlink RV setup or a high-performance dish. Let's start with the power consumption of the former.

Starlink RV is available to those who want to use Starlink in cars, boats, planes, and other vehicles or off the grid. Starlink's standard and RV dishes use the same amount of electricity when active and dormant. Your typical Starlink RV dish consumes 1kWh of electricity every day, as found by TOGO RV.

The high-performance Starlink dish uses 110-150W when active, a considerably higher rate than the standard and RV versions.

person holding hundred dollar bills on fire

Compared to typical Wi-Fi routers, Starlink certainly uses a lot of power.

Energy Sage reports that standard Wi-Fi routers use between 5-20W. So, even at their highest consumption rate, ordinary routers are not coming close to the energy usage of an active Starlink router, be it standard, RV, or high-performance.

If you'd like to keep your electricity bills as low as possible, using a Starlink router may not be the best option. But worry not; you can still access high upload and download speeds using regular Wi-Fi routers that consume less electricity.