How much power does Starlink use? (2026)

Starlink publishes two sets of power figures: averages in its help article How much power does my Starlink need?, and an average on each kit's specification sheet. Starlink says the help centre figures include the dish, the Wi-Fi router, the power supply and the cables, are AC input averages (what the kit draws from your mains socket), and vary with temperature, location and use.

Source: Starlink help centre and specification sheets, checked 24 October 2026. A watt (W) measures how fast something uses electricity at a given moment; a kilowatt-hour (kWh), the unit on your bill, is 1,000 watts used for one hour.

Three things to know about these numbers:

• They're averages, not maximums. The specification sheets for the Standard 4 X, Standard 4, Mini and Performance kits give average consumption only. None we checked gives a peak wattage for the dish, so leave headroom when choosing backup power.
• The Mini has two published figures. Its specification sheet says 25-40W average; the help centre says 20-40W. The top of the range is the same, and that's the figure to plan around.
• Newer kits may not be listed. Starlink's comparison of its V4 and V5 dishes gives the V5 an average of 35-50W, against 75-100W for the V4, and says the V5 is "currently available in select areas". It doesn't say whether the V5 figure includes a router. The kits on Starlink's UK specifications page are V4 kits (checked October 2026). Starlink's Mini X Kit pairs the Mini with a Router Mini, which Starlink describes as low power without giving a figure; Starlink says the Mini X is currently available in Argentina and Germany.
• Idle isn't off. Idle means the kit is powered and connected but not doing much. Starlink doesn't publish a figure for its sleep mode, covered below.

The sum is the same for any device: watts x hours ÷ 1,000 = kWh. These are examples worked from Starlink's own published averages, not measurements of any particular home, and assume the kit is on 24 hours a day.

Treat these as a guide, not a ceiling. Starlink publishes averages and no maximum, says use varies with temperature, location and how you use it, and says Snow Melt's Pre-heat setting may increase power consumption, so a cold, snowy week can come out higher. The Starlink app won't tell you either: Starlink's help article on the app's Statistics page lists speed, uptime, latency, outages and alerts, not power use. For your own figure, put a plug-in energy monitor between the wall socket and the Starlink power supply and leave it for a few days.

Snow Melt. Starlink says its dish uses the power it draws to gently heat itself and melt snow. In the Starlink app, under Settings, then Starlink, then Snow Melt, you can choose:

• Off: Snow Melt is disabled and uses no extra power.
• Automatic (Starlink's recommended setting): heats only when it detects snowy conditions.
• Pre-heat: keeps the dish warm to resist snow building up, which Starlink says may increase power consumption.

Neither of Starlink's snow-melt help articles gives a separate wattage for heating. Starlink's specification sheets say the Standard dish can melt up to 40mm of snow an hour and the Mini up to 25mm. For most UK homes, Automatic is the sensible middle ground. If you switch Snow Melt off to save battery, remember Starlink warns that heavy snow covering the dish can cause intermittent or lost service.

Sleep Schedule. Starlink says Sleep Schedule (Settings, then Starlink, then Sleep Schedule in the app) can be used to conserve power when Starlink isn't being used. While asleep, the kit gives no internet, doesn't melt snow and can't be managed remotely. Two catches: the schedule clock runs in UTC, not UK local time, and Starlink says accumulated snow can take several hours to melt after the kit wakes, and you may need to clear it off by hand. It's most useful in a holiday home or on a battery, less so where anyone needs the connection overnight.

Switching off at the wall. Starlink doesn't say whether unplugging every night is better or worse than Sleep Schedule, or how much either saves. Its own advice to unplug is for lightning storms and when the kit will be left unused for long periods. Either way the dish can't melt snow while it has no power, since Snow Melt heats the dish with the power the kit draws.

Weather and temperature. Starlink says power use varies with temperature, and that in extreme heat or cold the kit may have slightly reduced performance. It strongly advises against extra protective covers on the dish, which it says degrade performance, including snow melting.

Your own power supply. Starlink's UK Specifications document lists the reliability of power from the grid, or problems with your electrical power, among the things that can affect performance. When you do unplug for a lightning storm, Starlink says to disconnect the Starlink cable as well, which may prevent damage from lightning and power surges.

Starlink's home kits plug into the mains, so when the power goes, so does your connection. GOV.UK makes the same point about digital phone lines in general: routers must be powered from your home supply and won't work in a power cut without a backup such as a battery or generator. Starlink's own emergency-preparedness advice is to use a Starlink Mini or Standard kit with portable power, such as solar or battery packs, to keep service running during outages.

Two things to be clear on before you plan:

• Starlink is internet only. Its UK terms describe the service as two-way satellite-based internet service with a kit of dish, Wi-Fi router and mount; they don't describe a phone service. If you add an internet phone service, the phone base or adapter needs backup power too. See our guide to keeping a home phone when you switch to Starlink.
• Don't rely on it for emergencies. Starlink's UK terms say its services are not suited or intended as a mission-critical or safety-of-life service. Keep a charged mobile for 999 calls. Our guide to digital landlines in a power cut explains providers' duties, battery back-up units and calling 999 when the power is off.

For a short cut, the usual answer is an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), a battery back-up unit of the kind our power-cut guide describes, with the Starlink power supply plugged into it. A portable power station (a large rechargeable battery with mains sockets) can cover longer cuts. What's specific to Starlink is the load: because each kit runs from one socket, one backup outlet covers the dish and the Starlink router, and you size it from Starlink's averages, as below.

Our guide to internet in a caravan, motorhome or boat covers the basics of running a Mini on a leisure battery: its 12-48V DC input and the 100W USB-C option. Starlink's help centre adds the details that catch people out (checked October 2026):

• Use the supplied kit: Starlink only guarantees the Mini's performance with the power supply and cable that come with it.
• USB-C: a USB Power Delivery (USB PD) source must give at least 100W (20V/5A), and Starlink says the Mini will not work on USB PD sources of 65W or lower, so check the rating of any charger or power bank before you buy. Starlink also says the 5m Mini USB-C cable is for powering the Mini only, not for charging phones.
• Car socket: the Mini Car Adapter works with a standard 12-24V vehicle accessory socket (the "cigarette lighter").
• 12V troubleshooting: if you have problems on a 12V supply or battery, Starlink suggests a shorter cable, a thicker-gauge cable, a higher supply voltage, or switching to the USB-C cable with a 100W supply or the Car Adapter.

If your battery is rated in amp-hours (Ah), convert your watt-hours: watt-hours ÷ volts = amp-hours. As an example only, a Mini at 40W for a 4-hour evening uses 160Wh, which on a 12V battery is about 13Ah, before any conversion losses and before allowing for how far your battery type can safely be run down.

The Standard 4 and Standard 4 X can also run from DC. Starlink sells a Standard DC-DC Power Supply (only in select markets, so check whether the UK shop lists it). Its specification sheet gives an input rating of 12-48V DC, 30A, and Starlink says it uses XT60 connectors and 12AWG wire. Starlink says DC options like this avoid needing a pure sine-wave inverter as long as your source stays within the supply's voltage and power limits. Its Advanced Power Supply, which comes with the Performance kit and also works with the Standard 4 and 4 X, takes 100-240V AC or 12-56V DC, and Starlink says it supports DC input with a backup battery for uninterrupted operation. With a Standard 4 X, the Router 3 then needs a separate Starlink cable for power.

Using Starlink while driving is a plan question as much as a power one: Starlink doesn't permit in-motion use on any Residential plan, supports it on Roam at up to 100mph in authorised locations on the Standard 4, Standard 4 X, Mini and Performance (Gen 2 and Gen 3) kits, and doesn't recommend actuated kits such as the Standard Actuated and Performance (Gen 1) on the move. The caravan guide covers Roam in full.

• Which kit? At home, plan around 75-100W for a Standard kit. For travel or battery use, the Mini's 20-40W average and 12-48V DC input make it the easier fit.
• Where's the socket? Starlink's set-up guides have one mains socket powering the kit indoors. Mounting the dish and routing the cable are covered in our guide to setting up Starlink at home.
• What happens in a power cut? Decide whether you need a UPS or battery, how many hours it should cover, and what else must stay on with it.
• Who relies on the phone? If anyone in your home depends on a landline or a telecare alarm, sort out the phone and 999 plan first.
• Snow and sleep settings. Leave Snow Melt on Automatic unless you have a reason not to, and only use Sleep Schedule when nobody needs the connection.
• Running cost. Use the kWh sums above with the unit rate on your own bill.

Satellite isn't the only option for a rural home. Our guide to satellite broadband in the UK explains how Starlink compares, and you can check what else reaches you on our broadband deals by area pages or in our directory of UK broadband providers.