New research has exposed exactly how much leaving your router on 365 days per year actually costs - but switching things off is a terrible idea (more on that in a minute) . The team ISPreview crunched the numbers and discovered that some devices will chew through over £55 per year when being pummelled by downloads, streaming video and working from home. Prices varied depending on the equipment supplier by different providers with TalkTalk's standard Hub 1 costing £26.93 per year when actively running and BT's Smart Hub Plus costing £58.43 when being pushed to the limit. It's a small price to pay to have the web beamed around your rooms but if that cost has got you thinking about switching things off to save some cash, don't! Almost all ISPs - including BT and Sky - recommend leaving their equipment on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and for very good reason. Forget TV - Sky releases rare MacBook Air deal that's surprisingly affordable Making the mistake and hitting the power button on the rear of the router can do way more harm than good and it could actually make your speeds slower and your devices less secure. It might seem like a sensible idea to turn the router off when you head to bed as nobody will want internet access during the night and it will reduce energy consumption. However, it's during the early hours that Internet Service Providers usually push out vital updates and security patches - if your router is off, this won't happen. Another problem that can occur when hitting that power button on a regular basis is that it can send signals to your ISP that there's a fault on the line. If your provider thinks your connection is suffering from problems it will try to keep you online by reducing the speeds and placing your home on emergency restrictions "Constantly switching off the hub makes the line look unstable, meaning that your speed may be automatically reduced to improve the reliability of your broadband connection," BT explained. Millions of Windows 10 users face costly decision -
Microsoft confirms new yearly fees Although it might seem like a waste of electricity, it really is best to keep power running through your router at all times. Explaining more about the issues with broadband routers and why it's a good idea to keep them on, Aman Bhatti, Director of Propositions, Sky Broadband told Mirror Online: "We know our routers are put through their paces during the day – whether on video calls, streaming the latest show, or online gaming . That’s why our routers run firmware updates during the night, to avoid any unnecessary disruption during the day. "Switching off your router overnight can affect automatic software updates and optimisations which in turn can impact the overall performance, speed and stability of your Broadband. Other connected devices in the home that are connected to your router will also be disrupted by the delayed updates. All our current hubs are EU Eco Design Regulation approved, meaning no excessive energy consumption is being used."