Heated styling tools are at the heart of daily salon operations, playing an essential role in delivering the customers’ expectations. From hairdryers and straighteners to curling wands and hot brushes, professional styling equipment is often running throughout the day, particularly during peak appointment periods.
But for many salon owners, the hidden cost behind some of their most requested looks is often energy consumption.
The latest report from the National Hair & Beauty Federation (NHBF) found that one in five hair and beauty businesses are currently operating at a loss, with rising energy bills continuing to place significant pressure on the industry. Of those surveyed, nearly three quarters expect operating costs to increase further over the next three months, forcing many businesses to delay recruitment, expansion plans and staff promotions.
New research from Valda Energy suggests that some of the biggest energy pinch points could be coming directly from the salon chair itself.
Through its new EnergyCutIndex, Valda Energy analyzed 20 popular hairstyles based on the typical heat styling tools, application time and energy required to create each look. The findings highlight a clear variation in energy usage between styles depending on complexity, finish and time spent under heat.
According to Daljeet Kaur, Chief Operating Officer at Valda Energy, the aim is to bring greater visibility to an area of operational cost that is often difficult to quantify in day-to-day practice.
“At a time of rising operating costs, understanding these variations can help businesses take a more informed approach to operational planning, whether that’s around scheduling, service delivery or day-to-day efficiency. More importantly, it’s about making energy data more accessible for salon owners, so they can identify usage patterns and manage costs more effectively, without compromising client experience or service quality,” she said.
Energy Cut Index: Top 20 hairstyles by energy use (kWh)
- Traditional Bridal Blow-Dry — 0.384 | 100 | Ultra High
- The Rachel — 0.343 | 89 | Ultra High
- Blowout Waves — 0.306 | 80 | Ultra High
- Long Layers — 0.303 | 79 | Ultra High
- Butterfly Blowout (inspired by Sabrina Carpenter) — 0.288 | 75 | High
- The Pixie — 0.284 | 74 | High
- Modern Shag — 0.240 | 62 | High
- Farrah Fawcett Feather Cut — 0.216 | 56 | High
- Beatles Bowl Style — 0.146 | 38 | Medium
- Beach Waves — 0.139 | 36 | Medium
- Bouncy Blowout (inspired by Kylie Jenner) — 0.048 | 13 | Low
- 90s Bouncy Ponytail (inspired by Euphoria) — 0.016 | 4 | Low
- Half-up Half-down with Soft Waves — 0.012 | 3 | Low
- Bixie Curls (inspired by Zendaya) — 0.010 | 3 | Low
- Marilyn Monroe Classic — 0.006 | 2 | Low
- Glass Hair — 0.006 | 2 | Low
- Pin Curls — 0.005 | 1 | Low
- Textured Low Bun — 0.004 | 1 | Low
- Hollywood Waves — 0.001 | 0 | Low
- Boho Braided Up-do — 0.001 | 0 | Low
Among everyday salon looks, Valda’s research showed that “Traditional Bridal Blow Dry” ranks as the most energy-intensive style overall, using approximately 0.384 kWh per session, placing it in the ultra-high energy band.
“The Rachel” topped the list at 0.34 kWh, with “Blowout Waves” (0.306 kWh) and “Long Layers” (0.303 kWh) also ranking highly. These results reinforce how volume-led styles typically require longer styling time and sustained use of heated tools.
At the other end of the scale, “Pin Curls” were found to use just 0.005 kWh per session, making them one of the lowest-energy styles in the index.
The analysis shows the popular bridal hairstyles also vary heavily in their energy consumption. While the “Traditional Bridal Blow Dry” ranks on top, styles that lean on texture, braids and natural finish use a fraction of the electricity.
“Hair and beauty businesses operate in an environment where energy-intensive tools are essential to service delivery and often in near-constant use throughout the working day. From a salon perspective, this is rarely something that is actively measured during day-to-day operations. What the Energy Cut Index makes clear is how much variation there can be between different styles, even ones that might look quite similar from a client perspective,” said hairstylist Milli Brown, who runs her own business Milli Brown Hair.
“From a business point of view, having that visibility is useful. It helps you better understand your own patterns and think more clearly about how you’re managing time, equipment and costs across the working day,” she said.
Valda Energy says the intention is not to influence creative decisions, but to support better operational awareness in a challenging cost environment.
“This isn’t about changing what salons offer their clients. It’s about giving smaller businesses like salons clearer insight into where energy demand sits within their day-to-day operations, so they can plan more effectively,” added Daljeet.