Every salon owner knows how long a service takes and which products it requires. However, how much energy goes into delivering it is something that not everyone will know. That’s a gap worth closing.
One in five hair and beauty businesses are operating at a loss, according to latest research from the NHBF. Nearly three quarters expect costs to rise further this year. When margins are already under pressure, energy can’t remain the line item that only gets attention when the bill arrives.
But understanding energy costs doesn’t have to mean changing the way salons work. It starts with recognising where energy is being used and what that means for the true cost of delivering each service.
We analysed 20 popular hairstyles through Valda’s Energy Cut Index, looking at active heated-tool use and mapping each style to the tools involved and their wattage, based on professional UK brands. The results reveal just how much variation can sit behind services that may appear similar on a salon board.
A Traditional Bridal Blow-Dry tops the list at roughly 0.384 kWh per session, making it the most energy-intensive style we measured. The Rachel follows at 0.343 kWh, with Blowout Waves and Long Layers close behind.
At the other end of the scale, Pin Curls, Textured Low Buns and Boho Braided Up-dos rely more on setting, texture and hand-finishing than sustained heat, using a fraction of the energy. Across the full ranking, we found a 384-fold difference between the highest and lowest energy styles.
The pattern is clear. For salon teams, the value of the data lies less in naming a single ‘expensive’ style and more in identifying a pattern. Volume finishes – particularly those requiring prolonged blow-drying, section-by-section shaping, curling or smoothing – place the greatest demand on heated tools.
That matters when the same finish is repeated throughout a full column, across a bridal party, or during a busy Saturday. Small differences in energy use can add up quickly when multiplied across hundreds of appointments.
None of this means lower-energy styles are more valuable than high-heat services. It means energy should have a place in the conversation alongside time, skill and product when salons calculate what a service actually costs to deliver.
What it costs over time
Looking at energy use over a longer period shows how those differences can build:
| Scenario | 1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | 20 Years |
| High heat hairstyles | £946 | £4,731 | £9,463 | £18,925 |
| Average mix of hairstyles | £340 | £1,699 | £3,397 | £6,794 |
| Low heat hairstyles | £3 | £15 | £30 | £59 |
A salon that relies heavily on high-heat services could be looking at close to £19,000 in energy costs over 20 years, compared with under £60 for one built around low-heat styles. Most salons will sit somewhere between these two examples. The important thing is understanding where your business sits and what that means for your costs.
Why this matters for margins, not just bills
Independent stylist Milli Brown, who worked with us on the index, highlighted the challenge:
“Hair and beauty businesses operate in an environment where heated tools are essential and often in near-constant use. But this is rarely something that gets actively measured. 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.”
That variation has practical consequences. It affects how long a service should realistically be booked for. It affects whether high-heat work is clustered through the day or spread out, and when equipment needs to be running. It also raises a fair question: should some finishes be costed differently from others?
This isn’t an argument against high-demand styles. The Rachel and the Butterfly Blowout remain popular for good reason: they deliver the movement and shape clients want.
But these styles also require careful sectioning, controlled airflow and repeated heat application — and that comes with a cost. A high-energy blow-dry can still be highly profitable if that cost is reflected in pricing, booking times and service planning.
The risk comes when a service is treated as a standard finish while quietly using more time, heat and resources than the price accounts for.
This is about giving smaller salons clearer insight into where energy demand sits within their day-to-day operations, so they can make more informed decisions around scheduling, service delivery and efficiency — without compromising client experience or service quality.
For salon owners, the takeaway is not that trend-led finishes should be avoided. It is that energy belongs in the same conversation as appointment length, product usage, staffing levels and service pricing. As costs continue to rise, the salons that understand what each service really takes to deliver will be best placed to protect their margins while continuing to deliver the experiences their clients value.
