How Much Energy Does GHD Hair Straighteners Use?

Its been a while since we added products to our how much energy does section, and the first product of 2009 is for the fashionista's out there. GHD hair straighteners, are an item many can not live without, where ever they are in the world. Not only are they an essential, its a serious emergency should your bags get lost. But is this little gadget drawing enough energy to cause climate change?

Well we tested standard GHD straighteners (model ghd3) over a five minutes, the typical hair straightening time frame for medium length hair.

Initially, for the first minute of use from cold, the straighteners reached 300W, then as they warmed to temperature, this reduced to 120W, for the remainder of their use during the trial period they drew between 55W and 106W, with an average of approximately 79W.

Over the five minute period that the straighteners were used, they drew an average of 123W. This would equate to 1.6p an hour, or 0.13p per use. This equates to 56.7g of CO2 per hour use and 4.72g of CO2 per use (of five minutes).

But don't forget to switch them off or not only will they burn a hole in your work surface, maybe your pocket and the environment too.

For information on the electricity consumption of other products check out "How Much Electricity Does a ... Use?"

Please Note the energy use figures are taken from an energy monitor and are not scientifically analysed, therefore the range and margin of error is greater. If you would like a specific product tested let us know and we will endeavour to check it out.

Car Sharing Saves Cash

Sharing a car with another motorist could save the average commuter £1,500 a year, Travelwise NI has claimed.

The government body, which encourages alternative forms of transport, said more drivers should consider using one of the 21 park-and-ride scheme across the province which are operated by Translink. This option again offers potential savings of £1,609 a year or more in some cases. Translink currently provide 2,000 free parking spaces, with a further 2,000 planned and in development.

"The car-sharers that we have would say they have somebody to talk to on their way to work, socialising. Or they can sleep on the way to work and let somebody else do the driving every other day or every other week."
Michael Lindsay, Car Share Co-ordinator, Travelwise NI

Calculate just how much you could save using the cost calculator on the LiftShare website.

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Support Comic Relief with 100% Organic Fairtrade Tees

Stella McCartney has created the most fashionable charity t-shirt around for Red Nose Day 2009. Exclusively available from TK Maxx, the limited edition t-shirts feature iconic images of The Beatles and Morecambe & Wise.

Stella McCartney has come a long way since the launch of her very own label in 2001 with Gucci Group.

Today her name is on everything from luxury women's wear to organic skincare to the performance range she creates for Adidas and her flagship stores are a highlight of high streets around the world. As an ardent vegetarian, she's just as well known for not using leather or fur in any of her collections.

Stella's latest fashion feat is creating the first ever designer Red Nose Day t-shirt for this year's Comic Relief campaign.

The T-shirts have been wholly manufactured in Africa, and for the first time 100% of the cotton has been sourced from organic Fairtrade certified cotton co-operatives in Senegal. Which ensures gorgeous, pesticide and GM free cotton and a fair price for farmers in developing countries.

"It's a real honour to be involved in such a tremendous cause and be a part of the Red Nose Day campaign 2009. The designs of the t-shirts were inspired by iconic images of iconic people by iconic photographers and adding an element of humour to them. I wanted to focus on photographs where people are happy and create a charity t-shirt that would become a staple of a person's wardrobe."
Stella McCartney

Tees are available to buy online, with approximately £5 to £8 going to charity per adult tee.


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Severe snow storms, the worst for 18 years, across the UK this week have caused travel chaos.