How much electricity does a hair dryer use?

How much energy does a hair dryer use? What types of hair dryers work out cheaper to run? Find the answers to your hair dryer questions at Canstar Blue.

Optus apologises, offers customers bonus data after network outage

Optus has issued an apology to customers for Wednesday’s nation-wide network outage, blaming a “cascading failure” for the incident. But frustrated customers aren’t yet entitled to refunds or compensation, despite going without phone or internet service for up to 12 hours. As a thank-you to its customer base, Optus will instead offer bonus data to … Continued

Small telcos report record sales as customers leave Optus

Optus mobile and internet services may be back online, but the fallout from the headline-grabbing outage continues. Ten million Optus customers were left without phone or broadband access for up to 12 hours on Wednesday, and it seems a good number wasted no time in jumping ship to more reliable – and affordable – providers. … Continued

Samsung’s new A05s packs in great value for under $300

The latest release from Samsung’s Galaxy A series is the Galaxy A05s. Offering a quality experience but at the sub-$300 price point, if you’re in the market for a new phone but don’t want to break the bank, the A05s could offer the kind of value for money you’ve been looking for. Want to know … Continued

Nationwide Optus outage leaves millions without internet or phone services

Update 9/11/2023: Optus mobile and internet services have now been restored across the country. Optus advises customers that a modem or device restart may be required to reconnect; if you’re a customer and still experiencing issues, please contact Optus support on 133 937. Optus CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin has said that the telco will not … Continued

5 questions to ask your solar installer

In this Canstar Blue guide, we discuss some of the most important questions to ask your solar installer before purchasing solar panels. Solar panels are a huge financial investment for households and businesses, so you don’t want to be messing around when it comes to picking quality service, products and advice. But how can you … Continued

Tangerine and More now offer eSIM for mobile customers

More and Tangerine are the latest telcos to jump on on the eSIM bandwagon, offering an easier and more sustainable alternative to a traditional SIM card. One of the barriers to signing up to a new phone plan can sometimes be the waiting time — waiting for your new SIM card to arrive so you … Continued

How much does ducted air conditioning cost?

Ducted air conditioning is indisputably the pinnacle of household heating and cooling. Unlike conventional air conditioners which can usually only cool one or two rooms, ducted air con uses vents (or ducts) in the walls and ceiling to distribute conditioned air across your entire home. In addition, most modern ducted air conditioning systems are ‘zoned’, … Continued

How much do evaporative coolers cost to run?

At some point, we’ve all experienced ‘end of summer’ power bill shock, making reaching for the air con remote less and less appealing as the years go by. But when the temperature reaches sweltering and your pedestal fan struggles to do much of anything, you’re left with one less-obvious choice: evaporative cooling. It’s the halfway … Continued

How to wash white clothes & keep them white

Whether you like to dress up or down, white clothes are a wardrobe staple and a timeless choice that affords endless outfit opportunities. On the flip side, washing white clothes, and trying to keep them white, can make your head spin! That’s why we’ve put together a list of tips and tricks to help make … Continued