Air conditioning cost: Best value brands and how much to run them

Air conditioning used to be rare in British homes, but demand is rising fast as summers heat up. The Met Office’s latest State of the UK Climate 2024 report shows the country has been warming at roughly 0.25°C per decade, with the most recent years among the warmest on record.

And while 2022 marked the UK’s first 40.3°C day, summer 2025 also brought a notable heatwave, with several locations recording three to four consecutive days above regional thresholds and a high of 35.8°C in Faversham on July 1. And the Met Office predicts that 2026 is likely to be one of the four warmest years for global average temperature.

And UK homes are struggling to cope, with 80% of households reporting suffering from overheating during the summer months, according to a study by the University of East London (UEL).

That's a staggering rise from just 18% in 2011.

The study, published in the journal Energy Research & Social Science, asked almost 1,600 households whether they had experienced uncomfortable warmth in one or more rooms during the summer of 2022.

The stifling temperatures indoors had caused poor sleep, frequent headaches, and fatigue for half the respondents. Some people even had to work less.

With more people considering air conditioning for their homes, we're breaking down the cost, from installation and servicing, to how much it costs to run, plus look at some popular models to help you spot the best value units.

Air conditioning installation cost

For a wall-mounted split system (the more common aircon for homes), typical supply-and-fit prices in the UK run between £1,750 and £3,000 per room, depending on brand, pipe runs and complexity.

Single-room quotes from established installers often sit around £2,000–£2,500 for a 2.5 kW unit, while multi-split or ducted systems rise to £4,500–£10,000+ across multiple rooms.

Portable units don’t need professional installation.

If you're wondering what a split system or a ducted air conditioner is, here is a brief overview.

Wall mounted air conditioners (split-system air conditioner): A split system air conditioner is commonly known as a wall-mounted air conditioning unit. There are two parts: a quiet indoor unit on the wall and an outdoor condenser, connected by refrigerant pipes (F-Gas certified engineer is required for the fitting to be legal). These are quieter and more efficient than portables, but more expensive.

Multi-split air conditioner: There is one outdoor unit serving two to five (sometimes more) indoor units in different rooms. This is good for whole-home coverage without needing multiple outdoor boxes.

Ducted split: This is the more expensive type of air conditioner but it could be more cost-effective if you wish to ventilate every room in the house. The indoor unit is hidden in a loft/cupboard and blows conditioned air through ceiling or wall ducts to multiple rooms.

Portable air conditioner: A single box on wheels that vents hot air out of a window via a hose. This is the easiest and cheapest to set up, but noisier and less efficient than splits.

How much does an aircon cost?

For just the unit and installation, the costs, according to Checkatrade are: Portable units (no install): £350-£650.

Single-room split/wall mounted: £759-£1,090 per unit, plus £1,150 to install (£1,900-£2,240 per unit total).

Ducted: £990-£1,450 per unit, plus £1,750 to install (£2,740-£3,200 per unit total) Ducted systems are usually installed for those who want aircon in multiple rooms, so expect the total cost to be much more than that per unit).

Other costs need to be factored into the work as well, depending on the type of unit you want installed, such as ductwork, fittings, and additional electrical costs.

Labour costs, Checkatrade says, are on average £600 a day. It will take roughly one day to install a single air con unit and a week for multi-room, complex systems.

Factors that affect aircon cost:

Air conditioner service cost

We looked at a number of air conditioning service providers and typically the cost of a home air conditioner service is between £70 and £120 per unit.

Prices can fluctuate depending on location and how easy it is for the engineer to reach the unit (if access equipment is required, you'll probably need to pay more). You may also have to pay more depending on replacement parts or refrigerant costs for regassing.

For those with more than one unit at home, you'll usually pay less per unit if they're being serviced at the same time.

Home air conditioners should be serviced at least once a year, experts say, to ensure it's as energy efficient as possible.

Some providers offer monthly services for a subscription fee, such as TK Refrigeration in Gloucestershire which charges £7.99 a month.

How much does air conditioning cost to run?

NimbleFins research into how much appliances cost to run found typical air conditioning units cost between 18p and £1.03 for an hour (comparing the low and high energy use units).

Compare this to a tumble dryer cycle which costs 33p-59p per use and it seems quite good value.

Our research looked at the cost of using appliances from slow cookers to washing machines, depending on the estimated time a household would use each item. This gives a more realistic cost for daily use.

If a household used the aircon for five hours a day, it would cost between 80p and £5.15 per use a day.

But it's likely families will only use the aircon during the UK's hottest days. Say, for example, you only turned the air conditioner on 20 days of the year, that's between £18-£103 a year, compared to a daily tumble dryer cycle costing £122-£216 for the year.

Read more: How Much Electricity Does My Appliance Use? From Fans to Slow Cookers

Using the average cost of electricity per kWh in the UK for the January - March 2026 Energy Price Cap, we have calculated the running costs for some typical air conditioner units:

Do aircon units use a lot of electricity?

Not necessarily.

A modern wall-mounted unit can use between 0.5-0.8 kW per hour to cool a small room.

Portable units usually draw 0.8-1.5 kWh, so they cost more per hour than an efficient wall-split but are cheaper upfront.

NimbleFins research into how much energy appliances use found typical air conditioning units use between 0.7 kW and 4 kW per hour.

Looking at the lower end of that scale, which is more similar to the popular wall-mounted and portable units we looked at, a user would be looking at around 14p-34p per hour of use.

A tower fan uses 8p-21p an hour according to our research on typical household appliance costs Read more: How Much Electricity Does My Appliance Use? From Fans to Slow Cookers

Dyson air conditioner

Dyson doesn’t make refrigerant air conditioners. Its fans/purifiers move air and can make you feel cooler, but they do not lower room temperature.

Instead Dyson claims to "cool you by supporting the body’s natural cooling mechanism - by helping moisture evaporate from skin, which transfers heat from your body making you feel cooler".

Dyson products are useful as premium fans/purifiers, but are not substitutes for air conditioning.

Mitsubishi air conditioning

Mitsubishi Electric's M Series covers wall-mounted and floor consoles, and you can scale up to multi-split and ducted options for whole-home cooling/heating. Mitsubishi’s range is focused on fixed systems installed by F-Gas engineers - it doesn’t market consumer portable units in the UK.

Pros: High efficiency and low noise, broad UK installer network, lots of indoor unit styles.

Cons: Higher upfront costs than budget brands, with the units alone costing around £1,000. Requires professional (F-Gas) installation.

Electriq air conditioner

ElectriQ (Appliances Direct’s in-house brand) sells value air conditioner units, and has lots of choice, with plenty of portable units and also wall-mounted/split options for fixed installs.

Electriq is widely stocked online in the UK and often promoted on price. Expect functional features and smart control on many models rather than premium finishes.

Pros: Budget-friendly, lots of choice, easy availability.

Cons: Portables are noisier/less efficient than splits.

Meaco air conditioner

Meaco is a UK brand best known for dehumidifiers and air treatment, and its air conditioner offering is portable-only.

If you want a quick, no-install solution, Meaco’s mobiles are a popular mid-range pick from a familiar UK name.

Pros: Well-reviewed portables from a UK specialist, straightforward setup.

Cons: Like all portables, they’re louder and less efficient than wall-mounted splits and need a window vent.

Daikin air conditioning

Daikin sits at the premium end for home air conditioning in the UK, with stylish, quiet fixed systems (wall-mounted, multi-split, ducted/cassette).

Daikin only sells installed solutions, rather than portable options.

Pros: Very efficient and quiet, strong UK network, good app/control ecosystem, stylish design.

Cons: Premium pricing, professional install required.

Delonghi air conditioner

De’Longhi’s UK range of air conditioner units is centred on Pinguino portable air conditioners, so they're handy for renters and quick setups.

It does not offer wall-mounted/ducted split systems.

Pros: Big, trusted brand for portables and widely available. Simple to get going.

Cons: Portables are inherently noisier/less efficient than splits and need a window exhaust. They are also less energy efficient - ie they cost more to run.

Fujitsu air conditioner

Fujitsu General offers a wide lineup of fixed air conditioner units — wall-mounted, multi-split, and ducted/cassette. The brand is a common installer recommendation for balanced performance and value. It doesn’t market portable units in the UK consumer range.

Pros: Efficient, quiet, and generally good value among established Japanese brands. Strong UK distribution.

Cons: Professional installation needed, fewer high-design options than the very top-end lines.

Read more: