How much does air conditioning in the UK cost?
Air conditioning in your home can be an appealing thought, particularly during summer heatwaves – but how much does it cost to install and run it?
UK summers are getting hotter – 2025 was the warmest and sunniest since Met Office records began, while 2022 and 2023 were the second and third hottest.
And with temperatures set to reach 40 degrees celsius in some parts of England this week, 2026’s summer is set to be one of the hottest yet.
Over 4 million households had some form of air conditioning in 2025, more than double the 2 million that had it in 2022, according to data from Uswitch.
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But with climate change making Britain become an increasingly hot country, more people are looking to install air conditioning (AC).
We look at how much it costs to install air conditioning in your home and if you can get help covering the costs. Here’s everything you need to know.
How much does it cost to install air conditioning in the UK?
The cost of installing air conditioning in your home depends on a number of variables.
Alex Peters, cost guide expert at Checkatrade, says: “Things like access [to the property], the number of units needed, and whether any electrical upgrades are required can all push the price up or down.”
The type of unit you’re having installed will impact costs as well.
According to Checkatrade, the cost of installing a 12,000 BTU (British Thermal Unit) wall-mounted split system is typically between £1,580 and £2,300, based on the customer paying between £620 to £900 for the unit and £960 to £1,400 for labour.
Wall-mounted split systems are the ones you will often see in homes, their advantages being that they’re cheaper to install and run. They’re typically better-suited to cooling smaller houses or single rooms and operated with a remote control.
If you’re having a ducted system unit installed, the overall cost could come to as much as £3,000.
Ducted systems, controlled by a central thermostat, utilise vents in the ceiling to pump out cold air and are generally better for those wanting to cool multiple rooms. They’re also typically quieter than split systems.
How much does it cost to run air conditioning?
To get the basic running costs of an air conditioning unit, multiply its wattage by your energy tariff.
Under the current Ofgem energy price cap (April to June 2026), the unit rate of electricity costs 24.67p per kWh. This figure is the national average and what you are charged varies depending on where you live.
Using the example of a wall-mounted AC unit that has a wattage of 2kW, we can estimate it will cost around 49.34p per hour to run.
Assuming you run it for 9 hours a day, this will cost you around £31 a week.
However, the above example is purely illustrative and your individual circumstance will likely differ.
How much you’ll pay to run an air con unit ultimately depends on a number of factors including the size of your property and rooms inside, as well as where the unit has been installed.
Meanwhile, if energy prices rise – as they are confirmed to do in July – so too will the running costs of your air con unit.
For broader advice on how to cut costs, we look at 14 ways to save on your energy bill in a separate article.
Is a portable air conditioning unit better than a fully installed one?
Fully installed AC systems, such as split and ducted systems, are installed and fitted directly into the home and cannot be easily moved.
The benefit of having a fully installed AC system fitted is that it is cheaper to run in the long term, offers better cooling for larger spaces, and is quieter.
However, fully installed units have higher upfront costs, cannot be moved or replaced easily, and require professional upkeep.
Portable air conditioners are what they say on the tin. They operate in the same way as fully installed units, but can be moved around or stored when they are not needed.
The upsides of having a portable air conditioner is that they are cheap to buy, are not permanently installed in your home and can effectively cool smaller spaces.
The downsides are that they tend to be more expensive to run in the long term, they struggle to serve large spaces, and can be quite loud.
What are alternatives to air conditioning?
An air conditioner can be incredibly useful during a heatwave, but outside of one it might not get much use. That makes justifying the cost of installing a full system more difficult.
While many opt to just use a fan in hot weather and resign themselves to simply enjoying a warm breeze, there are some good alternatives that will actually cool down the air in your home.
One is an air cooler, sometimes called a swamp cooler. These are fans that cool the air first, then blow it towards you – they cost around £100 or so.
They typically have a tray at the bottom where you insert a tub of cold water. When the cold water evaporates, it sucks some of the heat out of the air and lets the fans blow colder air back at you.
Some include an ice tray for even more effective cooling, though if yours does not have a dedicated ice tray, you can try putting ice cubes in the tub of cold water.
And as they cool the air through evaporation of water, they use much less electricity than either a fitted air conditioner or a portable one.
Running one with a wattage of 75 will cost you between £1 and £1.24 a week to use, assuming you run it for 9 hours a day for seven days, according to Uswitch.
That is far less than the £31 you would pay to run an air conditioner for the same amount of time, though remember the actual price you will pay depends on your household’s energy tariff.
The trade-off for being cheaper is that air coolers are not as good at reducing temperatures as fitted or portable air conditioners.
Can you install air conditioning in an old property?
You can install air conditioning in an older property, but there are things to take into consideration, such as the construction, existing electrics, and planning rules.
Peters explains: “The age of the building isn’t usually the issue, it’s more about how the property was constructed, whether it’s listed or in a conservation area, and if the existing electrics can handle the system.
“Older buildings will usually need a more considered approach to ensure the installation doesn’t impact the character of the property and complies with any planning restrictions.”
For example, if you live in a listed building or an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, you may need to apply for planning permission if you want to install an air con unit. You can do this via the Planning Portal website.
Will installing air conditioning increase the value of my home?
Research from estate agents Benham and Reeves suggests adding air conditioning to your home increases its value by 2.5%.
The average house price in the UK was £298,806, according to the latest Halifax property price index.
Air con installed in a property worth this amount could add almost £7,500 to its value.
Help you can get with installation costs
While the government doesn’t offer a grant towards the installation of air conditioning units, you may be able to get help with the costs of an air-to-air heat pump.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) has been expanded to include £2,500 grants for people wanting to install air-to-air heat pumps in their homes. The grants are available to all households in England and Wales from 28 April 2026 and you can apply through the Ofgem website.
Air-to-air heat pumps work like air con units, but can provide both cold air in the summer and hot air in the winter. How much it will cost to get one installed depends on its range.
According to the Energy Saving Trust, a unit which can cool and heat a single room costs around £1,900. For a unit which can cool and heat a three-bedroom semi-detached house, the cost will be more like £3,700.
If you do manage to get a grant from the government, this could mean you could get an air-to-air heat pump for free.
Do note, air-to-air heat pumps don’t usually provide hot water for your taps and showers like more traditional air-to-water heat pumps.
