Wondering how much air conditioning costs? We explain all

Air conditioning costs may well will be something that is on your mind if, like many others, you are weighing up whether to install it within in your home. While the UK's weather is unreliable, we are more prone to mini heatwaves these days, leaving us all reaching for ways to keep cool.

Cooling is being introduced to mechanical ventilation systems as well as many heat pumps being able to be run in reverse to add cooling to our homes. These systems can add a bit of cooling but when it comes to considering keeping a house cool, nothing has the same effect as proper air conditioning. Some units also add the potential for some heating in winter, too. 

It may appear to be an upmarket technology but just how much does air conditioning cost? And once installed, are the running costs astronomical? Our expert guide is here to answer these questions and more.

How much does air conditioning cost for one room?

Fully installed air conditioning systems have an outdoor fan unit that is connected to indoor fan unit via refrigerant pipes and they have a number of different configurations. The simplest fully installed air conditioning systems are known as room air conditioners (RAC) comprising of one outdoor fan unit and one indoor unit.

These systems are usually for single room use and your air conditioning cost for this will be based on materials and installation - you can expect to pay from around £350 for the materials and around £1,100 to £1,500 for a fully installed system.

An advancement on the RAC unit is where there is one outdoor fan unit and two indoor units. Both indoor units serve a single room and they are both either on or off. You cannot usually operate the indoor units individually and they can only be in cooling or heating mode.

The exact specification of the indoor units will often differ between manufacturers and it is definitely worth getting a number of quotes for different brands.

How much does whole-house air conditioning cost?

For those looking at how to keep a house cool, the next step up is the multi split air conditioner — these systems have one outdoor fan unit and can have up to around 10 indoor units depending on manufacturer. The cost of a multi-split unit is usually around £1,200 per indoor unit.

The indoor units can be located in the same room or in separate rooms, can be operated individually or together in any number up to the full installed amount. However, the indoor units can only be in heating or cooling mode which means you cannot have some heating and some cooling.

The costs of multi split systems vary according to which indoor units you have, and there are a number of different indoor units ranging from fan convectors that look a bit like a central heating radiator, wall-mounted bulk heads, to slim duct systems that can be boxed in and ducts installed to distribute the air.

These units are popular because the fan noise is then further away from the point of delivery but there does need to be more design detail put in to define where the ducts go. This can all add cost. 

The simplest installation will usually be the wall-mounted bulk head type of indoor unit.

What is the cheapest type of air conditioning?

The lowest air conditioning cost you can expect to pay is for a portable model. These units, as the name suggests, are portable and can be moved from room to room as required. The best portable air conditioners start at around £250 and have no installation costs.

"A portable air conditioner is a convenient and flexible cooling solution without the commitment and expense of a fixed air conditioning system," explains Chris Michael, managing director at Meaco. "They are compact and can be easily ported from room-to-room. They don't require professional installation and after the summer season has ended can be stored away. Some models have dual heating functionality so that they can be used in the winter to keep warm too."

A portable air conditioning unit is around the size of a laundry basket and will usually plug into a standard electric wall socket.

You will need to run a duct (approximately 125mm diameter) out of a window to expel the warmth. The warm air must be expelled to the outside of the property so if there is no window or route outside then you will not be able to use these units. You will also need a bucket to run the condensate drain into. 

Arguably, the cheapest solution is to avoid air con altogether by preventing our homes from overheating in the first instance. 

Building Regulations Part O (Overheating) was introduced in June 2022 to help mitigate against this. Albeit this looks at potential overheating in new properties, not existing properties, nor does it necessarily mean that cooling solutions are not required on the hottest day; as such air conditioning is still a viable choice.

Chris Michael

Chris and his partner Michelle started Meaco in 1991. Meaco is now regarded internationally as a major player in the dehumidifier industry selling to 20+ countries throughout Europe, North America and South Africa. Meaco sets the benchmark for quality and development in its sector, leading by example and reducing the energy consumption of its appliances.

Is air conditioning expensive to run?

Air conditioning units do use electricity so this does need to be taken into account. The air conditioning unit uses a refrigerant cycle to deliver cooling and the waste heat is rejected to the outside. The process allows for around 300% efficiency, meaning that if you use 1kWh of electricity you will get an equivalent 3kW of cooling.

Taking the average air conditioning indoor unit at around 2kW means you will use around 600W of electricity. With average electricity costs currently at around 24.50p per kWh, expect the air conditioning to cost around 14.7p per hour per indoor unit. 

Or, for a higher cooling efficiency unit of 6kWh, it'll be around 2kWh, costing 49p per hour per indoor unit.

If you also have solar PV (photovoltaic) panels then you have the ideal combination as you will be generating the most electricity at the time when cooling may be required and your running costs will be a lot less. 

Who should install an air conditioning unit?

Make sure that your installer is FGas qualified and registered with a self certification body (meaning that they can deal with the Building Regulations). 

A fully installed air conditioning system must also be inspected every five years to assess its energy efficiency, so factor this air conditioning cost in when considering introducing a system into to your home. 

Again costs may vary depending on the supplier, so be sure to ask for this to be included when you get your initial range of costs.

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How much does a portable air conditioner cost to run? If you are keen to keep your house cool as temperatures rise but don't fancy paying out for whole house air conditioning unit, a portable unit is well worth considering. You may well be pleasantly surprised when you look into how much they cost to buy and run.