Library

All guides

Everything we've published on choosing, costing and living with air conditioning in UK homes. New guides are added regularly — costs and prices are re-checked each season.

Data hub

UK AC & heatwave statistics 2026

Every key number in one place — heat records, overheating homes, AC ownership and health impacts — fully sourced and updated each season.

Costs

How much does air conditioning cost in the UK?

Installed prices for split, multi-split, ducted and portable systems, running costs per hour, and how to judge whether a quote is fair.

Buying guide

Portable vs split: which should you buy?

The first decision every buyer faces — settled by ownership, usage and a side-by-side table of cost, noise, efficiency and lifespan.

Comparison

Best portable air conditioners in the UK

Our current picks by room size and budget, what actually matters on the spec sheet, and the products to avoid entirely.

Room by room

Air conditioning for a loft bedroom

Why loft rooms run 4–8°C hotter than downstairs, what half-works, and what a proper fix costs — including loft-specific install quirks.

Rules

Do you need planning permission for AC?

Usually not, since the May 2025 rule change — but the conditions matter. Houses, flats, listed buildings and conservation areas explained.

Running costs

What does AC cost to run?

Cost per hour at the current price cap for portables and splits, a free running-cost calculator, and five ways to cut the bill.

Property guide

Air conditioning in a flat

Planning is rarely the problem — your lease is. Freeholder consent, the licence to alter process, and the fallback when it's refused.

Room by room

Conservatory air conditioning

The hardest room in Britain to cool: what genuinely works, what's snake oil, and why the winter payoff is biggest here.

Heating & cooling

Air-to-air heat pumps

A modern split AC and an air-to-air heat pump are the same machine — and the winter heating side is the quiet bargain.

Practical guide

Keep a south-facing room cool

Ten tactics ranked by impact per pound — free fixes, cheap permanent ones, and the honest point where AC takes over.

Accessories

Portable AC window kits

The kit in the box fits American windows. How to seal a hose properly in sash, casement, tilt and Velux windows.

Installation

Installation: what happens on the day

The survey, the one drilled hole, the vacuum test that separates pros from cowboys, and the paperwork to keep.

Troubleshooting

AC problems: leaking, freezing, not cooling

What you can fix in ten minutes, what legally needs an F-Gas engineer, and the one maintenance habit that prevents nearly everything.

Health

Can air conditioning make you sick?

Sore throats, "AC colds" and Legionella worries — which are real, which are myths, and the settings that fix the real ones.

Can't find your situation? Start with the sizing calculator — it covers any room — or ask installers directly with a free quote request.