As the UK swelters through ever-hotter summers and more frequent heatwaves, households are scrambling for relief – and air conditioning units are flying off shelves faster than retailers can stock them. Portable units, split systems, and full ducted installations are all in hot demand, with online stock vanishing within hours of restocking, the BBC reports.
For decades, British homes were built to trap heat, not shed it. But with climate change driving temperatures higher, the technology long taken for granted in cars, hotels, and public buildings is becoming a domestic necessity. The question now is not whether to buy air con, but which type – and at what price.
“Soaring demand for air conditioning as UK heatwaves intensify leaves retailers struggling to keep stock, with prices from £149 to £10,000.”
The cheapest option is a portable unit, which works by drawing in warm air, cooling it, and venting heat outside through a window pipe. Checkatrade estimates prices range from £350 to £650 on average, but soaring demand has pushed some retailers to offer cut-price deals – Lidl, for instance, sold units in its middle aisles for just £149.
For those wanting a more permanent solution, split-system air conditioners – comprising an indoor wall-mounted unit and an outdoor condenser linked by a pipe – are a common choice. A single unit costs between £750 and £1,100, according to Checkatrade, but that does not cover installation. Heatable, an installation company, says the full cost typically lands at £2,000 to £3,500, rising to £6,000 if cooling is needed in multiple rooms.
At the top end of the market, ducted air conditioning systems cool the entire home via a central unit connected to vents in each room. The unit itself costs £990 to £1,750 before installation, but the invasive renovation work required to fit ducting means total costs can soar to between £5,000 and £10,000, depending on property size and layout.
With temperatures climbing year after year, the choice may soon become stark: invest in cooling – or try to live with the heat.