As the UK swelters through increasingly hot summers and more frequent heatwaves, households are scrambling to keep their homes cool. Air conditioning units are flying off shelves, with retailers reporting stock selling out online within hours.
Lidl recently offered portable air conditioners in its middle aisles for just £149, a fraction of typical prices. Portable units normally cost between £350 and £650 on average, according to trade body Checkatrade, but surging demand has pushed retailers to slash prices to clear inventory.
“UK households are snapping up air conditioning units as heatwaves intensify, with prices starting at £149 for portable models.”
While air conditioning is standard in modern cars, hotels and public buildings, British homes have historically been designed to trap heat rather than expel it. That is now changing as homeowners battle soaring temperatures.
There are three main types of home air conditioning. Portable units are standalone and vent heat through a window via a pipe. Split systems, described by British Gas as one of the most common options for UK homes, involve an indoor unit linked to an outdoor condenser. According to LG, multiple indoor units can be connected to a single outdoor condenser. Ducted systems serve the entire house through a network of vents, but require invasive renovation.
Costs vary dramatically. A split system unit alone costs between £750 and £1,100, but installation firm Heatable says a full installation typically runs from £2,000 to £3,500, rising to £6,000 for multiple rooms. Ducted systems cost between £990 and £1,750 before installation; Heatable estimates the total at between £5,000 and £10,000, depending on property size and ductwork complexity.
With summers only expected to get hotter, the question of whether air conditioning should become a permanent fixture in UK homes is no longer hypothetical.