How much does air conditioning cost?

What does one wall unit cost to supply and fit?

The unit and labour figures are Checkatrade's, for one split system on a masonry wall; the final column is simply the two added together. Electrics are extra: £400 to £700 for a fused spur indoors and a weatherproof isolator outside, done by a registered electrician because a new circuit is notifiable work. Source: Checkatrade cost guide; IET on Part P.

What can push a Croydon job above the national figure?

• Living in a flat. A freeholder can recover reasonable costs for a surveyor, a solicitor to draw up the licence to alter and administration, and where the work touches walls or roof they keep, they can ask for a premium with no legal cap on it. Budget for the paperwork as well as the pipework.
• Height. An outdoor unit on a flat roof or several floors below the indoor unit means a longer run, a lift or a tower, and sometimes a condensate pump.
• Planning. A flat above a shop, a listed building or a road-facing wall in one of the borough's 21 conservation areas may need an application, with drawings and a fee.
• Access. A tight side return or a shared garden slows the work down.

Sources: LEASE; Croydon Council.

What does it cost to run?

Checkatrade's rule of thumb is 20p to 60p for each hour it runs. You can check that against the physics. The Energy Saving Trust gives a typical cooling efficiency of around 7, so a unit delivering 2.5kW of cooling draws roughly 0.36kW. On Ofgem's October to December 2026 cap of 26.32p per kWh, that is about 9.4p an hour once the room is at temperature. Pulling a hot room down costs more, and an old or oversized unit costs more still. Sources: Checkatrade cost guide; Energy Saving Trust; Ofgem.

Is it cheap to run as a heater?

Compared with a plug-in heater, very. At a seasonal efficiency of 4, a kilowatt-hour of warmth costs about 6.6p of electricity, against the full 26.32p from a fan heater or an oil radiator. Against mains gas at 7.97p per kWh before boiler losses, the gap almost closes, so the strongest case is a flat with no gas. The heat pump page sets the three out in a table. Source: Ofgem.

What will it cost after it is in?

A yearly service at Checkatrade's national rate of £70 to £120 per unit. If the refrigerant charge is large enough, a leak check at least every 12 months, which can be part of the same visit. Commercial systems over 12kW also need a TM44 energy inspection every five years. See servicing. Sources: Checkatrade cost guide; GOV.UK guidance; GOV.UK guidance.

How do you tell a cheap quote from a thin one?

1. Same capacity, and does the unit heat as well as cool?
2. Electrics included, and who signs the certificate?
3. How many metres of pipe are allowed, and what each extra metre costs?
4. Access equipment in or out?
5. Which company's F-gas certificate covers the job?
6. Who does the noise calculation and the consents?
7. What is the warranty conditional on?

A quote that is £400 cheaper and silent on three of these is not cheaper.