If you are thinking about air conditioning for your home, the first question is usually the price. The short answer: a single wall-mounted system for one room typically costs from around £1,295 fully installed in the UK. Below we explain what that includes, what makes the price go up or down, and what air conditioning costs to run.
Quick answer: air conditioning prices in the UK
- One room: from around £1,295 for a wall-mounted split system, fully installed
- Two rooms: from around £2,490 with two separate systems
- Three rooms: from around £3,590 with separate systems, or £3,650 with one multi-split
- Four or more rooms, ducted systems and commercial spaces: priced after a free survey
These are guide prices including VAT, the indoor and outdoor units, a standard pipe run and commissioning. Your exact price depends on the things explained below, and our online price guide gives you a starting figure for your own home in about a minute.
Air conditioning installation cost by number of rooms
| Rooms | Separate single splits | One multi-split |
|---|---|---|
| 1 room | from £1,295 | not needed |
| 2 rooms | from £2,490 | from £2,690 |
| 3 rooms | from £3,590 | from £3,650 |
| 4 rooms | from £4,790 | from £4,850 |
| 5 rooms | from £5,950 | from £5,990 |
A single split has one outdoor unit for each indoor unit. A multi-split connects up to five indoor units to one outdoor unit, which saves wall space but means every room depends on that one unit. We compare the two in detail in single split vs multi split.
What is included in the price
- Indoor and outdoor units from a leading brand such as Daikin, Mitsubishi Electric or Fujitsu
- Wall brackets or ground mounts for the outdoor unit
- Up to a standard length of copper refrigerant pipe, cable and trunking
- A properly routed condensate drain for the water the system produces
- Electrical connection
- Pressure test, vacuum and commissioning by an F-Gas certified engineer
- Warranty registration and a walkthrough of the remote and app
What changes the price
Room size and unit power
Air conditioners are sized in kilowatts (kW). A typical bedroom needs around 2 to 2.5 kW, a living room around 3.5 kW and a large open-plan space 5 kW or more. Bigger units cost more, but an undersized unit will struggle on hot days, so we size every system to the room during the survey.
Brand and range
Every leading brand has an entry range and a premium range. Premium units are quieter, more efficient and often look better, and they cost more to buy.
Pipe run and the position of the outdoor unit
The price includes a standard pipe run between the indoor and outdoor units. A longer route, pipes hidden inside walls or ceilings, or an outdoor unit high on a wall or on a flat roof all add labour and materials.
Walls, floors and access
Solid stone walls take longer to drill than brick. Upper-floor flats and tall houses may need a mobile platform or scaffold to fit the outdoor unit safely.
Electrical work
Most systems connect to a dedicated circuit. If your consumer unit has no spare way, or the cable run is long, the electrical work costs a little more.
The type of building
Flats can need the freeholder’s consent, and listed buildings or conservation areas can have extra rules for outdoor units. We check this with you during the survey so there are no surprises.
Commercial air conditioning costs
Offices, shops and restaurants are priced after a site survey. The heat from people, lighting and equipment, the type of indoor unit (wall-mounted, ceiling cassette or ducted) and whether we need to work outside opening hours all affect the cost. See commercial air conditioning installation for how we plan business projects.
How much does air conditioning cost to run?
Modern split systems are inverter heat pumps, so they slow down once the room reaches the set temperature instead of switching on and off. A typical 2.5 kW bedroom unit uses roughly 0.5 to 0.8 kW of electricity at full power and much less once the room has cooled down. At an electricity price of around 25p per kWh, that is about 12p to 20p an hour at full power, and often under 10p an hour after that. Your tariff, the weather and the room all change the figure.
For heating, a split system typically produces 3 to 4 kW of heat for every 1 kW of electricity it uses. That makes it much cheaper to run than a plug-in electric heater, which turns 1 kW of electricity into 1 kW of heat.
How to keep running costs down
- Choose a unit sized for the room, not the cheapest one
- Set a comfortable temperature, around 21 to 24°C in summer, rather than the lowest one
- Keep doors and windows closed while it runs
- Clean the filters every few weeks in summer
- Have the system serviced once a year
Ongoing costs: servicing and cleaning
An annual service keeps the system efficient and the manufacturer warranty valid. Our annual service starts from £95 for the first indoor unit and £45 for each extra unit. If the system smells musty or the airflow is weak, a deep clean costs £145 per wall-mounted unit and includes the service.
How to get an accurate price
Start with our online price guide: five quick questions about your home and you see a starting price straight away. We then visit for a free survey, check the rooms, the wall for the outdoor unit and the pipe route, and give you a fixed quote. Photos and a short video of the rooms help us quote accurately, sometimes without a visit.
Air conditioning cost: common questions
How much does it cost to install air conditioning in one room?
A single wall-mounted system for one room typically costs from around £1,295 fully installed, including VAT. Large rooms, long pipe runs or difficult access can add to that.
Is air conditioning expensive to run in the UK?
Less than most people expect. A bedroom unit often costs well under 20p an hour to cool, and as a heat pump it heats far more cheaply than electric heaters.
Do I need planning permission for air conditioning?
Often not, but listed buildings, conservation areas and flats can have extra rules. We check this during the survey. There is more on our air conditioning installation page.
How long does installation take?
Most single-room installations take one day, and multi-room systems one to two days.
Ready to see a figure for your home? Use our price guide, or send us a few photos on WhatsApp and we’ll advise.