As the UK faces hotter summers and more frequent heatwaves, demand for home air conditioning has surged, with retailers reporting units selling out both in stores and online. The article, from BBC business reporter Michael Race, examines how households can cool homes that were historically built to retain heat rather than expel it, and weighs up whether air con should become a standard feature in British homes.

There are three main systems: portable units (roughly £350 to £650, though some sold for as little as £149 during the recent surge), split or wall-mounted systems (£750 to £1,100 per unit, with full installation typically £2,000 to £3,500 and up to £6,000 for multiple rooms), and ducted systems that cool a whole home (£990 to £1,750 per unit, with installation pushing costs to between £5,000 and £10,000). Running costs vary, with a portable unit adding roughly 25p to 40p an hour to bills. Portable units suit renters and listed buildings, while split and ducted systems cool more effectively but cost more upfront. Planning permission is usually not needed for small homes if the exterior appearance is not materially affected, though rules vary by council, and some reversible heat pumps can provide cooling as well as heating.