Short answers on air conditioning in and around Ilford

Not a firm one. On the call we can usually tell whether the job sounds straightforward, but the price comes in writing after we have seen the room, the outside wall and the fuse board.

In Checkatrade's May 2026 guide the unit itself (12,000 BTU) is £750 and the labour £1,150; added together, by our sum, that is about £1,900. The electrics are a further £400 to £700. Those are national figures, not our prices. The cost guide explains what pushes them up or down.

Checkatrade gives 20p to 60p an hour. On our own sums from makers' rated figures, a modern 2.5 kW split running flat out uses about 13p to 17p an hour at Ofgem's cap (26.32p per kWh until the end of December 2026), and less once the room is cool. The running costs guide shows the working.

Line them up item by item: the model of each unit, the electrical work, access equipment, how much pipe is included, who deals with consents, and proof of the firm's F-gas certification. A low total often turns out to leave one of those out.

A reversible one will. It runs the refrigerant cycle backwards, drawing warmth from the outdoor air even in cold weather and releasing it into the room. More on air-to-air heat pumps.

Far less. The Energy Saving Trust says air-to-air systems typically reach a seasonal efficiency above 4 when heating. At Ofgem's 26.32p cap, our own sum puts each kWh of heat at about 6.6p, against 26.32p for the same heat from a fan or oil-filled heater.

Per unit of heat the two are close. Ofgem's cap for gas is 7.97p a kWh until the end of December 2026, and a boiler turns a little less than all of that into warmth; our 6.6p heat pump figure is our own sum. The difference is that the heat pump warms only the room it serves.

No. An air-to-air system warms the air in its own room. Hot water and radiators stay with the boiler or cylinder.

As a starting point, iHeat suggests 2.0 to 2.5 kW where a room is 15 to 25 square metres and the ceiling a normal height, and more if it has a lot of glass or a tall ceiling, or sits in the roof. The sizing guide has the full table, and the survey settles it.

Usually, yes. Adding a circuit in a home counts as notifiable work under Part P, so it must be certified, either by an electrician registered with a competent person scheme or, failing that, by a registered third-party certifier. Ask any installer who will do that.

Yes. A multi-split runs two or more indoor units from a single outdoor unit, which suits a terrace or semi where permitted development allows only one.

Lofts are often the hottest rooms in the house. The wall unit normally sits on a gable or dormer wall, with the pipes routed down to the outdoor unit. The loft guide goes through the options.

A through-wall monobloc keeps every part indoors and shows only two round grilles outside, though it covers a narrower range of room sizes than a split. This guide sets out the trade-offs.

Then the unit does not qualify as permitted development in that spot. Moving it further from the neighbour's window, choosing a quieter model or adding a solid barrier can bring the figure down; if not, it needs a planning application. The noise guide walks through the sum.

Most wall units have a quiet or night setting, and the data sheet gives the sound level at each fan speed. Ask for those figures for the model you are quoted; the bedroom guide has more on cooling a room you sleep in.

The freeholder, in writing, before work starts. The outside walls usually belong to them, and according to LEASE a freeholder does not have to consent to work on parts they keep and may ask for a payment.

Not under permitted development, which allows one for the whole block (Planning Portal), so a second needs planning permission. The usual alternative is a through-wall unit that needs nothing hung outside, though the freeholder still has to agree to the wall grilles.

Yes. Permitted development for heat pumps covers houses and blocks made up wholly of flats, so a building that also holds a shop or other commercial premises falls outside it. The planning guide covers when permission is needed.

Permitted development stops covering outdoor units on any wall or roof facing a road, and anywhere further forward than the house. Redbridge has 16 conservation areas, Havering 11 and Hackney 35. Some places also have Article 4 directions, such as the Bungalow Estate, south of Seven Kings between Ilford and Goodmayes, so we check the council's list.

Yes. Permitted development does not apply, and changing a listed building's character without listed building consent is an offence under the Listed Buildings Act. Consent comes before any equipment is ordered.

Written agreement covering where the outdoor unit goes, the hole through the wall and the new circuit, plus confirmation that the freeholder has agreed if the flat is leasehold. We can send your landlord the survey details to help them decide.

Often. On our own sum from Energy Saving Trust and Ofgem figures, it heats for around a quarter of the running cost of plug-in heaters, and it cools in summer too. More on heating with air-to-air units.

Agree it in the tenancy when the unit goes in, so landlord and tenant both know who arranges it. Either can book a service with us, and tenants should report drips or odd noises straight away.

Once a year suits most homes, ideally before summer; a busy kitchen, salon or server room may need more. Checkatrade's national figure for a one-off service is £70 to £120 a unit. See servicing.

Only above a threshold. Under GOV.UK's rules, systems holding F gas equal to 5 tonnes of CO2 or more need checking at least every 12 months, and GOV.UK's example is 2.4 kg of R410A. Our servicing page explains where a typical home split sits.

Switch it off and call us. Most often the condensate drain is blocked, or a filter or coil is clogged, and clearing it is normally a simple repair.

A sealed system should not lose refrigerant, so if the charge is low, some has escaped somewhere. We find and fix the leak before recharging; a top-up alone leaves it running short again.

Yes. A photo of the labels on the indoor and outdoor units, and any error code on the display, helps us arrive with the right parts.

Yes: IG1 (Ilford, Cranbrook and Loxford), IG2 (Gants Hill, Newbury Park and Aldborough Hatch), IG3 (Seven Kings and Goodmayes), IG4 (Redbridge), IG5 (Clayhall) and IG6 (Barkingside, Fairlop and Hainault).

Nine have their own page: Romford, Gidea Park, Hornchurch, Upminster, Woodford, Chigwell, Walthamstow, Chingford and Hackney. We cover the places between too, from Wanstead and Leytonstone to Barking, Dagenham and Harold Hill; the areas page lists them all.

Possibly. Send it through the form or call 020 8176 6154 and we will tell you plainly.

Yes, it is on the quote page, along with a form that goes to the same people.