How to choose
an air conditioning installer
Eight things to check before you let anyone fit air conditioning in a London home, how to check each one yourself, and the warning signs that should make you walk away.
- Survey first, then a written itemised price
- Refrigerant and electrics done by certified people
- A company you can look up, and aftercare you can price
Accredited, and fitting the brands you know
Choose an installer who surveys before quoting, puts a written itemised price in front of you, handles the refrigerant under F-Gas certification you can check, certifies the electrical circuit under a scheme such as NICEIC, sizes each unit from the room, deals with planning and leasehold consent, can be looked up on Companies House, and tells you what servicing will cost afterwards.
Each point below says why it matters, how to check it in a few minutes, and the red flag to watch for.
The eight things to check
1. F-Gas certification for the refrigerant work
Installing, charging or repairing air conditioning means handling fluorinated refrigerant, and in the UK that work requires F-Gas certification. How to check: ask which body certified the company and for the certificate number, then look it up on that body's public register. REFCOM is the best known register; other certification bodies publish registers too. Red flag: vague answers, or "the engineer has a card" with no company certificate behind it.
2. A survey before the price
The pipe run, the outdoor position and the consumer unit decide the real cost, and none of them can be judged over the phone. How to check: the installer offers to come and measure before giving a figure. Red flag: a firm price from a photo and a phone call.
3. A written, itemised fixed price
A good quotation names the make and model of every unit and its kW, the metres of pipework included, the electrical work, what happens to the condensate and whether making good is included. How to check: hold two quotes side by side and tick those five lines. Red flag: one total with no breakdown, or a discount that expires when the salesperson leaves.
4. Certified electrical work
Almost every installation needs its own circuit, and in a home that is notifiable work. How to check: ask who certifies it and look the company up on the NICEIC or NAPIT register. Red flag: the unit plugged into an existing socket.
5. Sizing worked out from the room
An undersized unit runs flat out and never cools; an oversized one cycles on and off and leaves the room clammy. How to check: the quote states the kW for each room and the installer asked about the room's size, glazing and which way it faces. Our sizing guide shows the bands. Red flag: the same unit size for every room.
6. Planning and leasehold consent
Most houses can install under permitted development if the outdoor unit meets the conditions, but conservation areas, listed buildings and flats are different, and a leaseholder normally needs the freeholder's written consent. How to check: the installer tells you the position for your address before fitting. See our planning permission and leasehold flat guides. Red flag: "nobody ever checks".
7. A company you can look up
How to check: search the company name on Companies House, read its reviews on independent platforms rather than only its own website, and confirm it holds public liability insurance. Red flag: no company name, no registered address, or reviews only on the installer's own site.
8. Aftercare with a price on it
Air conditioning needs an annual service to stay efficient and to keep some manufacturer warranties valid. How to check: ask what a service costs and who you call if it stops working. Red flag: nobody can tell you.
Warning signs worth walking away from
- A price given without anyone seeing the property.
- Pressure to sign on the day, or a discount that expires tonight.
- No answer about who handles the refrigerant.
- Cash only, or a large deposit before any equipment is ordered.
- A quote far below the others with no breakdown to explain why.
How we answer each of these
Every answer below can be checked, and the ones that cannot be checked yet are not claimed.
| What to check | Our answer |
|---|---|
| F-Gas certification | We do not publish a certificate number on this site yet, so we do not claim one here. Ask us directly for a straight answer, and see our accreditation page for what is published and why. |
| Survey before price | Free, usually within 48 hours in north London, with nothing to sign |
| Written itemised price | Fixed, valid for 30 days, and it only changes if you change the job. How our prices are built |
| Electrical work | NICEIC registered, held by Electro Heating Limited |
| Sizing | Worked out per room: 2.5, 3.5, 5 or 7 kW depending on size and use |
| Planning and consent | We check the position for your address, and a consent pack is included for flats |
| A company you can look up | Companies House 12609754, our Google Business Profile and Trustpilot |
| Aftercare | Annual service £95 plus VAT, £55 plus VAT for each extra indoor unit |
Questions about choosing an installer
Can an electrician install air conditioning?
An electrician can install the dedicated circuit, and that part should be certified under a scheme such as NICEIC. Connecting and charging the refrigerant side is different work: in the UK it needs F-Gas certification, so check who will actually do that part before you agree a price.
How many quotes should I get?
Two or three from installers who have actually been to the property. A quote given over the phone without a visit cannot know the pipe run, the outdoor position or the state of the consumer unit, and those are what decide the final figure.
Should I pick the cheapest quote?
Only once the quotes are comparable. Check each one states the unit make and model and the kW per room, the metres of pipework included, whether the electrical circuit is included, and what happens to the condensate. A low figure that leaves those out usually grows on the day.
Is a portable unit a reasonable alternative?
For a single room for a few weeks a year, sometimes. It is noisier, less efficient and vents hot air through a hose in a window. Our comparison of split and portable air conditioning sets out when each makes sense.
Put us through the same checklist
Book the free survey, ask us every question on this page, and compare our written price with anyone else's.
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