Today (May 1), the UK is experiencing gloriously hot temperatures reaching up to 26C. To help keep homes cool, especially with millions of Brits working from home, around four million households have invested in air conditioning. This number has doubled in three years, according to research from Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service.
Rising Air Conditioning Usage
Portable units with power ratings around 1kW are slightly more common than the more powerful built-in versions that can consume 2.7kW of power – more than an electric oven. Some of the UK's warmest summers have been seen in recent years, including the UK’s hottest ever day, which saw temperatures hit 40C in July 2022.
Of the four million households with air conditioning, nearly 1.9 million have built-in units with power ratings up to 2.7kW. In a typical week, households use their units for around four hours, but when temperatures are high, they use them for just over nine hours a day, sending the cost soaring from £2.93 a week to £42.43 a week.
The 2.2 million homes with portable air conditioning units – which use 1kW of power – typically use them for around three hours a week at a cost of 83p. During hot spells, when they are used for more than nine hours a day, this bill rises to £15.71 a week.
Fans as a Cost-Effective Alternative
Over nine million households use desktop fans to keep cool, up 14% from the eight million homes using them last year. A 35W desktop fan uses just 1% of the power of built-in air conditioning units, meaning households that opt for the less energy-intensive device could reduce their consumption by 99% and save themselves £42 a week.
Heat Pumps for Cooling
More than 260,000 UK households now have heat pumps that can be used to cool homes. Heat pumps work like traditional air conditioning units by extracting heat from the home and releasing it outside. A typical air source heat pump used in cooling mode will use around 1kWh per hour, costing a similar amount to a portable air conditioning unit – although the heat pump is likely to be more efficient at cooling large rooms.
UK households are likely to spend £5 million a week using desktop fans as the hottest day of the year arrives.
Expert Advice
Natalie Mathie, energy expert at Uswitch.com, comments: “The number of households with air conditioning has more than doubled in three years, and more and more homes are taking the plunge to keep cool as UK summers get hotter.
“Remember that it’s easy to build up a hefty energy bill on hot days, and there are other simple tricks you can use to keep the temperature down inside your home.
“Keeping your curtains closed during the day will stop sunlight from warming up your property, while filling a hot water bottle with cold water can help keep you cool.
“It’s important you’re not overpaying to run your devices, so make sure you’re on a decent fixed deal to keep your household running costs as low as possible.”
