London has a cooling problem that its housing stock was never designed for. Solid-wall Victorian terraces, top-floor conversions with roof-space heat gain, and glazed new-build flats all hold summer heat far better than they release it — and the urban heat island effect means the city runs several degrees warmer than the countryside around it, overnight most of all.
Which is why air conditioning has moved from luxury to infrastructure here faster than in most of the UK. Whatever stage you are at — pricing a first installation, overdue a service, or standing in front of a unit that has stopped working — the pages below cover it.
Kelvara is one of the smaller air conditioning companies in London by design. You deal with the engineer who surveyed your property rather than a call centre, and the same team handles residential and commercial work across South London and North Surrey — installation, annual servicing and breakdown repair on every major brand.
Where to start
If you are buying for the first time, read the air conditioning installation cost guide before you collect quotes — it will tell you what to ask for so the three prices you get back are actually comparable.
If your system is working but tired, an annual service is almost always the right first move. Efficiency drops gradually enough that most people mistake a dirty system for a failing one.
If it has already stopped, call us. We can often identify the fault from the symptom and the error code before an engineer sets off, which means we arrive with the right part.
Every system we touch is handled under F-Gas rules
Air conditioning runs on fluorinated refrigerant gases, and how they are handled is regulated rather than optional. Kelvara is REFCOM registered, the industry certification scheme for companies working with those gases, and our engineers hold current F-Gas qualifications. The government's F-Gas guidance sets out what is required of anyone installing or servicing your system — and what is required of you as its owner. It is a reasonable thing to check on any quote you receive.
Questions
Common questions
How do I choose between air conditioning companies in London?
Check three things before anything else. First, F-Gas registration — anyone handling refrigerant legally needs it, and reputable air conditioning contractors will produce it immediately. Second, whether they survey before quoting; a price given over the phone is a guess that gets revised upwards. Third, what the quote actually includes — equipment, electrical work, commissioning and making good, or just the units. Those three answers separate specialists from the rest faster than any review page will.
What type of air conditioning is best for a London home?
For one room, a single wall-mounted split system. For two or more, a multi-split sharing one outdoor condenser — cheaper overall and much easier to get past a freeholder, because there's only one unit on the elevation. Concealed ducted systems suit period properties and high-specification refurbishments where nothing can be visible, and cost more accordingly.
Do I need planning permission for air conditioning in London?
Usually not for a house, provided the outdoor unit meets the permitted development conditions on size, siting and noise. Flats, listed buildings and conservation areas are the routine exceptions, and leaseholders normally need freeholder consent whatever the planning position says. We check all of this at survey stage.
How much does air conditioning cost in London?
A single-room split system typically runs £1,800 to £2,600 supplied and fitted, and a three-room multi-split £4,800 to £6,500. Pipe run length, condenser access and electrical work explain most of the variation between quotes. Our cost guide breaks all of it down with current London figures.