Air conditioning calculators
Seven calculators with the typical case already worked out: room size in kW, neighbour noise, planning, the £2,500 grant, running cost at the Ofgem price cap, payback against a portable and a letter to your landlord.
- Do I need planning permission for air conditioning?
Enter a postcode for your council's rule, the hot nights last summer and a cooling path for your type of home (2,863 districts). - Will the outdoor unit pass the neighbour noise test?
A typical 2.5 kW unit needs about 6.3 m from the neighbour's window to meet 37 dB; the quietest tenth need 4.5 m or less. - Does this air-to-air heat pump qualify for £2,500?
The £2,500 air-to-air grant is available in England and Wales when the Ofgem tests pass, and this catalogue has 0 confirmed MCS air-to-air installers on 25 Sep 2026. - What can you ask a landlord to do about hot nights?
N1 had ≈10 nights at or above 18°C in summer 2026 (1991–2020 average 1.9; ERA5, grid about 30 km). - How many summers until a split costs less than a portable?
A split pays for itself against a portable in ≈15.2 summers on running costs alone: it costs £1,115.50 more up front with installation at £608.00, the low end of published UK prices, and saves £73.52 over 400 hours (25 Sep 2026). - What does a summer of cooling cost?
The Daikin Perfera 2.5 kW (SEER 9.5) is £27.71 for 400 hours at the Ofgem cap of 26.32 p/kWh (25 Sep 2026, cap period 1 Oct–31 Dec 2026). - What kW does this room need?
A 20 m² bedroom with a 2.4 m ceiling and double glazing needs ≈2.0 kW (Daikin UK rule of thumb, estimate, checked 25 Sep 2026).