- The UK is set to bask in the hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures predicted to hit 26 °C today as the bank holiday weekend begins[1]
- Air con ownership in UK homes has broken through the four million mark[2] – more than double the two million households that had it three years ago[3]
- More than nine million homes rely on a desktop fan[2], while 260,000 households have heat pumps[4], which can be used in reverse for cooling[5]
- Increased working from home and rising summer temperatures may be behind the rise, with some of the UK’s hottest days happening in the past two years[6]
- Households will collectively spend £5 million a week using desktop fans when the year’s first heat wave arrives[7]
- Uswitch.com offers hacks on how to stay cool during hot spells and urges households to lower their running costs by getting a cheaper fixed deal.
With temperatures set to hit 26°C today[1], the number of UK homes keeping cool with air conditioning has doubled in three years to break the four million mark[2], according to research from Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service.
The number of households with air conditioning is up from less than two million in 2022[3]. Portable units with power ratings around 1kW are slightly more common than the more powerful built-in versions that can guzzle 2.7kW of power – more than an electric oven.
Table: Household use of fans and air conditioning
| Cooling method | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desktop fan | 3,809,355 | 9,588,000 | 8,369,325 | 9,530,874 |
| Portable air con unit | 1,024,078 | 1,650,831 | 2,004,918 | 2,163,984 |
| Built-in air con unit | 925,980 | 913,344 | 1,692,000 | 1,854,824 |
| Total air con | 1,950,058 | 2,564,175 | 3,696,918 | 4,018,808 |
Source: Uswitch.com
Experts suggest that more people working from home and rising summer temperatures may be behind the increase in ownership. Some of the UK’s warmest summers have been seen in recent years, including UK’s hottest ever day, which saw temperatures hit 40°C in July 2022[3].
Of the four million households with air conditioning, nearly 1.9 million have built-in units with power ratings up to 2.7kW[2]. 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[6].
The 2.2 million homes with portable air conditioning units – which use 1kW of power[2] – 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[6].
Over nine million households use desktop fans to keep cool, up 14% from the eight million homes using them last year[2]. 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[3].
More than 260,000 UK households now have heat pumps that can be used to cool homes[4]. 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[8].
UK households are likely to spend £5 million a week using desktop fans as the hottest day of the year arrives[7].
Energy rates look set to rise in July, which means the cost of running appliances is also going to increase. The difference between running a built-in air con on the current cheapest fixed deals and July’s predicted rates is £9 a week.
Table: Weekly cost of using fans, air coolers and air con units for 9 hours a day
| Cheapest fix rates[9] | Cheapest fix rates[9] | Predicted July rates | Predicted July rates | ||
| Device | Power | 1 hour a day for seven days | Average 9.1 hours daily use for seven days | 1 hour a day for seven days | Average 9.1 hours daily use for seven days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Handheld fan | 3W | 0.4p | 4p | 0.6p | 5p |
| Desktop fan | 35W | 5.1p | 47p | 6.4p | 58p |
| Pedestal fan | 60W | 8.8p | 80p | 11p | £1 |
| Air cooler | 75W | 11p | £1 | 14p | £1.25 |
| Heat pump on cooling mode | 1kW | £1.47 | £13.37 | £1.84 | £16.70 |
| Portable air con unit | 1kW | £1.47 | £13.37 | £1.84 | £16.70 |
| Built-in air con unit | 2.7kW | £3.97 | £36.10 | £4.96 | £45.10 |
Source: Uswitch.com
Uswitch.com is urging households to take action now and get a fixed deal to avoid energy price hikes coming in July and to lower their appliance running costs. Run a comparison online with a simple postcode search to find savings.
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.”
Uswitch.com is offering tips and tricks for staying cool and saving energy this summer.
Uswitch’s five tips for keeping cool
- Create a cooling breeze: Place a bowl of ice cubes in front of an electric fan to create a refreshing breeze as it blows the ice-cold air around the room.
- Close the curtains: Keep your curtains shut while you’re at work during the day. It may be tempting to let the light in, but the sunshine will heat the room, turning your home into a greenhouse.
- Unplug the tech: Plugged-in gadgets produce heat, including those that are on standby. Unplug them when you are not using them to keep the room cool.
- Take advantage of the daylight: Switch the lights off during the day. Lightbulbs release heat, causing a room to get warmer, so turning them off or switching to LED bulbs that generate less heat can help reduce the overall temperature. With the sun setting late in the evening during summer, you can keep the lights off for longer and therefore keep the room cooler.
- Use a ‘cold’ hot water bottle: You don’t have to use a hot water bottle just to keep warm. Instead, you can fill it with cold water to keep you cool during the night.
Compare energy deals now at Uswitch.com to see if you can switch and save.
For more information
Rianna York | Energy PR Manager
rianna.york@rvu.co.uk
Twitter: @UswitchPR
Notes to editors
Table: Cost of cooling appliances
| Cheapest fix rates | Cheapest fix rates | April price cap | April price cap | July rates | July rates | ||
| Device | Power | 1 hour a day for seven days | Average 9.1 hours daily use for seven days | 1 hour a day for seven days | Average 9.1 hours daily use for seven days | 1 hour a day for seven days | Average 9.1 hours daily use for seven days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Handheld fan | 3W | 0.4p | 4p | 0.5p | 4.7p | 0.55p | 5p |
| Desktop fan | 35W | 5.1p | 47p | 6p | 55p | 6.4p | 58p |
| Pedestal fan | 60W | 8.8p | 80p | 10.4p | 94p | 11 | £1 |
| Air cooler | 75W | 11p | £1 | 13p | £1.18 | 14p | £1.25 |
| Heat pump on cooling mode | 1kW | £1.47 | £13.37 | £1.73 | £15.71 | £1.84 | £16.70 |
| Portable air con unit | 1kW | £1.47 | £13.37 | £1.73 | £15.71 | £1.84 | £16.70 |
| Built-in air con unit | 2.7kW | £3.97 | £36.10 | £4.66 | £42.43 | £4.96 | £45.10 |
1. BBC: Friday could reach 26C but turning cooler and wetter for the bank holiday
2. Research conducted online by Opinium, 16th to 24th December 2025, among 4,000 UK residents, weighted to be nationally representative. Respondents were asked, ‘Which of the following do you have?’ 7% said built-in air con system. 7% of 28.4 million UK households = 1,854,824 households. 34% said desktop fan = 9,530,874 households. 8% said portable air con unit = 2,163,984 households.
3. Research conducted online by Opinium, 29th April to 3rd May 2022, among 2,000 UK residents, weighted to be nationally representative. Respondents were asked, ‘Which of the following do you have?’ 3% said built-in air con system. 3% of 28.1 million UK households = 843,000 households. 14% said desktop fan = 3.9 million households. 4% said portable air con unit = 1.1 million households.
4. DESNZ: Heat pump deployment statistics
5. National Grid: How do heat pumps work?
6. Met Office: Record high temperatures verified
7. See table in release.
8. EnergySage: How much energy does a heat pump use?
9. Outfox Energy Fix'd Dual Apr26 24M v1 costs £1,589.24 and is fixed for 24 months