The long, hot summer led to a huge uptick in demand for air conditioning installation, according to the latest Checkatrade Home Improvement Index
LONDON, Oct. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumer demand for air conditioning installation in UK homes has increased by two-thirds (63%) year-on-year due to record-breaking summer heat.
Air conditioning has never gained a footing as a standard in UK homes - estimates suggest fewer than 5% of UK dwellings have it. But this could change as UK summers heat up and last longer.
This summer, the average temperature was +1.51°C above the long-term average with the highest mean temperature ever recorded - 16.1°C. There were nine days where temperatures breached 32°C, peaking at 35.8°C.
This led to record numbers of homeowners fitting air conditioning between July and September. The Q3 data reveals the 63% increase following a 23% rise the previous quarter. In comparison, around 90% of US homes have air conditioning.
Record-breaking summer impacts other work
Traditional 'winter preparation' jobs have seen falling demand. Central heating work is down 16%, insulation fitting down 18%, weather coating down 56% and damp proofing down 36%.
Key costs fall
Subdued demand is leading to falling prices. Areas seeing year-on-year falls include kitchen fitting (down 11%), building costs (down 16%), and window and door fitting (down 31%).
Jambu Palaniappan, CEO at Checkatrade, said: "Air conditioning has never had mass uptake in the UK for a number of reasons, such as milder weather in most months and the age and design of most homes. But as it becomes increasingly common for us to experience hot weather in around half of the months of the year, we could see demand rise significantly. Likewise, as temperatures drop, it's the perfect time to get ahead with central heating and insulation work rather than waiting for the winter rush. Booking a vetted tradesperson early means you can be confident your home will stay comfortable, whatever the weather brings."
NOTES TO EDITORS
Methodology: Data compiled by Checkatrade in October 2025 based on Q3 2025 jobs versus the same quarter the previous year.
About Checkatrade: The UK's leading platform for home improvement, connecting consumers with trusted tradespeople for over 25 years. With over 51,000 vetted businesses, Checkatrade facilitates over four million jobs annually.
For more information, please contact: checkatrade@goodrelations.co.uk
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