Is installing proper split AirCon off-season worth it?

CoolStart

Another heatwave is coming tomorrow! Really not looking forward to it.
And I haven't been able to get hold of any aircon installers in the summer.

Has anyone worked out if installing Aircon off-season is materially cheaper?

Exodi

It is cheaper off season

A quick online search shows portable air-con are sold out in a lot of places, resellers are out en-masse and prices are out the atmosphere at the moment.

E.g. https://www.screwfix.com/p/blyss-a018i-12ch-reversible-air-conditioner-12-000btu/835xg

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/117301706056

Just in this example alone, it's clearly going to be cheaper to wait when it's back in stock (likely off-season when people aren't buying them in their droves).

I presume it's a similar situation with split aircon systems as I'm seeming a lot of listings for old dirty ones in peoples gardens going for £1000+.

Newbie_John

you dont install aircon for one summer only but for "lifetime", so it shouldnt matter when really as the tempertaures are rising long term

is it cheaper? definitely, price comes from supply and demand, the more media talk "heat wave" the more demand goes up

ive installed mine last Novemebr - for me it was peak season as I use it 95% for heating and it was much chepaer to what ive seen now

Section62

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6677885/is-installing-proper-split-aircon-off-season-worth-it

Another heatwave is coming tomorrow! Really not looking forward to it.And I haven't been able to get hold of any aircon installers in the summer.

Has anyone worked out if installing Aircon off-season is materially cheaper?

Historic trends may not be a good guide to what will happen over the next 6 to 12 months - at the end of the season there will be some people who've not been able to get a system installed this summer who will be planning to get an install before the spring so they don't get caught out the same way next summer. That could keep the installers much busier than normal over the autumn/winter period.

There is also likely to be ongoing supply-chain issues while everyone restocks, and also firms who've paid over the odds for stock who may be less inclined to do cheaper-than-normal deals. Keeping stock in a warehouse for a few months until demand picks up may be better than selling it at a discount.

About the only thing we can be fairly confident of is demand is likely to increase in coming years.

ComicGeek

I doubt there will be any reduction in installations costs off-season - in fact, with air con systems now being promoted for permanent heating solutions as well as cooling, it's likely that their popularity will be sustained throughout the year.

Don't forget that these are the same systems being installed in offices, shops, restaurants etc up and down the country every day. It's normally the unbranded and Chinese knock-off units that hit the market in large batches and get sold out after fake price drops - the established brands (Mitsubishi, Daikin, Samsung etc) tend to control their stock release better, but can still take a few weeks to meet orders. They will send out orders to established buyers only - individual house owners will only see the marked-up resellers online.

About 1.5-1.8M gas boilers are installed every year in the UK, and only about 180k air con units. There's an additional 100k air source heat pumps (heating only). I think we will start seeing the boiler and air source numbers drop and the air con numbers dramatically rise - if every gas boiler is being replaced by a multi-split and 3/4 indoor units, then even a 10% swing from boilers to air con will require the air con industry to double in size. That's without all of the offices, hotels, restaurants, schools etc currently without air con switching over.

So in the short to medium term there's going to be a lack of installers to keep up with demand. And the installers will be choosing between a £100k contract with a big business or lots of £4k contracts with Joe Public…

mr_stripey

I would imagine the demand for aircon over the next few years will keep the suppliers and installers very very busy no matter what the time of year. I would not expect it to be cheaper at all.

danrv

My multisplit aircon was installed for around £6900 a few years ago. September time I think. For heating purposes mostly.

Albermarle

I am sure if I install aircon, we will immediately have a run of cool Summers…..

ButterCheese

On a cheaper scale, the same thing is happening with fans. Everywhere sold out, people advertising £40 fans used on FB for £100…..we're going to buy one in November for next year.

With AC units I wouldn't have thought the labour (from any reputable company) would be any cheaper off-season, as it still takes the same amount of time to fit whatever temperature it is. It would be the unit that is maybe on special offer with maybe 10% off but I wouldn't hold out for that. My rule of thumb is that whatever idea I have, 100,000 other people are thinking the same thing, including the retailers, so special offer units will probably be a thing of the past

Albermarle

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82084961#Comment_82084961

We bought a couple of fans in the Spring. One was £80 and now it is £120 and out of stock anyway.

Section62

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82084961#Comment_82084961

With AC units I wouldn't have thought the labour (from any reputable company) would be any cheaper off-season, as it still takes the same amount of time to fit whatever temperature it is.

Firms (and to some degree sole traders) can adjust their profit margin though - if there's not much work around then better to be working for a bit less profit than pay people to sit around doing nothing.

As above though, I doubt this will be happening in 2026/27.