electriQ air conditioning
Buy It Direct's own budget brand, and the cheapest route into home air conditioning most UK buyers meet. Here is what electriQ really is, what you can buy in 2026, and where the new EcoPlus portable fits.
A retailer's own label, at a turning point
electriQ is not a manufacturer. It is the house brand of Buy It Direct Ltd of Huddersfield, the group behind Appliances Direct, Aircon Direct and electriq.co.uk, and it is sold almost exclusively through the group's own sites. The units are built by large OEM factories and rebadged; the clearest example is the PortaSplit12k, a rebadged Midea PortaSplit. The pitch is "built in the same facilities as the major brands, just a much fairer price tag", and on price it delivers.
The portables have had an eventful 2026. Earlier in the year the whole older line-up, from the big-selling P12C to the EcoSilent and AirFlex models, was delisted across the group's sites, and those models are still gone. Now a new one has arrived: the EcoPlus 12000 (EcoPlus12HPW), a 12,000 BTU smart portable with heat pump heating and Wi-Fi, at £549.98 from Appliances Direct and Aircon Direct. It is new for 2026 and we haven't reviewed it yet; there are no owner reviews or expert tests to judge it on so far, and we would rather wait than guess. If you want a portable with a proven record, our best portable air conditioners guide covers units we have reviewed and you can buy now.
Alongside it sits the wall-split line-up, and it is genuinely cheap for the specification: A+++ rated, Wi-Fi controlled splits at prices no mainstream brand matches. For a budget buyer who goes in with eyes open on warranty and support, that is a fair deal rather than a false economy.
What you can buy in 2026
EcoPlus 12000 smart portable (EcoPlus12HPW, £549.98). New for 2026: a 12,000 BTU portable for rooms up to 35 m² that also heats through a built-in heat pump, with Wi-Fi app control, Alexa and Google support, and a quoted 38 dB(A) on its lowest fan speed. It weighs 30.2 kg and comes with a one-year warranty. We haven't reviewed it yet because it is too new to have the owner feedback we base a verdict on, so we will look again ahead of summer 2027. The older Slimline portables are out of stock.
Easy-Fit wall splits (eIQ-9WMINV, £649.98; eIQ-12WMINV, £699.98). A+++ cooling, Wi-Fi, sold as Panasonic-powered. These run on R290, arrive pre-gassed and sealed, and the retailer states they do not need an F-Gas engineer for a typical install, though a qualified electrician should make the electrical connection. See can I install air conditioning myself? before you decide.
iQool wall splits (iQool12Plus, £579.98). A+++ smart splits on R32 refrigerant, so they must be installed and commissioned by an F-Gas qualified engineer.
iQool multi-splits from £899 for a 2x9K, with larger combinations for bigger homes, all on the same R32 F-Gas installation rules.
iQool all-in-one monobloc (iQool Smart 12HP): a through-wall unit with no outdoor unit, so not a portable despite the name turning up in portable searches, and it is unavailable as of October 2026. Our guide to air conditioning without an outdoor unit covers the alternatives.
Running costs are a strong suit: the eIQ-12WMINV draws a rated 870W in cooling, which works out at about 23p an hour flat out at 26.32p per kWh, the October 2026 price cap unit rate. More in our guide to whether air conditioners are expensive to run.
Warranty is the trade-off. Cover varies by listing: the EcoPlus portable carries just one year (a two-year extension costs £39.98), while the current wall splits list two years parts and labour plus three further years of parts, which on the iQool models depends on F-Gas commissioning and an annual service. Either way it is well short of the 5 to 10 year conditional cover from Midea, LG or the Japanese brands, so check the listing before you buy.
Prices and availability correct as of 16 October 2026; electricity rates updated for the October to December 2026 price cap. The energy price cap changes quarterly, so check current rates before budgeting.
Strengths and watch-outs
Strengths
- ✓A 12,000 BTU A+++ Wi-Fi wall split for around £700 undercuts every mainstream brand
- ✓Thousands of genuine UK owner reviews across the air conditioning range
- ✓A long record of units still running after 6 to 10 years
- ✓Low-impact refrigerants throughout: R290 in the Easy-Fit splits, R32 in the iQool splits
Watch-outs
- !The older portables were delisted in 2026, and the new EcoPlus is too fresh to have a track record
- !A retailer own label, not a manufacturer: models are OEM-built and lines churn quickly
- !Warranty cover varies by listing and is short next to mainstream rivals
- !The older portables could be noisy at full power, and a minority failed early
Frequently asked questions
Who makes electriQ air conditioners? +
electriQ is the own brand of Buy It Direct Ltd, the Huddersfield group behind Appliances Direct and Aircon Direct. The units themselves are built by third-party OEM factories and rebadged; the PortaSplit12k, for example, is a rebadged Midea PortaSplit.
Are electriQ portable air conditioners still available? +
Yes, though the range has changed. The older models, from the P12C to the EcoSilent and AirFlex, were delisted in 2026 and are still gone, but electriQ has launched the EcoPlus 12000 (EcoPlus12HPW), a 12,000 BTU smart portable that also heats, at £549.98 from Appliances Direct and Aircon Direct as of October 2026. It is new for 2026 and we haven't reviewed it yet, as there is no owner feedback to go on. The iQool Smart 12HP often searched alongside it is a through-wall monobloc rather than a portable, and it is currently unavailable.
Are electriQ air conditioners any good? +
For the money, yes, with caveats. Thousands of UK reviews are broadly positive, with durability a recurring theme, but the older portables could be noisy at full power and a minority failed early, warranty cover is shorter than mainstream rivals offer, and the new EcoPlus portable has no track record yet. We score the brand 3.5 out of 5.
Can I fit an electriQ air conditioner myself? +
The EcoPlus portable needs nothing more than its window kit. Of the fixed units, only the Easy-Fit models are DIY-friendly. They use R290, arrive pre-gassed and sealed, and the retailer states a typical install does not need an F-Gas engineer, though a qualified electrician should handle the wiring. The iQool splits use R32 and must be installed and commissioned by an F-Gas qualified engineer.
What to read next
Proven portables to weigh against the new EcoPlus, plus honest running-cost advice.
Best portable air conditioners UK 2026
Our ranked picks of the portable air conditioners actually sold in the UK, by use case and budget, with honest noise figures, prices and the no-hose myth busted.
26 Jun 2026
Air conditioning without an outdoor unit: your options
How to cool a home with no outdoor condenser, using a monobloc wall unit or a portable, plus the honest trade-offs in efficiency, output and noise.
20 Jul 2026
Is air conditioning expensive to run? UK running costs explained
Honest, dated running costs for home air conditioning, from pence per hour to a full summer. See the maths, the by-size table, and why AC heating can beat gas.
20 Jun 2026We may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page. This never affects our ratings or which products we recommend. How we make money.
Weighing up the new electriQ portable?
The EcoPlus 12000 is too new for us to review, so compare it with proven portables first, or ask local F-Gas installers to quote for a fitted split.