Living with air conditioning
Lifestyle, health, environment and seasonal advice: keeping cool, running it responsibly and living well with AC.
How to keep your house cool
A UK heatwave rarely lasts long, so the cheapest ways to stay comfortable are often the simplest. Before you think about air conditioning at all, it is worth getting the free habits right, because they make a real difference on a hot day and cost nothing to try.
The basics are easy: close curtains and blinds on the sunny side of the house during the day, open windows after dark for a through-draught once the air outside has cooled, and use fans to keep the air moving. Our guide to how to keep your house cool runs through these in order, from the free steps to the ones worth spending on. A fan does a lot on its own, though the UK Health Security Agency notes that fans become less effective once the temperature climbs above about 35°C.
Air conditioning is the next step up when habits and fans are not enough. It cools and dehumidifies the air, which a fan cannot do, but it costs more to run, so it helps to know where it earns its keep. Our comparison of air conditioning versus fans weighs up the running costs and comfort of each.
Health questions come up a lot too, from dry throats to worries about legionella. A home split is a dry cooling system, not the kind of wet cooling tower those risks apply to, but the filters still need cleaning to keep the air fresh. We cover whether air conditioning is bad for your health in plain terms.
Living with air conditioning
How to keep your house cool in summer
A practical, honest ladder of ways to keep your house cool in a UK heatwave, from free fixes to fans, portable units and fitted air conditioning.
30 Jun 2026
Is air conditioning bad for your health?
A calm, evidence-led look at whether home air conditioning is bad for you, separating myth from fact on colds, dry air, allergies, legionella and sleep, plus how to run it healthily.
8 Jun 2026Keeping cool: common questions
How can I keep my house cool without air conditioning? +
Start with the free habits: close curtains and blinds on the sunny side of the house during the day, open windows after dark for a through-draught once it is cooler outside, and use fans to move the air. A fan costs only pennies an hour to run, though the UK Health Security Agency advises that it becomes less effective once the temperature rises above about 35°C. Together these steps handle most UK hot spells without any cooling equipment at all.
Is air conditioning bad for your health? +
For most people it is not, provided the unit is kept clean. A home split is a dry cooling system, so it does not carry the legionella risk that applies to wet cooling towers. The main thing to watch is hygiene: clean or replace the filters regularly so the air stays fresh and dust does not build up.
Is it cheaper to run a fan or air conditioning? +
A fan is far cheaper, costing only pennies an hour. Air conditioning cools and dehumidifies, which a fan cannot do, but it costs roughly 13p to 52p an hour to run at the Ofgem price cap of 26.11p per kWh for July to September 2026. If a fan and good habits keep you comfortable, they are the cheaper choice by a wide margin.
What temperature should I set my air conditioning to? +
Around 24 to 26°C is a comfortable and efficient range for most homes. Setting it much lower does not cool the room any faster and simply pushes up the running cost. Aim for a temperature that takes the edge off the heat rather than one that makes the house cold.
More guides
Once you are comfortable, our buying guides help you choose a unit if you decide you want one, and our running and maintenance guides cover keeping it clean and efficient. You can also browse every guide in one place.
Ready to cool your home?
Compare portable units you can use today, or find an installer for a fitted split.