DualCool Standard Plus

The DualCool Standard Plus is the plain white LG that UK installers quote in volume, and it is the value pick among big-brand wall splits. For £652 to £823 a unit, hundreds less than an equivalent Artcool or a premium Daikin or Mitsubishi, you get the same DUAL Inverter platform, a 19 dB(A) sleep mode that matches the quietest residential splits, reverse-cycle heating, and ThinQ Wi-Fi with energy monitoring as standard even on this base tier. It holds a steady temperature without the hunting and surging of cheaper compressors, and the 10-year compressor warranty backs the part that matters most.

It is not the efficiency leader. A++ cooling and A+ heating are a step below the A+++ of the best small Daikin, Mitsubishi and Panasonic splits and of LG's own newer Deluxe H-series, and there is no UVnano or ioniser air-hygiene kit at this tier. The headline warranty covers the compressor only, with shorter parts cover, and independent long-term owner evidence is still thin for this exact series. If the last few efficiency points or air purification matter, spend more; if you want proven LG engineering at the keenest big-brand price, this is the one to shortlist.

The DualCool Standard Plus is a wall-mounted R32 split system: a slim indoor unit paired with an outdoor condenser, sold in the PC-SQ series across four sizes from 2.5 kW to 6.6 kW of cooling. It is reverse cycle, so the same unit heats in winter at a fraction of the cost of a plug-in electric heater. R32 is the lower-impact refrigerant now standard on quality splits, and by law any work on the sealed circuit needs an F-Gas certified engineer, so this is a fitted product bought through an installer, not something you order and plug in.

Within LG's range it is the sensible middle path. Below it sits the DualCool Pro, a cheaper online-retail variant with weaker efficiency and shorter cover. Above it, the newer Deluxe H-series adds A+++ cooling, Dual Vane airflow and UVnano air hygiene for a few hundred pounds more, and the Artcool wraps the same DUAL Inverter platform in a designer fascia at a clear premium. The Standard Plus has been on sale for several years and the H-series now sits above it, which is exactly why its pricing is keen: it is the proven, widely stocked pick while the generation runs out its cycle.

It suits the buyer who has seen an LG quote come in a few hundred pounds under a Daikin or Mitsubishi and wants to know if it is a false economy. It is not. The 2.5 kW size covers a bedroom or small office, the 3.5 kW an average living room, and the larger sizes open-plan spaces, all with the same 19 dB(A) sleep mode and the ThinQ app with energy monitoring included. Choose it if value, quiet and app control matter more than the last few efficiency points or how the unit looks on the wall.

Unit prices are the cheapest of any big-brand split: about £652 for the 2.5 kW and £823 for the 3.5 kW from UK trade suppliers. Add standard installation labour of roughly £385 to £485 and a straightforward single-room install of a 2.5 or 3.5 kW lands around £1,100 to £1,500 supplied and fitted, rising to £1,800 to £2,500 or more for the larger sizes or awkward pipe runs. Qualifying installations can attract 0% VAT. As with any fitted split, the only accurate figure is a quote, so get two or three from local F-Gas registered installers before you budget.

Running costs are modest. At the July 2026 Ofgem price cap unit rate of 26.11p per kWh, the 3.5 kW size cooling flat out draws about 1.1 kW, so roughly 28p an hour, dropping to a few pence once the room reaches temperature and the DUAL Inverter modulates down. In heating, a SCOP of 4.0 means around four units of heat for every unit of electricity. As a reverse-cycle air-to-air heat pump it may qualify for the £2,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant in England and Wales, but only if it replaces a fossil-fuel heating system and is fitted by an MCS-certified installer; comfort cooling added alongside a gas boiler does not qualify, and it is separate from the larger £7,500 air-to-water grant. Prices and rates correct as of August 2026; the energy price cap changes quarterly, so check current rates before budgeting.