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Heating guide · Winter 2026
Can air conditioning heat your home?
Yes. Modern air conditioning is a heat pump that warms your home in winter as well as cooling it in summer, often for less than gas. Here's how it works and what it costs.
The quick answer
Yes, and it can cost less than gas
- HowIt's an air-to-air heat pump: it moves heat from outside into your room instead of burning fuel.
- CostAbout 5.7p per kWh of heat, compared with around 8.9p for gas and 26p for an electric heater.
- WinterKeeps heating in sub-zero weather, down to around -15°C to -20°C depending on the model.
How it works
How air conditioning heats a room
- 1Heat is collected outside
Even cold winter air holds heat. The outdoor unit absorbs it into the refrigerant. - 2It's compressed
The compressor squeezes the refrigerant, which raises its temperature well above room temperature. - 3Warm air comes out indoors
The indoor unit releases that heat into your room as warm, gentle airflow. - 4It repeats, efficiently
For every 1kWh of electricity, a typical system delivers around 4 to 5kWh of heat over a season.
Cost
Heating cost compared, per kWh of heat
At the Ofgem price cap for October to December 2026.
Electricity 26.32p and gas 7.97p per kWh. Standing charges not included. Real-world efficiency depends on the weather, your home and settings.
Best rooms
Where heating with air conditioning works best
Conservatories
Usable all year: cool in summer and warm in winter, without running pipes from your boiler.
Garden rooms and offices
A single unit heats and cools a garden office or studio with no plumbing needed.
Extensions and loft rooms
Rooms your central heating struggles to reach get their own efficient heat source.
Homes without gas
In flats, park homes and off-grid homes it's far cheaper than plug-in or storage heaters.
Rooms you use most
Heat the living room or bedroom quickly instead of firing up the whole central heating.
Businesses
Shops, offices and salons get heating and cooling from one system all year.
Know before you buy
What air conditioning can and can't do
Air conditioning is excellent at heating the rooms it's fitted in. It won't heat your hot water, and it isn't covered by the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant, which is for air-to-water heat pumps.
What you get
- Heating and cooling from one system
- Fast warm-up, controlled from your phone
- Each room set to its own temperature
- A++ or better efficiency for heating
- Doesn't heat hot water
- Not eligible for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme
FAQs
Heating with air conditioning: your questions
Still unsure? Call us on 0330 043 7869, 7 days a week.
Can air conditioning be used for heating?
Yes. Every split system we install is an air-to-air heat pump with a heating mode. It takes heat from the outside air and moves it into your room, even when it's below freezing outside.
Is heating with air conditioning cheaper than gas?
At October 2026 prices, often yes. With a SCOP of 4.6, air conditioning produces heat for about 5.7p per kWh, compared with about 8.9p for a 90% efficient gas boiler.
Does air conditioning work in freezing weather?
Yes. The Daikin and Mitsubishi systems we fit keep heating down to around -15°C to -20°C outside, depending on the model. Output drops a little in very cold weather, so we size systems for UK winters.
Can air conditioning replace my central heating?
It can heat individual rooms or a whole home with a multi split system, but it doesn't heat hot water. Many customers use it alongside their boiler, heating the rooms they use most.
Is an air-to-air heat pump the same as an air source heat pump?
Both take heat from the outside air. An air-to-air heat pump (air conditioning) blows warm air into the room. An air-to-water heat pump heats water for radiators and taps instead.
Can I get a grant for air-to-air heat pumps?
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant is for air-to-water heat pumps that replace a boiler, not air-to-air systems. We offer 0% finance on selected systems instead, subject to status.
Warm in winter, cool in summer
Prefer to talk? Call 0330 043 7869, 7 days a week.