Kit desk · chart page
Portable vs split air conditioner: what the numbers say
Portable vs split air conditioner: about 64,000 UK homes had a fixed single split in 2024, while most of the 2–3% of homes with cooling relied on portables.
By the Cooler Indoors desk · figures checked · 4 charts · sources · methods
A portable vs split air conditioner decision is mostly a trade between convenience and efficiency. A portable rolls into a room and vents its heat through a window hose; a split system puts the compressor outdoors and links it to a wall unit with sealed refrigerant pipes. The government's latest market report suggests most UK homes with cooling went for the portable.
How many UK homes use portable or split air conditioners?
Only a small share of homes use either. About 2–3% of UK homes had some form of cooling in 2024, and the bulk of it was portable units, according to a DESNZ market update published on 24 September 2026. Fixed systems are a thin slice of that, led by single splits.
Source: DESNZ, UK space cooling market landscape update · checked 29 October 2026
How we read this Installed base in homes from Table 2 of the report, rounded ("~") in the source. Portables sit outside this table, so it cannot show how many portable units are in use.
Show the numbers
| Label | units | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Single-split | 64,000 | |
| VRF | 15,000 | |
| Multi-split | 7,000 |
Sales follow the same pattern. Roughly 9,000 single splits went into homes in 2024, more than the other fixed types combined.
Source: DESNZ, UK space cooling market landscape update · checked 29 October 2026
How we read this Residential sales for one year, rounded in the source. It shows the mix of fixed systems, not a trend over time.
Show the numbers
| Label | units | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Single-split | 9,000 | |
| VRF | 2,000 | |
| Multi-split | 1,000 |
What does a split system do that a portable cannot?
A split moves heat outdoors through sealed pipes, so no room air is thrown out of the window. A portable must dump its heat through a hose, and a single-hose model then pulls replacement air in through gaps, which is warm air on a hot day. We explain that penalty, and what a second hose changes, in our hose comparison.
Most wall splits sold today are reversible, so they heat in winter as well. That makes them air-to-air heat pumps in the eyes of the taxman, the planning rules and the grant schemes.
How do energy labels compare for portable and split units?
The GB label grades the two types on different yardsticks. In the label rules, splits are graded on seasonal SEER and SCOP, while single-duct and double-duct portables are graded on a rated EER taken at one test point. An A+ portable and an A+ split are therefore not equal.
Source: legislation.gov.uk, Regulation (EU) No 626/2011, Annex II · checked 29 October 2026
How we read this Lower bound of the A+ cooling class for each type. The figures come from different test bases (seasonal against a single rated point), so the gap shows how the label is built, not the real difference in running cost.
Show the numbers
| Label | ratio | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Split (SEER) | 5.60 | |
| Double duct (EER) | 3.10 | |
| Single duct (EER) | 3.10 |
Real splits clear the A+ line comfortably. Fujitsu declares a SEER of 7.40 for its ASEH09KNCA, and Mitsubishi Electric declares 10.5 for the MSZ-LN25. Our label thresholds page shows where those land.
Does VAT differ between a portable and a split air conditioner?
Usually, yes. HMRC zero-rates installed energy-saving materials, heat pumps included, until 31 March 2027, and its notice treats the bulk of AC units as a kind of air source heat pump. The unit must be permanently fixed. A portable, or any kit bought without installation, is standard-rated at 20%.
Source: HMRC, VAT Notice 708/6 · checked 29 October 2026
How we read this Rates as HMRC sets them out. The zero rate depends on the unit being fixed and fitted, and HMRC judges each case on its facts, so check the installer's invoice.
Show the numbers
| Label | % | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed split, installed, to 31 Mar 2027 | 0% | |
| Fixed split, installed, from 1 Apr 2027 | 5% | |
| Portable or uninstalled kit | 20% |
Who can install a split air conditioner, and who can set up a portable?
Anyone can set up a portable: it plugs in and the hose clips into a window kit. A split is a regulated job. Only F-gas certified engineers, working for a certified company, may install, service, re-gas or decommission one, and the government is plain that handling F gas without the right qualifications breaks the law. There is no legal DIY refrigerant work and no DIY pipe connection.
A new circuit for the outdoor unit is work for a registered electrician under Part P in England (Wales has its own rules), done to BS 7671:2018+A4:2026.
Does a split need planning permission when a portable does not?
A portable never does. In England, Class G permitted development can cover an outdoor unit that heats and cools, but not one used only for cooling, and it must meet the MCS 020(a) noise limit. Official sources disagree on cooling-only units, so ask your council's planning team before buying. Each nation's limits are laid out in planning rules by nation.
| Point | Portable (single or dual hose) | Split system | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share of homes | Most of the 2–3% of homes with cooling | About 64,000 single splits installed | DESNZ, Sept 2026 |
| Label metric | Rated EER at one test point | Seasonal SEER (cooling) and SCOP (heating) | Reg. 626/2011 Annex II |
| VAT | 20% | 0% when fixed and installed, to 31 March 2027 | HMRC Notice 708/6 |
| Who sets it up | The householder, using the window kit | F-gas certified engineer and company | GOV.UK F-gas qualifications |
| GB refrigerant rule | HFCs with GWP above 150 banned | Single split under 3 kg: GWP above 750 banned since 2025 | GOV.UK F-gas bans |
| Planning (England) | Not needed | Heat-and-cool can be permitted development; cooling-only is disputed | GPDO Part 14 |
| Declared SEER, examples | Not applicable | 7.40 (Fujitsu ASEH09KNCA); 10.5 (Mitsubishi MSZ-LN25) | Fujitsu, Mitsubishi |
Questions this data raises
Can a split air conditioner be moved to another room later?
Not by the owner. Moving one means recovering the refrigerant and remaking pipe joints, which only an F-gas certified engineer may do. If the unit has to travel between rooms, a portable is the type built for that.
Is a portable cheaper to buy than a split in the UK?
We hold no primary price data for either, so we do not quote prices. What we can say is that a portable carries 20% VAT, while a fixed split fitted by an installer can carry 0% until 31 March 2027.
Will a split system heat my home as well as cool it?
Most current wall splits are reversible heat pumps. Both spec sheets we read declare a heating SCOP: 4.40 for the Fujitsu ASEH09KNCA and 5.2 for the Mitsubishi MSZ-LN25.
Which is quieter indoors, a portable or a split?
A split keeps its compressor outside, and the indoor units we looked at declare 19 to 42 dB(A) sound pressure. We found no primary noise figures for portables, so we make no direct comparison.
Sources for this page
- DESNZ, UK space cooling market landscape update assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
- legislation.gov.uk, Regulation (EU) No 626/2011, Annex II legislation.gov.uk
- HMRC, VAT Notice 708/6 gov.uk
- DESNZ, Sept 2026 gov.uk
- GOV.UK F-gas qualifications gov.uk
- GOV.UK F-gas bans gov.uk
- GPDO Part 14 legislation.gov.uk
- Fujitsu generalww.com
- Mitsubishi les.mitsubishielectric.co.uk
All checked 29 October 2026. How we choose and read sources: Methods & sources.