Why Havering homes get so warm
Havering sits on the drier, warmer eastern edge of London, out past the Thames-side breeze, and summer heat tends to hang around here. The housing stock holds onto it too. Most of the borough went up in the interwar push out along the District line: street after street of semis in Hornchurch, Elm Park and Upminster, plus the garden-suburb streets of Gidea Park, with big south-facing bays and bedrooms tucked under the roof. The loft insulation added since keeps winter heat in — and traps summer heat too. Upstairs rooms in these houses stay stuffy long after the evening has cooled off outside.
A wall-mounted split unit is the usual answer, and it is worth knowing what it actually is: a reversible air-to-air heat pump. It cools in July and heats in January, putting out several units of heat for each unit of electricity it uses — often the cheapest way to heat a single room. On price, quotes vary a lot between homes, so rather than name a figure that might not apply to yours, our guide to what air conditioning costs in the UK sets out realistic ranges and what drives them. One thing worth knowing early: air-to-air units are not covered by the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which only funds air-to-water systems.
Things worth checking first in RM postcodes
- Electrics. Plenty of Havering semis still run on older consumer units, and an installer will want to see recent electrical paperwork before quoting. Some homes need a consumer unit upgrade first. Our guide on whether your home electrics can handle air conditioning explains what to look for.
- Conservation areas. Parts of the borough, including the Gidea Park garden suburb, are conservation areas. Check with Havering Council before fixing an outdoor unit to a front or otherwise visible wall — do not assume it is fine.
- Flats and leasehold. In the newer blocks around Romford town centre you will almost always need freeholder consent for an outdoor unit, and it is worth asking before you get quotes, not after.
Where Coolhouse is up to in Havering
Straight answer: we do not yet have vetted installers in Havering. Our network is live in Hertfordshire, and we are building it out one installer at a time rather than listing anyone with a van. If you leave your details through our estimate tool, we will tell you honestly where we are up to and get in touch as soon as an installer we would use in our own homes covers the RM postcodes. No pretend coverage, no passing your number around.