Air conditioning
Cooling and heating from one quiet unit.
Modern air-to-air heat pumps — commonly called air conditioning — provide both cooling in summer and supplementary heating in shoulder seasons, from a single discreet indoor unit at a fraction of the noise of older systems.
Two minutes, no obligation — real McInnes prices.
How it works
Heat moved, not made.
An indoor wall-mounted unit pairs with a small outdoor unit via thin refrigerant lines. In summer, the system moves heat from inside the room to outside; in winter, the same equipment reverses to deliver warm air. It does not generate heat or cold the way a fan heater or fridge does — it just moves existing heat in the direction you want it to go.
Modern inverter units use 60–70% less energy than older AC systems and can serve a single room (single-split) or several rooms from one outdoor unit (multi-split), with independent temperature control per zone.
How we work
Six steps, F-Gas certified throughout.
Air conditioning installs run through the same six-stage process as every job we do — with indoor/outdoor unit placement at the pre-start survey, F-Gas-certified engineers handling refrigerant work at install, and first-year monitoring confirming comfort across both cooling and heating modes.
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Step 1
Free estimate
A no-obligation estimate based on what you tell us about the property and what you want the system to do. No call-out fee, no pressure.
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Step 2
Pre-start survey
Once an estimate is accepted, we carry out a proper site survey before any installation — measuring the building, modelling heat loss or generation, and checking the existing services.
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Step 3
Full proposal
Issued after the survey. Clearly flags any changes from the estimate, with the reasoning. Fully transparent up front — no mid-job surprises.
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Step 4
Installation
Carried out by fully qualified engineers at every stage. We programme the schedule with you and keep disruption to the building proportionate.
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Step 5
Detailed handover
On every job. You leave the handover knowing exactly how the system works, what every control does, and where to find your paperwork.
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Step 6
First-year monitoring & optimisation
We remotely monitor every system we install and optimise it through the first year — tuning for efficiency and comfort as you live with it through every season.
Why McInnes Group
Designed for the room, installed by the same team.
- F-Gas-certified engineers handle all refrigerant work
- Quiet inverter units chosen for residential noise levels
- Discreet indoor units — flush wall-mounts, slim ducted options
- Designed for the room, not the spec sheet — listed properties included
- In-house electricians and aftercare — one number for warranty
- Heats as well as cools — useful in the shoulder seasons
Costs & VAT
What it costs — and what the VAT relief covers.
Priced to your rooms, not a rate card
Every system is priced to the rooms it serves — how many indoor units, wall-mounted or concealed, and the pipework runs between them. The two-minute estimate builder gives you a real McInnes price for your own layout.
Build your own estimate →Two minutes, no obligation — for domestic single- and multi-split systems.
VAT treatment
Domestic installs currently qualify for 0% VAT under the UK's energy-saving materials relief (in place until 31 March 2027), provided they're supplied and installed by a professional installer in a residential property. Portable units, cooling-only units, and equipment-only purchases without installation don't qualify and remain at standard VAT. We'll confirm the exact VAT treatment for your install during the survey.
Commercial air conditioning is charged at standard VAT — we'd rather be upfront about that.
If you're weighing air conditioning against a whole-house heat pump for heating purposes, we can advise on which path makes more sense for your property and how the funding landscape compares.
For Scottish businesses & community organisations
We work with Scottish businesses, charities, and community organisations.
A meaningful share of our work isn't domestic. Community halls, faith buildings, charities, and small businesses across Scotland come to us to scope, fund, and install the same kind of low-carbon systems we put into people's homes — and many of them qualify for support they didn't know existed.
Funding you might not realise you can access
Most commercial and community installs in Scotland are part-funded by Scottish Government schemes administered through Home Energy Scotland and Energy Saving Trust. We tell you honestly which routes fit, draft the technical sections the funder needs from us, and support you from eligibility check to drawdown — you submit and own the application.
- CARES — Community and Renewable Energy Scheme: capital grants for charities, community groups, halls, and faith buildings.
- SME Loan + Cashback — interest-free loans for Scottish small and medium businesses, with cashback grants of up to £30,000 on energy-efficient upgrades.
- Business Energy Scotland — free advice, on-site audits, and route-finding for any commercial energy project. Often the right place to start.
- Public Sector Energy Efficiency Loans — for councils, schools, NHS sites, and other public bodies undertaking decarbonisation work.
Smart system design saves money
On many commercial installs we can retain existing components — controls, distribution pipework, radiators, panels, or cabling — that other installers replace by default. Smart system design typically delivers significant savings versus replace-everything quotes, though every commercial project varies. Same philosophy as our domestic work: design for the building you have, not the catalogue.
Most organisations don't know they qualify
Eligibility is broader than people assume. If you run a hall, a charity, a small business, or a community project anywhere in Scotland, it's worth a conversation — even just to find out what's available before you commit to a direction.
Frequently asked
Air conditioning questions, answered honestly.
Isn't air conditioning overkill in Scotland?
Increasingly, no. Scottish summers have hit 30°C in recent years, and well-insulated modern homes can overheat even in shoulder seasons. Modern AC also provides shoulder-season heating — cool spring or autumn mornings — which can be more efficient than firing up the main heating system for a couple of hours.
Is it noisy?
Modern indoor units run at 19–32 dB on low speed — quieter than a library. Outdoor units sit at around 45–55 dB measured at 1 metre, similar to a fridge. We position outdoor units away from bedrooms and outdoor seating areas, and we will model placement during the survey.
Can it heat as well as cool?
Yes. Modern air-to-air heat pumps — which is what residential AC actually is — reverse their cycle to provide heating. They are efficient for shoulder-season use and supplementary heating, though for whole-house winter heating an air-to-water system (a "heat pump" install) is usually a better fit. We can recommend the right combination if you are considering both.
How energy-efficient is it?
Modern inverter AC systems achieve SEER (cooling efficiency) ratings of 7–9 and SCOP (heating efficiency) ratings of 4–5 — meaning they produce roughly 4–5 kWh of heat or cooling per kWh of electricity used. That is 4–5 times more efficient than direct electric heating.
Does it need annual servicing?
Yes — we recommend a yearly service to maintain efficiency and keep the manufacturer warranty valid. Indoor unit filters need light cleaning every few months (we leave instructions), and we check refrigerant levels and electrical connections annually.
Will it work in a listed property?
Often yes, but listed building consent is usually required. Modern systems can be installed with minimal external visual impact — discreet outdoor units, concealed pipework runs, and indoor units that sit flush against walls. We work alongside your local conservation officer where consents are needed, and we will tell you honestly during the survey whether your specific property is workable.
Do I pay VAT on air conditioning?
Domestic air conditioning installations qualify for 0% VAT in the UK until 31 March 2027, provided they're supplied and installed by a professional installer in a residential property (homes, flats, care homes, student accommodation). Portable units, cooling-only units, and equipment-only purchases without professional installation do not qualify and are charged at standard VAT. Commercial installs are charged at standard VAT. After 31 March 2027 the rate is currently scheduled to revert to 5% unless the government extends the relief.
Do you install for businesses or just homes?
Both — we do significant commercial air conditioning work across Scotland (offices, hospitality, retail, healthcare, education). AC doesn't qualify for the renewable-specific grants, though commercial efficiency upgrades can fall under broader Scottish Government loan schemes — see our commercial page.
Pairs well with
AC is cheaper to run on your own electricity.
Get in touch
Tell us about your project.
We'll be in touch within one working day. No call-out fee, no obligation.
Thanks
We'll be in touch within one working day.
If it's urgent, call us on 01463 231 423 — Monday–Friday, 08:00–17:00.
Prefer to talk? Call 01463 231 423 or email info@mcinnesgroup.co.uk.