NEWS
The UK’s coolest town: where does your town rank?
Updated 07/26
Demand for air conditioning has more than doubled across the UK, with some towns seeing growth of over 400%.
The rise comes as the UK endures one of its most exceptional years for heat on record. The Met Office has confirmed four separate heatwaves since May, including a new UK record of 37.7°C in June and the earliest calendar-year run of 35°C+ days ever recorded.
While demand has grown almost everywhere, the sharpest growth hasn't been in the usual South East hotspots. Towns in the Midlands, Wales and the South West have seen some of the steepest increases of all.
Air conditioning demand hotspots
Air conditioning enquiries in Taunton have rocketed by 470% year-on-year, easily the fastest growth anywhere in the UK, and more than one and a half times the pace of second-placed Stoke-on-Trent.
Salisbury and Worcester aren't far behind, both up over 250%, while Newport, Bournemouth and Swindon complete a top ten that stretches from the Welsh coast to the Midlands.
Take a look at which places are keeping cool:
Rank | Town | YoY change in booking enquiries |
1 | Taunton | +470% |
2 | Stoke-on-Trent | +298% |
3 | Salisbury | +252% |
4 | Worcester | +252% |
5 | Newport | +251% |
6 | Bournemouth | +237% |
7 | Swindon | +237% |
8 | Cardiff | +235% |
9 | Nottingham | +217% |
10 | Birmingham | +205% |
Why more UK homeowners are turning to air conditioning
With record-breaking heatwaves becoming more frequent, homeowners are realising that fans simply don’t cut it anymore. Many are now investing in air conditioning for homes not just for comfort, but also for health and productivity, especially with so many people working from home.
Modern air conditioning systems can also improve indoor air quality, making them a smart choice for families and anyone concerned about allergens or pollution.
Air conditioning: Everything you need to know
Ever wondered how air conditioning works? Discover our helpful guide to learn more above types of air conditioning, how they work and installation costs.
Thinking about air conditioning installation?
If you’re considering air conditioning installation in the UK, now could be the right time. With demand rising fast, booking ahead means you can be cool in no time.
From home cooling solutions in coastal towns to air conditioning units for city apartments, there’s never been a wider range of options to suit different spaces and budgets.
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Methodology
All figures in this release are based on internal Checkatrade platform data and are expressed as percentage change only.
Data source: Checkatrade booking opportunities and on-site search activity for the "Air Conditioning" trade category.
Comparison period: 1 January to 27 July 2026 versus the equivalent 1 January to 27 July 2025 period, compared like-for-like to control for seasonality.
Geography: Towns are defined by Royal Mail postcode area (e.g. Taunton = TA postcode area), which may include some surrounding areas beyond the town boundary itself.
Growth calculation: Percentage change in the number of booking opportunities (or searches) recorded in each postcode area between the two periods.
Data quality control: Postcode areas with an insufficient comparative base in the 2025 period were excluded from the ranking, since small starting volumes can produce statistically unstable and misleading percentage swings.
What this measures: Year-on-year change within each town, rather than a comparison of towns against one another. This avoids the risk of larger, higher-density towns appearing to "lead" simply because of population size.
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