The questions we get asked most.

Far less than most people expect. A typical wall-mounted unit sized for a bedroom or home office draws roughly 0.4–0.8 kW while it is working — similar to a couple of desktop computers — and once the room reaches temperature the compressor throttles right back rather than switching hard on and off.

At around 25p per kWh that works out at roughly 10p–20p an hour in normal use. Running the same unit in heating mode is usually cheaper than electric panel heaters, because a reversible heat pump moves heat rather than creating it: for every 1 kW of electricity it uses, it typically delivers 3–4 kW of heat.

Real running costs depend on the room, the insulation, the glazing and how you use the controls, so we give you an indicative figure for your specific system at survey stage rather than a generic number.

Often yes. The permitted development rights that cover air source heat pumps do not automatically extend to air conditioning condensers, so in many cases an outdoor unit on a domestic property will need a planning application. It is inexpensive and usually straightforward, but it should be checked before anything is ordered.

Planning permission is almost always required if the property is listed, in a conservation area, or in a World Heritage setting — which affects a lot of central Bath and parts of Clifton and Bristol's older suburbs. Flats and leasehold properties will normally also need freeholder or management company consent.

We advise on siting, noise and screening at survey stage, tell you plainly whether we think an application is needed, and can supply the technical details your local authority will ask for. Final confirmation always comes from the council's planning department.

F-Gas is the regulation that governs fluorinated refrigerant gases — the working fluid inside every air conditioning system. Handling, installing, commissioning and decommissioning that refrigerant legally requires a qualified engineer, and the business doing the work must be a registered F-Gas company.

It matters for three reasons: it is a legal requirement, an unregistered installation will normally void the manufacturer's warranty, and badly handled refrigerant leaks are both environmentally damaging and expensive to put right.

Bambridge Climate operates under REFCOM registration, so your installation, its documentation and any future servicing are all compliant. Commercial systems above certain refrigerant charges also require periodic leak checks and record keeping, which we handle as part of a maintenance plan.

Modern indoor units are very quiet — typically around 19–25 dB(A) on their lowest fan speed, which is quieter than a fridge and well below normal conversation. That is why they work well in bedrooms and home offices.

The outdoor unit is the one that needs thought. A domestic condenser is usually in the region of 45–55 dB(A) at one metre, dropping quickly with distance. Position matters more than the specification: away from bedroom windows, off resonant surfaces, on anti-vibration mounts, and with clear airflow around it.

For properties close to a boundary we can model the expected sound level at the neighbouring window and, where useful, specify an acoustic enclosure or a quieter night mode.

A single-room domestic system is normally a one-day install. A multi-room system with one outdoor unit serving two to four rooms typically takes two to three days depending on pipe runs and access.

Commercial work is scheduled around your business — often out of hours or in phases — and the timescale is set out in the quotation before we start.

From your side the sequence is: free survey, written design and fixed price, then an installation date. Where planning permission is needed, allow around eight weeks for the council decision before the install date is confirmed.