How we chose
We started from the forty-five air conditioning firms our research found across Telford. F-Gas certification was sourced from the REFCOM register, each firm's own website and the customer platforms [1] [2]. Each business must first meet our basic checks: it is who it says it is, it is trading today and can be reached, and the F-Gas certification the law requires is stated. Six firms met all three. What customers say counts most toward the score, then qualifications, then whether the firm has traded two years or more and whether its cover is stated, then pricing clarity and website detail. All evidence is dated 4 September 2026.
How to hire
Match the firm to the job first. A home installer fits wall-mounted split systems for single rooms, multi-splits for several rooms from one outdoor unit, and ducted systems hidden in ceilings for larger homes, while a servicing specialist keeps existing kit efficient and within warranty. Portable units need no installer at all. When you first enquire, say which rooms you want cooled or heated, which outside walls could carry the condenser, and whether you also want heating from the same unit.
Check F-Gas certification before you book. Anyone who installs, services or decommissions equipment containing fluorinated gas must hold the right individual certificate, and the company itself must hold company certification, with enforcement powers behind the law [2] [3]. REFCOM runs the country's largest F-Gas register of companies and engineers [1]. Ask for the firm's REFCOM company number, then check the number on the REFCOM website rather than taking a logo or a line on a quote at face value [1].
Check the company record as well. Type the business name into the Companies House register and confirm the number, status and address match the quote you receive [4]. A live record with several years behind it tells you who stands behind the van, while a missing record means you should slow down and ask why. Keep the company number on your quote next to the F-Gas number, so both checks sit on one page [4].
Agree where the outdoor unit will sit before you sign. Most home systems fall within permitted development, but the unit must meet the national limits on size, position and noise, and listed buildings and protected areas face stricter rules, so check with Telford and Wrekin Council where any doubt applies [7]. Think about noise at neighbouring windows, hot air over paths and fences, and how an engineer will reach the unit for its yearly service. A good installer surveys the spot rather than pricing blind.
Get two or three itemised written quotes on the same scope, separating equipment, labour and VAT so you compare like with like. Each quote should name the unit maker and model, the room sizes it is sized for, the pipework run, the electrical work and condensate drain, the commissioning step, the warranty terms with who honours them, the start date and the payment stages. A deposit for equipment is normal, while full payment before completion is not. Treat an outlier far above or below the rest as a question rather than a bargain.
At the end, collect the paperwork before you pay the balance: the itemised invoice, the commissioning record for the system, the warranty documents registered in your name, and the manuals for the indoor and outdoor units. Run the system through heating and cooling while the engineer is still there, and agree how snagging works in the first weeks. If anything goes wrong afterwards, Citizens Advice sets out your consumer options and template letters for putting it right [8].
Pricing
As of autumn 2026, rough Telford ranges run like this: a wall-mounted split for one room typically means a unit cost of £620–£890 with installation of £960–£1,380 on top, averaging around £750 for the unit plus £1,150 to fit it [5]. A ducted ceiling system for the same size runs higher, with the unit around £830–£1,190 and installation around £1,460–£2,100 [5]. Portable units need no fitting and cost far less, at roughly £300–£420 for the common size [5].
Servicing is the smaller yearly bill: a one-off service runs £70–£120 per unit, with monthly maintenance cover from around £40 a month [6]. A weekday call-out sits around £130–£180 including the first hour, rising at weekends, with refrigerant charged on top where the system needs it [6]. If parts fail, bills climb fast: leaks from around £300 and a new compressor past £1,000, at which point replacing the unit can make more sense [6].
The pipework run moves the install price most: a condenser straight outside the indoor unit costs least, while runs across lofts or floors, new electrical spurs and isolators, and awkward access all add labour [5]. More rooms mean more indoor units on one or more outdoor units. Telford usually sits below London and South East prices, where labour rates run highest [5] [6].
Ask whether each quote includes VAT and the electrical extras, since published ranges may exclude one or both [5]. Firms in this round publish almost no example rates beyond free surveys and guide prices, so treat any single fixed price for a multi-room job with no breakdown as a question, not an answer. Get the scope in writing before work starts: the exact units, the pipework route, what changes the price if the survey finds worse access than expected, and the payment stages.
Red flags
Touches refrigerant with no F-Gas detail you can check on the REFCOM site [1].
Prices a multi-room system without visiting or asking for room sizes and photos of the board and outdoor space.
Gives one fixed price with no split between equipment, labour and VAT.
Asks for full payment in cash before starting, with no written quote or terms [8].
Sits the outdoor unit where noise and hot air hit a neighbour's window, with no discussion of siting [7].
Finishes with no commissioning record, warranty documents or manuals left behind.
Will not put the scope, price and start date in writing before starting.
The bottom line
For most Telford homes, start with Dual Comfort: a detailed written estimate, certification stated with a number you can check, and weekend and emergency cover. The company is young and its insurance is not stated, so ask for proof of cover and keep the estimate itemised. If you want a budget figure before anyone visits, Stag is the closest alternative.
Match the firm to the job: AC Comfort for homes and small firms across the county, Climatemp for servicing and compliance, Roberts where a showroom visit helps, and Drayton for a surveyed system with stated warranty terms. Then get two or three written quotes on the same scope, check the company number and the F-Gas detail, and agree the price, dates and warranty before anyone starts.
Corrections and business responses
Tell us what needs checking, or ask to claim a listing and reply to an assessment.