Octopus Energy's Cosy cooler turns heat pumps into air conditioning for £500

The Cosy cooler measures 72cm tall, 43cm wide and 35cm deep, about the size of a tall kitchen bin. It connects to existing central heating radiator pipework and the heat pump, and Octopus says fitting takes about three hours without major building work.

The system chills the water running through radiators. It also takes in warm air from indoors, cools it with a heat exchanger, and circulates the chilled air back into the room. One unit can cool a single room; running two to three units in different rooms requires a higher-tier Cosy heat pump. Octopus offers the Cosy 6, Cosy 9 and Cosy 12 heat pumps.

Octopus expects to sell the cooling units for £500 to £600, less than a full air-conditioning system, which the energy provider notes can run from £2,000 upwards. The company aims to sell the Cosy coolers to customers next summer. The product is currently a prototype and is not standalone; trial applicants need to be running the Cosy heat pump.

Greg Jackson, CEO and founder of Octopus, said: "Sadly, British homes need to be ready for freezing winters and increasingly hot summers." He added: "The Boiler Upgrade Scheme has helped give the industry the confidence to invest, innovate and drive costs down — and Cosy cooler is the latest result of Octopus ingenuity."

Octopus recently launched plug-in solar kits, which have sold out twice, and more kits are on the way, according to the company. The Cosy cooler follows that product line as another attempt to help households manage heating and cooling costs. TechRadar reported that last summer’s heat led to portable air-conditioning units and fans selling out in many cases, with prices for remaining stock rising quickly.

Trials are underway in UK homes and offices, and Octopus is accepting applications from people who want to test the Cosy cooler. The company says the add-on works with the existing heat pump and radiator pipework, rather than operating as a separate air-conditioning unit.