Air con maintenance vital for vehicles as Kwik Fit reports record demand

Kwik Fit reported that it has seen record demand for air conditioning services this summer, due to the UK’s numerous heatwaves.

Summer 2026 has seen 11 of Kwik Fit’s 15 busiest days ever for air conditioning testing and regassing.

The busiest single day on record was 26th May 2026, with demand 28% higher than the day prior.

26th May 2026 was also the hottest day in May ever recorded in the UK, with temperatures reaching 35.1 degrees Celsius at Kew Gardens.

Nationwide demand for air conditioning services between April and July was 22% higher than last year, and 58% above the average across the past four years.

Dan Joyce, operations director at Kwik Fit, said: “We have been providing air conditioning regas and servicing in our centres for many years, but the scale of demand this year has been unprecedented.

“In-car air con needs regular maintenance to ensure it works as efficiently as possible. Many drivers may have felt that their air con was functioning well enough, but the extreme heat has highlighted that many systems were in need of regassing.

“While air con might be seen purely as an issue of comfort, ensuring there is a cool environment for long summer journeys will help keep drivers and their passengers calm and alert and make for a less stressful and therefore safer trip.”