Air conditioning and heating in Cheltenham
Helcro Electrical installs air conditioning in Cheltenham from our workshop at 45/148 Chesterville Road: split systems, multi-splits and ducted reverse cycle, across Melbourne’s South East. Each one heats in winter and cools in summer, so one system covers heating and cooling. A split system starts from $1,618 with a standard back-to-back installation, and our own team does the electrical and the refrigeration work, with no subcontracting.
Request a quote and we will call you back within 2 business hours. We can often give you an indicative price by phone, at no cost; your written quote follows a $50 site assessment.
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In business since 2006 · Registered Electrical Contractor REC 35448 · VEU Accredited Provider A003039 · ARC Refrigerant Trading Authorisation AU50700 · 5-year workmanship warranty on air conditioning
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Air conditioning prices in Cheltenham
Our prices include GST and have no Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) discount taken off. Prices as at November 2026.
| System | Price |
|---|---|
| Split system, standard back-to-back installation | from $1,618 (Haier 2.5 kW) to $4,169 (Mitsubishi Electric 9.0 kW) |
| Multi-split, 3 to 4 indoor heads, installed | about $10,000 to $11,000 (12 kW Mitsubishi Electric, 12.5 kW Fujitsu or 10 kW Panasonic) |
| Multi-split, larger, installed | about $12,000 to $13,000 (19 kW Rinnai with 5 to 6 indoor heads; 17 kW Carrier or 19 kW Midea) |
| Ducted reverse cycle, new | about $13,700 to $15,900 for a 12.5 to 16 kW system with outlets, zones and our electrician |
Back-to-back means the outdoor unit sits behind the indoor unit on the same wall: up to 4 m of pipe and 15 m of cable. Around the corner, extra pipe is $50 a metre past 4 m.
A 3.5 kW Mitsubishi Heavy Industries split system is $1,359 for the unit, and a standard installation is usually $800 to $1,000 on top (up to about $1,200 for a larger system). The full split system table is on our air conditioning installation page. For ducted, try the ducted air conditioning cost calculator; your exact system, and any other multi-split combination, is quoted on the house.
A Cheltenham job: one Rinnai multi-split, four rooms
In a two-storey home in Cheltenham 3192, we installed a Rinnai 19 kW multi-split: one MON6H19B outdoor unit and four indoor heads, one in the main lounge and one in each of the three upstairs bedrooms. The outdoor unit sits on rails on the roof, with its isolator switch beside it and a drain line for the water the system makes. A four-head system like this is quoted on the house; the table's $12,000 to $13,000 is for 5 to 6 heads.
A multi-split often suits a two-storey Cheltenham house: one outdoor unit instead of four on the walls, no ducts to fit, and each room has its own temperature.
A multi-split this size can still get a VEU discount: since 30 September 2026 the discount for a home multi-split is worked out on no more than 20 kW of heating and 20 kW of cooling capacity, and a larger system can still be installed. The Rinnai's specifications, and how its heads share the outdoor unit, are on our Rinnai multi-split page.
Split, multi-split or ducted: what suits a Cheltenham home
In the 2021 Census, Cheltenham homes average 2.9 bedrooms (Victoria 3.1), and 72.6% have two or three bedrooms. For most homes here, that means cooling and heating two to four rooms.
Split systems
A split system is one indoor unit and one outdoor unit, for one room; two or three are often the simplest answer in a single-storey house or a flat. Census figures show most of Cheltenham's flats are in one or two storey blocks. In a block, the outdoor unit's spot may need the owners corporation's OK.
Multi-split
A multi-split runs several indoor heads from one shared outdoor unit. The 2021 Census counts 823 of Cheltenham's townhouses and terraces as two storeys or more, the same shape of home as our Rinnai job. The trade-offs, from Rinnai: each room's output is limited by the shared outdoor unit, and if it needs servicing, several rooms may be affected. Its operating manual adds that rooms can't heat and cool at the same time (heat mode takes precedence).
Ducted reverse cycle
Ducted reverse cycle heats and cools the whole house through outlets from one central unit, with zones so you run only the rooms you use. It needs roof or subfloor space for the ducts.
Our sizing calculator gives a first estimate of size; at the site assessment we recommend a system for your rooms.
Heating: replacing gas with reverse cycle
Reverse cycle air conditioners are heat pumps (not heat pump hot water): Solar Victoria says they "can be used on heating mode in winter to replace gas heaters and under-floor ducted gas systems". The Victorian Government calls them the cheapest way to both heat and cool your home.
If you own your home, you don't have to switch: there is no requirement to replace existing gas space heating. New homes are different: a new home or knock-down rebuild whose building permit is issued from 1 January 2027 can't be connected to mains gas, unless the building surveyor certifies that substantial design progress was made before that date.
We don't install gas ducted heaters. If yours is on its last legs, see gas ducted heating replacement for the electric options; plan on new ducts, as old gas ducts are usually too small.
Does it heat on a cold winter morning? The Rinnai multi-split above is made to heat with outdoor temperatures down to -15°C.
What it costs to run and the discounts. The Victorian Government's discounts page lists:
- Gas room heater to a reverse cycle split system: a VEU discount of up to $1,610
- Ducted gas to ducted reverse cycle: up to $5,530 for a 22.4 kW system
- Running cost: replacing ducted gas heating with efficient reverse cycle can save up to $1,140 a year
On a model's Zoned Energy Rating Label, read the cold-zone heating figure: Melbourne is in the cold zone.
VEU discounts since 30 September 2026
As a VEU Accredited Provider (A003039), we take the discount off your invoice. Since 30 September 2026 you pay at least $200 for a single split under 10 kW, $1,000 for a multi-split under 10 kW, and $3,000 for a multi-split of 10 kW or more or a ducted system of any capacity (inc GST), as set out in the VEU Specifications and announced by the Essential Services Commission.
Three rules trip people up: if the new system replaces an existing heater or cooler, the property must be more than 2 years old; the larger replacement discount needs the old gas heater decommissioned; and the exact model must be on the VEU product register. Every tier and rule is on our Victorian Energy Upgrades page.
Renting out a Cheltenham home
In the 2021 Census, 27.1% of Cheltenham's occupied homes were rented. From 1 March 2027, a rental with no fixed cooler needs an energy-efficient fixed cooler in the main living area when a new rental agreement starts or an existing one converts to month-to-month, unless an exemption applies. From 1 July 2030 that applies to every rental, unless an exemption applies.
The cooler must be fixed, not portable, with a 3-star or better cooling rating (ducted: TCSPF 3.8 or more). And from 1 March 2027, when a rental's fixed heating fails and cannot be repaired, it must be replaced with energy-efficient fixed electric heating, such as reverse cycle, with an outlet in the main living area, unless an exemption applies. Rental providers can get the VEU discounts above.
Details: Consumer Affairs Victoria and our rental minimum standards guide.
What happens at the $50 site assessment
The house sets the price, so we check:
- Where the outdoor unit goes: on the wall or on the ground, back-to-back or around the corner, and where its drain line runs
- The pipe run: how far it is to an upstairs bedroom
- Your switchboard: we do the electrical work too, so there is no separate electrician to book. If the board can't take the new circuit, a home switchboard upgrade is typically $1,250 to $2,500
- The neighbours: under EPA Victoria's residential noise rules, an air conditioner cooling shouldn't be heard in a neighbour's habitable room before 7 am or after 11 pm on weekdays (9 am on weekends and public holidays); for heating, 10 pm.
Licences, paperwork and warranty
Our own team installs every system, with no subcontracting (you may meet Fedya or Rhys). Helcro Electrical holds ARC Refrigerant Trading Authorisation AU50700, and team members are registered with the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC) for air conditioning work.
Installing a split system is also plumbing work in Victoria: the Building and Plumbing Commission requires a plumbing compliance certificate when the job is worth more than $750, given to you within five days. On the electrical side you get a Certificate of Electrical Safety wherever the work requires one.
To check any installer, look up the ARC authorisation on the Look for the Tick register and ask for the REC number and BPC registration. Our workmanship on air conditioning is covered for 5 years from the certificate date, and the warranty carries over to a new owner if you sell.
WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY
Philippe M (Oneflare review, Highett, split system installed)
Mandeep v (Oneflare review, Bentleigh East, air conditioning)
Questions about air conditioning in Cheltenham
Which air conditioner brands do you install?
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Electric, Daikin, Haier, Rinnai, Fujitsu, Carrier, Midea and Panasonic. We recommend a model for your rooms at the site assessment.
Is a portable air conditioner worth it?
For a rental, it doesn’t count: a portable air conditioner doesn’t meet the Victorian rental cooling standard, which needs a fixed system. We install fixed split, multi-split and ducted systems only.
Is 22 degrees cold for aircon?
The Victorian Government suggests 18 to 20 degrees for heating in winter and 23 to 26 degrees for cooling in summer. So 22 is a little warmer than suggested for heating, and a little cooler than suggested for cooling.
Why does a split system have two kW numbers?
One is the cooling capacity and one the heating capacity. Our 3.5 kW Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Avanti, for example, cools at 3.5 kW and heats at 3.7 kW.
Why does the outdoor unit stop on frosty mornings?
It is defrosting. In cold weather frost builds up on the outdoor unit, so heating pauses for up to about 10 minutes while it clears; that is normal, not a fault.
Will you install an air conditioner I bought myself?
We generally don’t install air conditioners that customers have bought themselves, because it’s unclear who is responsible if something goes wrong.
Do you regas air conditioners?
Yes, including systems another company installed. A regas is normally our $165 service call plus the refrigerant used, at $250 a kilogram. For example, a system that takes 1.5 kg is $165 + $250 + $125, so $540 including GST.
Do you repair air conditioners?
Yes, on request, but a repair is not cheap: it usually means more than one visit. It is mostly worth it on a more expensive system.
Get a quote for air conditioning in Cheltenham
Request a quote and we will call you back within 2 business hours. We can often give you an indicative price by phone, at no cost; your written quote follows a $50 site assessment.
Need an electrician for something else? See our Cheltenham page.
Written by Helcro Electrical, which sells and installs the systems on this page. How we checked: 2021 Census QuickStats for Cheltenham (VIC), the Government’s discounts page (last updated 29 October 2026), the Essential Services Commission, Consumer Affairs Victoria and the makers’ own pages, November 2026.