Campsie 2194Climate zone 5 · Ausgrid

Air conditioning
in Campsie

A 30 square metre living room in Campsie needs about 3.92kW, against 4.97kW for the same room in Broken Hill, because Campsie peaks at 33.9°C where Broken Hill hits 40.1°C. Installed prices here run $1,350–$3,500 for splits.

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Why Campsie is different

Sizing advice written for "Sydney" is written for an average that barely exists. Campsie accumulates 65.7 cooling degree days a year and clears 35°C about 6.5 days. Broken Hill, elsewhere in NSW, accumulates 366.2 and clears 35°C about 47.6 days — roughly a 6 times lighter cooling load. That is why the same room needs a different size unit depending which suburb it sits in, and why a number quoted for the metro average will be wrong for most addresses in it.

What size you need in Campsie

Room	Approx size	Cooling needed	Unit to look for
Bedroom	12m²	1.57kW	2kW
Large bedroom or study	18m²	2.35kW	2.5kW
Small living area	25m²	3.27kW	3.5kW
Living room	30m²	3.92kW	4.2kW
Open-plan living and dining	45m²	5.89kW	6kW
Large open plan	60m²	7.85kW	8kW

Sizing follows the design criterion AIRAH uses in its FairAir calculator: the 3pm outdoor temperature exceeded on no more than 10 days a year. We compute that figure for each suburb from Bureau of Meteorology daily records, then split the cooling load into a component that scales with how far the design temperature sits above 24C and a component from sun and internal heat that barely varies by location. That 50/50 split is our assumption, not AIRAH's. Treat the result as a starting point for a quote, not a substitute for an installer measuring your rooms.

What it costs to run here

Campsie sits in the Ausgrid network area, where a residential flat rate currently runs about 30.12c per kilowatt hour (ENGIE NSW ENGIE Standing elec). On that rate, a typical 3.5kW split system used normally costs roughly $57 a year in cooling, against about $249 for the identical unit in Broken Hill.

That figure comes from the energy rating scheme's own registered consumption figures, measured across three Australian reference climates and fitted to Campsie's 65.7 cooling degree days: about 111.4 kilowatt hours a year regardless of climate, plus 1.16 per degree day, then charged at the local tariff. The fixed part matters, because a running air conditioner draws power for standby and part-load cycling even where there is barely any cooling to do — which is why the mildest suburbs still cost something rather than nothing.

Watch the peak window.

On a time-of-use plan in this network, electricity between 15:00 to 20:59 costs about 54.72c against 21.85c off-peak. Cooling the house hard through that window is where summer bills actually get away from people. Pre-cooling before it starts costs noticeably less.

Local factors

What changes a quote in Campsie

67.1% of Campsie homes are apartments

That changes the job more than the climate does. Most of that is three storeys or higher, so the owners corporation almost certainly has rules about condenser placement and noise. Expect to need owners corporation approval before anything is mounted on a common wall, and allow two to six weeks for it on top of the install lead time. Start the paperwork before you book the installer, because approval is the single most common cause of a delayed job in apartment suburbs.

You probably need less than you think

Campsie accumulates only 65.7 cooling degree days a year and clears 35°C about 6.5 days. Oversizing is the common and expensive mistake here: too much capacity short-cycles, dehumidifies poorly and costs more upfront and to run. If an installer quotes a size up without measuring the room, ask them to justify it.

The peak window costs real money here

On a Ausgrid time-of-use plan, electricity runs about 54.72 cents during the peak window (15:00 to 20:59) against 21.85 cents off-peak, close to double. Cooling the house hard through that window is where summer bills get away from people in Campsie. Pre-cooling before it starts costs noticeably less for the same comfort.

Installed prices

System	Installed price	Suits
Small split (2.5kW)	$1,350–$2,000	Bedrooms and studies
Large split (5-7kW)	$2,100–$3,500	Living areas
Ducted, whole home	$6,500–$12,000	Houses with roof access

Sydney pricing. See the full Sydney cost guide for a breakdown by job, the New South Wales rebate guide for discounts that come off these figures, or installers who service Campsie when you want these numbers quoted on your actual job.

About Campsie

Around 27,900 people live in Campsie (estimated for 2025), across roughly 9,058 occupied dwellings. The housing mix is 67.1% apartments, 21.7% separate houses and 10.6% semi-detached or townhouses, which is what drives most of the practical differences in getting a system installed here.

Nearby suburbs

Climate, network tariffs and housing stock shift across a metro, so the sizing and running costs on these pages differ from Campsie's.

Sources and data

Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics data. Source: ABS, Census of Population and Housing 2021 and Regional population 2024-25, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Climate data: Bureau of Meteorology, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Climate zones: Australian Building Codes Board. Tariffs: Consumer Data Right energy plan data. Appliance energy data: energyrating.gov.au (E3 Program).

Population is an estimate derived from the 2021 Census count scaled by regional growth to 2025, not an official count. Climate figures come from CANTERBURY RACECOURSE AWS (066194). Nearest qualifying station (still reporting, 30.8 yr of record, 98% complete). CANTERBURY RACECOURSE AWS (066194) is 1.3 km away, 13.8 km from the open coast against the suburb's 14.6 km, at 3 m against the suburb's 36 m. Stations are ranked on distance plus penalties for differing coastal exposure, elevation, NCC climate zone, record length and marine (sand-spit or island) siting.

Air conditioning in Campsie: questions

What size air conditioner do I need in Campsie?

For a typical 30 square metre living room in Campsie, about 3.92kW, which in practice means a 4.2kW unit. Bedrooms usually land around 2kW. That comes from Campsie's design temperature of 33.9°C, against 40.1°C in Broken Hill, which is why the same room needs a different size in each. Any installer should still measure the room, since orientation, glazing and insulation move the answer.

What does it cost to run air conditioning in Campsie?

Roughly $42 a year in cooling for a typical 3.5kW split used normally, on Ausgrid network rates of about 30.12 cents a kilowatt hour. That figure starts from the appliance's registered energy rating and is then scaled by Campsie's own cooling degree days against the reference site the rating uses, because without that adjustment every suburb in the zone would show an identical number. If you are on a time-of-use plan, the peak window is where summer bills actually get away from people.

Do I need strata approval to install air conditioning in Campsie?

Very likely, since 67.1% of Campsie homes are apartments. Anything fixed to a common-property wall, and any condenser on a balcony or roof, normally needs owners corporation consent, and many buildings also specify permitted positions and noise limits. Start that approval before booking the install, because two to six weeks is normal and it is the most common cause of delay here.

When is the cheapest time to install in Campsie?

Autumn through early spring, before the summer rush. Installers discount to keep crews busy in the quiet months, and the same job carries a premium in the weeks after the first serious heat arrives, when everyone calls at once.

Air conditioning in Campsie