Demand for air-con servicing heats up amid worsening haze in S’pore

SINGAPORE – More job postings for air-conditioner technicians have surfaced in the last quarter, as demand for air-conditioner servicing rose sharply across residential and commercial venues.

Requests for air-conditioner servicing surged in September as the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) first entered the unhealthy range in Singapore, with demand continuing to climb in October.

Sushil Acharya, co-founder of home services platform StringsSG, said September recorded the sharpest increase in requests for air-con servicing, as it coincides with the onset of the haze. There were 792 requests in September, up from 297 in the same month in 2025.

In October, the volume of requests increased further, indicating worsened air quality across the island. He noted that requests received from Oct 1 to 10 were 23% higher than during the same period in September and October 2025.

“In September, the number of requests generated per dollar of customer acquisition spending increased by 64% compared with in August,” he said.

The increase in demand comes as a combination of hazy conditions and hot weather prompts more families and businesses to check that their air-conditioners are working properly. 

Air-con servicing companies told The Straits Times that customer demand and queries on air-conditioner servicing have risen sharply, by up to 30% in recent months.

For Rafiuddin Ismail, sales operation manager at Wira Aircon Services, the prolonged haze and hotter weather meant handling a surge in customer queries on aircon performance.

There has been about a 30% increase in new customers, he said, adding that he has observed more residential and commercial customers like hotels, shops and offices “experiencing insufficient cooling rather than reporting actual equipment faults”. 

He said: “We have also received more inquiries from customers who have not been using their air-conditioning units regularly and now want to have them checked before using them more frequently, especially at night.

“Many are looking to ensure their units can provide a comfortable sleeping environment.”

Similarly, Aircon Uncle operations manager Jeremy Chng has seen a clear uptick in booking appointments from households and businesses. 

“(They are) asking questions and looking for dependable support to keep their units running well,” he said.

He added that customer demand and engagement have grown by about 20%, reflecting a heavier reliance on air-conditioning in Singapore’s climate as well as a growing awareness that regular servicing prevents costly breakdowns later.

A spokesperson for iAircon Singapore who wanted to be known as ‘Uncle Eric’ said demand for servicing has easily increased by 15% to 20% lately, with most customers having blower fans and filters that are “much dirtier than usual”.

The company can monitor such cleanliness closely as many of their customers have signed up for quarterly annual maintenance packages that allow them to opt for servicing every three months, he said.

Challenges in training and hiring

Founder and chief executive of FastJobs Julian Tan said job postings for air-con technicians have more than doubled in the last quarter, but the figure remained below the corresponding period in 2025.

“Hiring for air-con technicians on FastJobs typically picks up in the hotter July-to-September period, and this year was no exception,” he added.

But employers have had their fair share of challenges finding suitable candidates.

Tan said he has heard from recruitment partners that suitable technician candidates are challenging to find, with some agencies scaling back on these roles as a result.

To this end, more air-con and maintenance companies are hiring directly rather than through recruitment agencies, he noted, adding that “roles posted directly by employers nearly doubled compared with the same period last year”.

Despite the surge in demand, several air-con firms said they have not increased their prices and are not looking to hire more technicians for now.

Wira Aircon Services’ Rafiuddin said: “Our current teams of four air-con technicians are sufficient to accommodate our customers’ requests, although we continue to monitor demand.

“Hiring additional technicians comes with significant costs, so we have to be careful with our recruitment decisions.”

He said the firm needs to ensure that any new technician joining the company has the right experience and technical skills. 

A spokesperson for the Singapore Institute of Technology said demand for air-conditioning courses has remained generally steady in recent years. 

There are about 40 sign-ups a year for two air-conditioning-related Continuing Education and Training courses: Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) and HVAC Audit and Analysis. Both courses are offered annually.

“Learners come from a range of age groups, including younger participants below 30 years old who are seeking to deepen their technical capabilities in HVAC systems and energy performance analysis.”