Survey reveals 65% of respondents consider AC a life essential in the UAE: Taqeef

• 20% of those surveyed cite AC failure as their biggest worry
• The majority (93%) are unsatisfied with warranty policies on big ticket items, citing the claim process, repair waiting times and hidden charges as key frustrations

Dubai: A survey commissioned by leading air conditioning solutions provider, Taqeef, reveals that 65% of respondents consider AC a critical  ‘life essential’ in the UAE and rate it more important than Wi-Fi, smart phones or cars.

The survey, conducted by Censuswide, asked 1000 respondents across the UAE to analyse their dependency on key products and services.  It revealed that AC is closely linked to quality of life, happiness and health in the region and that AC failures are one of the top causes of concern.

When asked about what they worried about the most, 20% admitted that AC failing was a bigger concern than any other product issue, while more than half (56%) ranked their AC as the one thing they could not go without for even a day. This was closely followed by Wi-Fi (36%), car (27%) and phone (25%).  This was the highest amongst respondents based in Dubai (62%), Sharjah (57%) Abu Dhabi (57%) and Ras Al Khaima (50%).

“Given the harsh climate in the UAE, particularly during the summer months, it’s not surprising that residents consider their AC to be a life essential. It can be very frustrating if it breaks down, especially when temperatures are soaring beyond 40 degrees Celsius. We always advise having AC units checked and cleaned regularly to ensure that they’re working efficiently, to extend their working to life, and to avoid any potential issues when they’re needed the most. Doing so also helps to minimise the environmental impact in a region where AC usage is simply unavoidable,” comments Tariq Al Ghussein, Taqeef Chairman and CEO.

Despite the importance placed on fixing a broken life essential within 24 hours, the survey results also revealed that nearly all respondents, 93%, are unsatisfied with some aspect of warranty policies on big ticket items, including ACs, appliances, electrical goods and cars. They noted several reasons for the cause of frustration, including the difficulty of the claim process (45%), followed by waiting time for repair/ replacement (42%), hidden charges (37%) and fine print (23%).

“You can use your AC responsibly by simply keeping the temperature at a minimum of 24 degrees Celsius and switching it off when there’s no one in the house. Not only will it reduce the chance of issues arising but it should reduce your electricity consumption and your bills too. AC should be a comfort and not a concern, so this summer we launched our CoolCare Protection Plan, which offers free parts and labour on AC repairs for new units that we retail,” added Al Ghussein.

The Taqeef CoolCare protection plan is the only free, five-year free warranty plan in the UAE which is available on Midea and General AC units purchased at a Taqeef showroom or through an authorised retailer including Carrefour, Lulu Hypermarket and Sharaf DG.

For more information on CoolCare, visit Taqeef.com/COOLCARE or call 800TAQEEF . 

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Media enquiries

For more information, please contact Joseph Dela Cerna or Vicky El-Kassir at Grayling - Taqeef@grayling.com . Alternatively, please call +971 4 360 0769 if your query is urgent.

About Taqeef
Taqeef is the originator of desert cooling systems in the UAE and the Middle East’s leading air conditioning solutions provider. Since 1972 Taqeef has served the country’s evolving cooling needs with world-class technology, innovation and service. Taqeef is committed to driving responsible Air-Conditioning use and promoting environmental efficiency in the industry across the Middle East.

© Press Release 2019