AIR conditioning installer Worthington Nicholls has signed a multi-million pound nine year contract with the Intercontinental Hotels Group.
The agreement, announced on June 15, runs until 2016 and covers the maintenance and extended warranty of the air conditioning units in guest bedrooms, public areas and Spirit health clubs across the UK and Ireland.

The deal follows an initial extended warranty and maintenance contract awarded to Worthington in 2003 for four years as part of the UK and Ireland air conditioning installation roll-out.

'We are very pleased to have secured a large contract and at a significant stage in our growing relationship with IHG. The current EU legislation will ensure that companies have to make major changes to their air conditioning systems over the next seven years', said Worthington Nicholls' chief executive Mark Worthington.

Mr Worthington also said his company estimated one million units are still in use in the UK, with a replacement or installation cost of over £7 billion.

The contract will ensure IHG complies with new EU F-gas regulation, in force from July 4 which will monitor all HCFC refrigerant compliance systems. The new law states R22 refrigerants will be banned from January 2015 and the contract is set to cover IHG through the R22 phase-out period.