02-07-2025
Should Brits start getting air conditioners as temperatures skyrocket in the UK?
Air conditioning could either be considered a waste of money or a wise investment as the mercury rises in the UK
The first half of the year has seen pretty up-and-down, tempestuous weather to say the least. From record-breaking storms to record-breaking heat, the UK, from Shetland to St Ives, has experienced it all. And it is not over yet.
Scotland had its hottest day of the year so far on June 20, when a peak of 28.9C was recorded at Drumnadrochit on the shore of Loch Ness, while Charterhall in the Scottish Borders and Aboyne in Aberdeenshire hit 28.7C.
Edinburgh reached 28.4C, ahead of Glasgow on 27.3C. Meanwhile, south of the border is currently entering the sixth day of a heatwave, with highs of a whopping 35C expected in some areas.
But while we might be flinging the windows open, reaching for the portable fans, or sleeping without the covers, people in other parts of the world are opting for what is probably a very logical solution - air conditioning.
Air conditioning is a foreign concept to many Brits, and it is not often we see it installed in UK homes - but it is on the up. This is due to skyrocketing temperatures in the UK.
Just this week, the Met Office warned that hitting levels of heat close to 40C is now 20 times more likely than it was in the 1960s. And as the climate crisis ramps, so will the heat.
The use of AC has seen a huge spike over the past decade, rising sevenfold, according to a paper published in Energy Research & Social Science earlier this month.
In fact, aircon use has rocketed by 90 per cent in the last two years alone, energy expert Ben Gallizzi told The Telegraph. But before you rush to get your own unit fitted, you might need reminded of the pros and cons.
Firstly, if Brits rush to get AC, we're just contributing to the climate crisis.
"By using air conditioning, we're still burning fossil fuels and adding to that problem of climate change," Alexander Buck, a sustainability specialist at the architecture firm Buckley Gray Yeoman (BGY), told the Independent.
"It's a self-perpetuating circle - we use more air conditioning, then we make the climate warmer, and then we're going to need more air conditioning."
There's also an energy crisis around the corner. Households were urged to send in meter readings ahead of the energy price cap falling by 7 per cent on July 1 - £660 lower than at the height of the energy crisis in 2023.
However, prices remain elevated, and Buck says we must do "everything we can" to reduce demand being placed on buildings and the national grid by "reducing the amount of air conditioning and heating we put into buildings".
There's also the cost of AC to think about - the price of the unit and installation itself, and then the energy cost, which is no small feat considering the cost of living crisis which is pushing people into desperate financial times.
If you are feeling a bit more flush and fancy investing in a unit, though, Amazon is selling this Dreo Smart 3-in-1 Portable Air Conditioner, essentially a silent mobile air conditioner for your bedroom, for £599.99.
Alternatively, save 20 per cent with Argos' Bush 7K Air Conditioner at £320, down from £400. And if you are still not convinced, maybe the GoodHome Mobile 3 in 1 Local air conditioner from B&Q at £190 is more up your street.
In short, there are cases in which getting aircon in your home might make sense. Hospitals and care homes, as well as buildings catering for vulnerable people, could really benefit. But it shouldn't be the norm for most of us.
"Our advice would be to absolutely avoid it as far as possible, because that would be a negative outcome if everyone started getting it," Antonietta Canta, urbanisation and resilience associate at Arup, the global consultancy firm, told the Independent. "For the country, for the planet - it would be a very dangerous thing to do."
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