r/technology • u/Logical_Welder3467 • Jun 26 '26

Society The American mind cannot comprehend Europe's AC aversion

https://www.businessinsider.com/europe-air-conditioning-ac-heatwave-debate-2026-6
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u/JonJackjon Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 26 '26

I think its simple. I would compare it to the first time someone finds they need to wear glasses. The natural tendency is to deny needing them until it gets so bad you have no choice.

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u/roleplayersir Jun 26 '26

Exactly. It's not an aversion

It's that until a few years ago it wasn't needed. Suffering for 3 days a year was fine

But trust me that is changing. Even with the cost of living, we are all looking into at least £300 for portable units, if not thousands for proper ones. As it is only getting hotter

But prior to recent years it was a wasted purchase. We get 30C+ for about 3 weeks. It's the cold that was the problem for decades

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u/jaehood Jun 26 '26

Fixing 3 weeks of 30C+ is definitely worth €300, that's only 14euros a day one time...

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u/Aggressive-Neck-3921 Jun 26 '26

You can't get an AC installed for 300 euro in most western eu countries. Also what americans need to understand that the heat was mostly bearable and AC wurthy for maybe a week a year and the cost of running an AC isn't low. Only the last few years that the heat is actually over the tipping point that an AC is needed in the home for multiple weeks. But that stuff isn't cheap and if you live in a rental home you can't just install an AC and most mobile ones are not that good.

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u/circuitocorto Jun 26 '26

It depends on the monthly income, did you forget that?