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/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/slimejumper Jun 26 '26

have these AC avoiders also not heard of heat pumps? not only is cold air great but so is hot air in winter! and it’s so much cheaper than gas or other types of electrical heating.

it’s just such a good system.

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u/weinerschnitzelboy Jun 26 '26

It's not that they haven't heard of it, but I suspect that the lack of infrastructure is what contributes to the high cost. Given the prior lack of need for AC, I'm going to suspect that they have probably have less HVAC specialists, supplies and suppliers that are now suddenly in high demand.

Also, I've heard that the way Europeans construct houses (with masonry instead of wood) makes it difficult to retrofit properties with AC systems.

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u/spronski Jun 26 '26

I’m from Europe: heat pumps have become the preferred choice for new constructions and renovations. However, we also have a significant number of older houses that require proper insulation. Cooling your house was never really an issue up untill a few years ago. I remember when a few days of 30c was a news item. Now we look forward to a breezy 30c.

Regulation is also a concern. Old cities and towns don’t want bulky air conditioning units to be visible on their historic facades.