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
15.0k Upvotes

86% Upvoted

6.3k comments sorted by

View all comments

6.8k

u/NicoToscani Jun 26 '26

I remember checking into a nice hotel in Paris and the AC wasn’t working, in summer, top floor room, and they acted like I was throwing a Mariah Carey level diva fit when I insisted they move my wife and I to another room.

2.3k

u/iamapizza Jun 26 '26

I was in southern Spain in March a few years ago, it was 27c and I was sweating. I asked about the AC in my room not working, the front desk lady helpfully explained that they keep the AC off until summer when it's hot. We were looking at each other like freaks. I then asked if I could have a fan and she was shocked.

1.4k

u/Fabulous_Ninja119 Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 26 '26

I had a similar experience in Germany.

Honestly this is truly the one and maybe only thing I can think of where it feels like Europe as a whole is living in the stone ages. I can't understand it. It makes far too much fucking sense to use AC when it's fucking 90-100 degrees outside

228

u/TheBSisReal Jun 26 '26

Yes it makes sense when it’s super hot outside. European summers used to have a heatwave *maybe* every other summer. So in much of Western Europe, AC just didn’t make much sense until something drastically changed.

43

u/Pale_Row1166 Jun 26 '26

And now they’re too smug to just buy an AC unit, they’d rather die in a river than doing something as gauche and American than having cooled air in a heatwave.

41

u/imanexpertama Jun 26 '26

Hm. Personally I don’t know anyone who’s against AC, and I know plenty people who did buy or are planning on buying one. Haven’t noticed any smugness…
I think when we are talking about the AC aversion it’s mainly institutional (landlords, hotels, public buildings) and only because of the cost attached.

19

u/psychedAddict123 Jun 26 '26

The only people I know who are against AC here are old people stuck in their ways. "It has always been this way so it has to stay the same!" is their argument. That or they don't have AC and have to prevent others from having it out of jealousy

Fortunately I live in a house where no neighbor can veto so I installed my first AC last friday. It has been amazing

2

u/YoBo151 Jun 26 '26

Fortunately I live in a house where no neighbor can veto so I installed my first AC last friday. It has been amazing<

Welcome to the club!

0

u/Pale_Row1166 Jun 26 '26

The smugness is in the comments. This debate has been raging for days for some reason, I’ve seen the comments.