Air conditioning firms say business is booming, with one reporting a 300% increase in inquiries for domestic units as Britain enters its hottest June on record.
Shoppers rushed to buy mobiles after a red heat warning was issued for millions of people and temperatures soared to 36.7C, the highest ever recorded for a month in the UK, according to the Met Office. Schools were closed, transportation was disrupted and people across the country were looking for cooler places to work or relax.
For installers, the necessary spike has been revolutionary. At Aircon Services in Tamworth, home inquiries have increased by 300 per cent over the past six years, with the current heat wave pushing the company from around two inquiries a week to around 25.
“People are no longer willing to put up with the heat,” said one of the founders Marc Newbold, who added that the air conditioner is starting to be considered a necessity instead of a luxury. “We are collecting bookings for the coming weeks and inquiries are difficult to keep up with, but it creates a lot of business.”
The numbers point to a structural change rather than a one-off summer scrimmage. Only 4% of homes in England have air conditioning, according to the University of Reading, yet the National Housing Federation (NHF) predicts that 90% of UK homes will be too hot by 2050. British houses have historically been designed for the cold, with the aim of trapping heat rather than keeping it out, leaving millions of buildings unsuitable for climate change and extreme heat.
Overheating occurs when indoor temperatures rise to uncomfortable levels, usually above 25C to 27C, and the NHF warns that it could affect low-income families who may not be able to afford cooling measures. “Many homes are unable to maintain comfortable temperatures during the frequent and intense heat waves we are seeing as a result of climate change,” the coalition said. Long-term exposure to high indoor temperatures is associated with fatigue and heatstroke, cardiovascular problems, sleep disturbances and mental health problems.
Finding an air-conditioned place has become a topic of conversation for many. Churches, community centers, museums and libraries have stepped in with free “cool spots,” helping people escape the rising temperatures. But a growing number are going ahead and installing air conditioners at home.
Costs are proving less of an obstacle than ever. Cooling a small bedroom can cost up to £1,500, but Newbold said customers are increasingly seeing it as an investment in comfort rather than cost, especially as the units are designed to last around 15 years. “It’s not just a one-year purchase,” he said. The company, which deals with hotels, shops and offices, is among many small employers who are finding that the heat is reshaping their order books, as the wider economy calculates the cost of rising temperatures on small businesses and manufacturing.
For managers, the lesson goes deeper than a hot summer. Repeated heat waves are quietly rewriting consumer demand, from the high sales of fans and cooling products enjoyed to the maintenance and long-term market servicing that follows every new installation. For SMEs in a position to experience it, what was once seen as a seasonal flurry is starting to look like a permanent business.
