Do you spend hundreds of pounds on an air conditioner that could make your home bearable, or accept another week of sweltering because it’s simply beyond your budget?
For millions of families, another heatwave doesn’t just mean sticky nights and sleepless children. It means another impossible calculation.
Do you spend hundreds of pounds on an air conditioner that could make your home bearable, or accept another week of sweltering because it’s simply beyond your budget?
Britain has spent decades worrying about how to keep homes warm in winter. But with temperatures topping 40°C for the first time in 2022 and heatwaves becoming more frequent, many households are now facing a new challenge: keeping cool.
The problem is that staying cool can be expensive.
While wealthier homeowners are increasingly installing the kind of air conditioning systems long common in Australia, southern Europe and the United States, many families are relying on £20 fans that do little more than move hot air around the room.
The price of comfort
Portable air conditioners have become increasingly popular over the past few summers, with retailers regularly selling out during hot spells.
A decent model costs between £250 and £500 , while larger units can cost considerably more.
They do work. Unlike a fan, which simply circulates air, portable air conditioning removes heat from a room, often reducing temperatures by several degrees.
The downside is obvious.
For families already struggling with food bills, mortgages or rent, finding an extra £400 for a machine that might only be used for a few weeks each year isn’t realistic.
Even after buying one, there are electricity costs to consider.
Running a typical portable air conditioner for six to eight hours overnight can add around £2 to £3 a day to your electricity bill depending on the model and your tariff.
For a two-week heatwave, that’s another £30 or more on top of the purchase price.
What are the alternatives?
For many households, the answer is simply to make do.
A basic desk fan can cost less than £25 and costs only pennies a day to run.
Tower fans offer better airflow for around £50 to £100 , but neither actually cool a room.
Instead, they help sweat evaporate more quickly, making people feel cooler even though the temperature remains the same.
Experts also recommend keeping blinds and curtains closed during the hottest part of the day, opening windows overnight when temperatures fall, using reflective window film on sun-facing windows and avoiding ovens or tumble dryers during extreme heat.
These measures are inexpensive and can make a noticeable difference, although they have limits during prolonged heatwaves.
A growing divide
There is another issue too.
Not everyone lives in a home that can cope with rising temperatures.
Top-floor flats, loft conversions and modern apartments with large areas of glass can become particularly hot during summer.
Families living in rented accommodation may also have fewer options.
They cannot always install shutters, replace windows or fit permanent air conditioning, leaving many reliant on portable cooling or fans.
Meanwhile, homeowners with larger budgets are increasingly choosing professionally installed split air conditioning systems.
These are quieter, more efficient and considerably more effective than portable units—but installation typically starts at around £1,500 to £3,000 for a single room.
Cooling several rooms can easily cost £6,000 or more , while fully ducted systems similar to those found in American homes can exceed £15,000 .
For most households, that’s simply out of reach.
More than a luxury?
For years, air conditioning in Britain was seen as an unnecessary extravagance.
That perception is beginning to change.
Doctors have repeatedly warned that extreme heat can pose serious health risks, particularly for older people, babies, pregnant women and those with long-term health conditions.
Poor sleep caused by high overnight temperatures can also affect concentration, productivity and mental wellbeing.
For families living in homes that regularly remain above 28°C overnight, air conditioning may increasingly be viewed less as a luxury and more as an investment in health and comfort.
So, is Britain ready?
There is no simple answer.
For many people, a £300 portable air conditioner could transform their sleep during increasingly hot summers.
For others, finding that money simply isn’t possible.
As Britain’s climate changes, the question may no longer be whether air conditioning is a luxury.
Instead, it may become another symbol of the widening gap between households that can afford to adapt—and those left to endure the heat with little more than an open window and a fan.
