I know AC is not a thing hence the need to pay to put it in. I know central Air is out due to no ducts but my uncle had AC installed in his conservatory last year and it was not cheap.
An estimated 4m homes have an air conditioner, double the figure from three years ago.
And about 14% have air conditioning.
EDIT: Also, the TV number might be higher, given that I imagine that there’s some portion of the population that owns a television and just isn’t paying the licensing fee. This would just be a floor on the number.
I mean you’re not going to pay for telly if you can’t afford food or AC.
AC is not a thing here. Our houses were built when the climate was correct, and we needed to keep heat in.
That’s why we complain about heatwaves that bring us the same temperatures as the US experiences, we don’t have respite.
I know AC is not a thing hence the need to pay to put it in. I know central Air is out due to no ducts but my uncle had AC installed in his conservatory last year and it was not cheap.
Keeping heat in is no different then keeping it out. Insulation is insulation.
Sure, but there are other facets of our architecture that tend to lock-in heat:
In contrast to hotter countries such as the USA which has higher ceilings, thinner walls, and more open floorplans.
I and many others cancelled tv licenses due to the BBCs complicity in genocide
I’m pretty sure that a lot more Brits presently have a television than air conditioning.
searches
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/families/bulletins/familiesandhouseholds/2025
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_licensing_in_the_United_Kingdom
So about 82% of households have a TV.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/28/air-conditioning-uk-homes-heatwave
And about 14% have air conditioning.
EDIT: Also, the TV number might be higher, given that I imagine that there’s some portion of the population that owns a television and just isn’t paying the licensing fee. This would just be a floor on the number.
I don’t know anyone with AC. I don’t know anyone without a TV.
Do consider, a TV starts at around a few hundred quid. AC, for a single unit installed, is £3.5k.