For decades, much of Europe dismissed air conditioning as an unnecessary luxury, whereas Americans embraced it as a standard part of everyday life. But after Western Europe recoded its hottest June on record and another relentless heatwave pushed temperatures above 100°F, Europeans are buying AC units in unprecedented numbers. According to a report by Business Insider, market analysts say the trend is structural, not temporary, signaling a cultural shift toward cooling solutions once seen as wasteful. Residents like Kieron Heath in Essex, England, have changed their minds. After struggling through increasingly hot summers with fans, Heath spent £585 on a portable unit last year. “Once you get one, you realize it was a complete no-brainer,” he told Business Insider. His experience reflects a growing sentiment across Europe: AC is no longer indulgence, but survival.
Sales surge across the continent
Manufacturers also reported double-digit growth in AC sales across Italy, Spain, France, and Germany. Samsung, Midea, Mitsubishi Electric, and LG all say demand has surged, with some models selling out. Eurovent, the industry’s trade association, expects the momentum to continue, projecting EU household AC units could exceed 100 million by 2030.
Heat as a public health risk
The shift is driven not just by comfort but by health. EuroMOMO estimated excess deaths across Europe rose from 33,000 in mid-June to more than 45,000 by early July. In England and Wales alone, researchers linked 2,183 deaths to the late June heatwave. “Rising temperatures and more frequent extreme heat events are becoming impossible to ignore,” Eurovent’s Stijn Renneboog said.
Cultural mindset changing
Europe’s resistance to AC has long been tied to older housing, high electricity costs, and cultural attitudes. Only one in five European households has AC, compared with nine in ten in the U.S. But as heatwaves intensify, Europeans are beginning to understand why Americans see cooling as essential. “The American mindset is, ‘I’m hot, so why would I stay hot?’” Heath said. “Ours has almost been, ‘Well, there is no other choice but to be too hot.’ That mindset is beginning to change.”
Europe’s heatwave has an important lesson for smartphone users across the world
In related news, Among other challenges, the deadly heatwave has caused smartphones and other electronic devices to overheat. As a result, many are putting their devices in fridges and freezers to cool them down. But experts say the situation is an important reminder for smartphone users everywhere. According to a report by BBC, Jamie Farnell, who runs Shropshire Phone Repairs, in Wem, said that he was getting “flooded” with repairs of devices with “internal moisture damage”. Farnell believes the damage is a result from smartphones being put in fridges and freezers.“We used to see people putting their phones in rice, which is another common misconception,” he told the publication. “When they get wet you shouldn’t put it in rice it doesn’t really do anything.”“Now people are seeing these tips where people are putting phones in the fridge or freezer, but it’s not safe to do it. If you put it in, there is a risk of moisture that can get in the phone and then when it does dry out the moisture or the condensation turns into water,” Farnell stated before adding that it was an issue he was seeing from customers “both young and old”.
