Make Britain Cool Again

In a recent Big Issue article they asked the question “Is there really an air conditioning ban in Britain?” This question stems from an X post and video on 27 May 2026 by Conservative Shadow Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho who said “It’s time to end the de facto ban on air conditioning. Only 3% of British homes have air con compared to 90% of homes in the US, or Japan. We need to overturn our miserabilist approach to energy which says we alone can’t have air con or AI. Let’s Make Britain Cool Again.”

To set the record straight, there is no air conditioning ban in the UK and the numbers of UK homes with air conditioning has now reached over 4m, which is approx. 13% based on 30.4m UK homes, as of 2023. However, it does beg the question why is the percentage of UK homes that have air conditioning so low in comparison to countries like the US and Japan?

Why Do So Few British Homes Have Air Conditioning?

Historically the UK has enjoyed a temperate, cool climate so there hasn’t been a need for air conditioning in the past.

A temperate climate experiences distinct seasons which comprise of mild winters and cool summers. It lacks the extreme temperatures that are experienced in many countries. This historically stable UK weather has been sustained by its northerly latitude alongside the warming influence of the Gulf Stream. However, in recent decades, the UK climate baseline has changed and with it an increasing need for air conditioning.

The UK Climate Is In A Changing State

UK historical averages indicate the long-term annual mean temperature is increasing as recent recorded temperatures, caused by heatwaves and summers reaching temperatures of 40.3°C in Coningsby, Lincolnshire on 19 July 2022, and a record-breaking May temperature of 35.1°C was set in Kew Gardens in south-west London on 25 and 26 May 2026. A Met Office X post on the 26 May 2026 said, "Until yesterday, the highest temperature in May was 32.8°C, but we've now exceeded that record on consecutive days by a full two degrees Celsius." These recorded temperatures demonstrate the shifting nature of the UK climate.

According to the UK Met Office “Met Office data lays bare the changing climate of the UK using daily temperature data since 1960. Data shows a 26% increase in above average temperature days (1991-2020) when compared to the climate baseline period of 1961-1990. The most recent averaging sample of 1991-2020 shows 63% of days warmer than average and just 37% cooler when compared to the 1961-1990 climate reference period.”

The historical annual mean temperature averages for the UK over 1961-1990 was 8.3°C and for the latest averaging period (1991-2020), the figure is 9.1°C. The Met Office states that “The ten warmest years on record for the UK have all occurred since 2002 in this series which dates back to 1884, while 2022 was the warmest year on record for the UK with an average mean temperature of a fraction over 10°C.”

Albert Klein Tank, Met Office Associate Director of Climate Science says: “What we’ve known for a long time is the undeniable warming trend in the UK’s climate. What this shows is how differences between individual years exist, but the overall warming trend is robust and backed up by a range of measurements on the UK’s climate. While we often look at average annual temperatures for the UK and can track an increasingly warm trend for the UK since the 1800s, what this data shows is how daily temperatures have shifted since as recently as the 1960s. While cooler days still occur, what you can see is that days like this are becoming less frequent as human-induced climate change moves the goalposts for UK daily temperatures.”

In a recent Guardian article “Britain must think like a hot country – otherwise inequalities will only grow” Dr Friederike Otto, professor of climate science at Imperial College London says: “The UK is already experiencing the stark reality of climate change through harsher droughts, intense summer heatwaves, and significantly wetter winters.”

It’s clear that the UK climate is becoming increasingly warmer as heat health alerts which are normally only issued for England between 1 June and 1 September, were issued across 5 areas of England from 22 - 27 May 2026 due to yearly record high temperatures.

Designed To Retain Heat In the Winter

Due to its past cooler climate much of the UK housing stock was designed to retain heat in winter rather than expel it and the same can be said for older commercial buildings which have the same issue.

The Environmental Health News (EHN) states “The UK’s housing stock faces a growing mismatch with the climate it now inhabits. Most homes were built for damp, cold winters—not for summers that now regularly exceed 90 degrees. Without effective cooling strategies, the risks of heat-related illness and death rise. As summers continue to warm, the country faces a public health and climate challenge baked into its bricks and mortar.”

Marialena Nikolopoulou, professor of sustainable architecture at the University of Kent told Time in its article “5 Ways the U.K. Is Not Built for Extreme Heat” that “Both old, Victorian-era architecture and newly developed properties in the U.K. are inadequately prepared for hot weather. While the thick, stone walls of older homes help to keep internal environments cool, large windows and unsuitable insulation can counteract the benefits.” The article goes onto quote Chloe Brimicombe, a heat stress researcher at the University of Reading who says, “By 2050, we will regularly have temperatures above 35°C in the south of the U.K.,” said. This could cause an extra 5,000-7,000 deaths from heat exhaustion by the 2050s” rendering homes designed to be “winter-proof” unusable for the summer months when temperatures soar.

However, it’s not just older housing that’s impacted. In a Guardian analysis article “Overheated homes: why UK housing is dangerously unprepared for impact of climate crisis” Simon McWhirter, the chief executive of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) forecasts that “What we are facing is climate brutality. That is the reality of the hotter weather coming down the track.” Mr McWhirter goes onto say that “The way we are building new housing is not adequate to the climate change we are already seeing, never mind the even hotter weather that’s coming.”

The Dangers of Heatwaves to Human Health

The Green Alliance (GA) state that with temperatures in the 40s and a level 4 Heat-Health Alert (HHA) the UK experienced in the summer of 2022 should have been a wakeup call for the UK Government. With these elevated temperatures the UK saw its highest recorded number of heat related deaths. The GA point out that “What is now classed as a very hot British summer is projected to be the norm by 2050.”

According to the UK Government’s “Heat summary - Health Effects of Climate Change (HECC) full report” higher temperatures increase physical health issues including heatstroke and cardiovascular issues, worsen mental health conditions like anxiety and PTSD, and may amplify respiratory issues.

A British Red Cross (BRC) report “Feeling the heat: a British Red Cross report on heatwave impact in the UK” says “The UK is getting hotter. As a result of climate change, heatwaves are becoming longer and more extreme, and many people’s health and wellbeing are suffering as a result.” The report also emphasises that although most people welcome the sunshine, they are often unaware of the dangers that warmer weather can bring such as heatstroke and exhaustion, as well as exacerbating underlying health conditions, such as kidney disease and heart disease. Heatwaves also place a major strain on the NHS and social care system. The BRC say “If we don’t act now, the problem will only get worse. Projections show that hotter summers aren’t going away – by 2050, heatwaves are projected to double in frequency and become more intense, resulting in three times more excess deaths caused by hot weather annually.”

The BRC assertion that hot weather, if not mitigated, will to lead to three times more excess deaths by 2050 is backed up by a joint statement from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, The UK Health Alliance on Climate Change and The Lancet Countdown which says without adequate adaptation measures, heat-related deaths are expected to rise to around 7,000 each year by the 2050s.

Landmark Report Calls For Widespread Air Conditioning

In its landmark report “A Well-Adapted UK”, published in May 2026, the Climate Change Committee (CCC), which is an independent, statutory body established under the Climate Change Act 2008, whose purpose is to advise the UK governments on emissions targets and to report to Parliament on progress made in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preparing for and adapting to the impacts of climate change states “The UK was built for a climate that no longer exists today and will be increasingly distant in years to come.”

The CCC report goes onto say that “At a minimum, the UK should prepare for the weather extremes that will be experienced if global warming levels reach 2°C above preindustrial levels by 2050. At the high end of possibilities, reaching 4°C above preindustrial levels by the end of the century cannot yet be ruled out”. The CCC calls for a comprehensive package of solutions to help address the growing impact of climate change in the UK, primarily focussing on “better cooling, flood protection and a more secure water supply as the most critical priorities to protect the UK from the three biggest climate risks – heat, flooding and drought.” The report notes that there is already a great deal of disruption today and without action being taken the risks will continue to escalate to the point that by 2050 “92% of homes are likely to overheat, peak river flows will be up to 45% higher and water supply shortfalls could exceed five billion litres per day.”

In the section of the report aimed at “Adapting to 2°C of global warming by 2050, Protecting from heat” the committee explains that the increasing number of heatwaves being experienced is the greatest risk to health within the UK with annual heat-related excess deaths ranging from 1,400 – 3,000 each year, rising to 3,000 – 10,000 per year by 2050.

The report states that keeping people cool could avoid increases in mortality and that cooling will be especially important in people’s homes, care homes, and hospitals. They also state that new buildings should be designed for cooling from the outset. Due to the intensity and duration of future heatwaves the CCC say there must be a plan for more active cooling (such as air conditioning), alongside low-cost passive measures.

The committee points out that if the UK government don’t act now the costs will be far higher further down the road. The required investment now is around £11 billion a year. In the future this is likely to rise to between 1 - 5% of UK GDP by 2050 which is equivalent to £60  £260 billion per year.

The chair of the committee, Baroness Brown says “Our lives, our landscapes and our homes are under increasing pressure from the changing climate. But we are not powerless. In an increasingly unstable world, being well adapted to climate change is fundamental. The solutions already exist, and proven technologies are available now to help the UK adapt effectively.”

Given the increasing temperature, both average annual mean temperatures and the ever-increasing number of heatwaves the UK is now suffering from, a plan to have residential and commercial air-conditioned homes and buildings is becoming increasingly important for health and wellbeing, safety, and productivity.

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