Should I get air conditioning in the UK – and can it be green?

Connorton and his wife have a portable air conditioner. These plug-in devices cool interior air by removing heat from it and blowing that heat outside, typically via a large hose slung from a window or door. Connorton only runs the unit occasionally, and when the solar panels on his roof can cover its power needs. But he still questions his use of the technology. “You feel that it’s a luxury and that you’re being bad for the environment,” he said. Do I need air conditioning in the UK? Most British homes are not built for extreme heat. Photograph: demaerre/Getty Images British homeowners are rapidly acquiring air conditioners as the climate crisis superheats our summers. An estimated 4m homes have an air conditioner , double the figure from three years ago. Portable units with power ratings of about 1kW are slightly more common than the more powerful built-in versions that can guzzle 2.7kW of power – more than an electric oven. About 22% of British homes would require active cooling, such as air conditioners, with 2C of global warming, the government’s climate advisers said in a major report last week . But this brings risks. Air conditioners are energy-hungry and some researchers say they could threaten progress towards net zero . Nicole Miranda, a sustainable cooling researcher and carbon reduction manager for the University of Oxford, agrees. …