Archive · 14 Aug 2026
UK Air Conditioning Searches Surge 104% Amid Hot Summer
The UK is having very hot summers lately, with temperatures in some places reaching almost 38 degrees.
Because of the heat, lots of people looking for new homes now search for houses that have air conditioning to keep them cool.
This summer, those searches went up by 104 per cent.
That means more than twice as many people are looking for cool homes compared with last year.
Most people, about 87 out of every 100, say a cool home is important to them.
However, only about 4 million homes in the UK have air conditioning, and just 12 per cent of people already have it.
Air conditioning is expensive to install, costing about £2,500 for each room.
It also uses lots of energy, which is not great for the environment.
Experts worry that as summers get even hotter, many UK homes may get too hot inside.
So people are starting to check how cool a house can stay, just like they check its location and size.
Searches on Rightmove for UK homes with air conditioning jumped 104 per cent this summer compared with the same period last year.
87 per cent of people say keeping a home cool is important when choosing their next property.
Around 4 million UK homes now have air conditioning, double the figure from three years ago.
The Climate Change Committee warned that 92 per cent of existing UK homes could be at risk of overheating by 2050.
Air conditioning installations can cost around £2,500 per room, and the systems account for about 4 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
- Who
- British homebuyers, Rightmove, property experts Colleen Babcock and James Waight, and the Climate Change Committee
- What
- Searches for UK homes with air conditioning surged 104 per cent as buyers increasingly prioritise properties that stay cool in summer
- When
- This summer, compared with the same period last year
- Where
- United Kingdom, with temperatures in parts of England approaching 38°C
- Why
- Repeated heatwaves and rising temperatures have made keeping homes cool an important factor in property decisions
- Increase in air conditioning searches
- 104% year-on-year on Rightmove
- Buyers who value cool homes
- 87%
- Homeowners considering installing AC
- 61%
- UK homes with air conditioning
- Around 4 million (double the figure from three years ago)
- Homes at risk of overheating by 2050
- 92% of existing UK homes, per Climate Change Committee
- UK record temperature
- 40°C in July 2022
- Typical installation cost
- Around £2,500 per room (Debonair Cooling)
- AC share of global emissions
- About 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions