I literally ask this every summer😆, but do houses/apartments/flats/hotels/bedsits etc over there not HAVE air conditioning?  And for chrissakes, why not?

It’s standard here stateside in *most* states; granted not all. I know when I was in Montana visiting fam how appalled I was their house had none (it was June & I about died; they didn’t understand lol).

Is it a cost thing or a “we just don’t need it.” thing? I can never remember.

Sadly, no!
Very few hotels and apartments have air con as standard. Most places have central heating as legendarily, we have a cool climate.
The UK is becoming hotter and I honestly think people will install aircon in the next few years. It's expensive to do a full house but only a few hundred for each room.
To have even one room with aircon would be a Godsend!

For next year's summer touring I'm going to buy a portable aircon/dehumidifier. My friend bought one last week and it's really good and was only about £100 on Amazon. I might still get one but I'm on tour for 12 weeks and my car is already chocoblock plus not all the places I'm using are suitable for delivery. I reckon I've lasted this long so I'll manage but make sure I am better prepared for next year.

It's only hot a few weeks a year, if that, here. Not worth the expense and space for air con. Not to mention the extra energy usage and its financial and environmental implications. Makes more sense to have a fan for the 1 or 2 weeks a year you need it.

This. Not sure if £400 air con with dodgy reviews needed a few days a year for exceptional heat is worth it. Apparently the electric bill is massive too.

I don't agree that most hotels don't have aircon - it's very rare I've stayed in one that doesn't, and nor would I unless it was guaranteed to be cold.

It's worth remembering that energy is a lot cheaper in the US than here, so while I don't think the power consumption is the main factor (plenty of people have tumble dryers, which are horrific in terms of energy use), it's just not a priority when it would only be needed maybe two weeks of the year even in the South. Many buildings are old and would be hard to install it, and most of the new ones are cheaply built at best.

That said, you can buy a small aircon unit for less than £100 and if I didn't have it built in at my work flat I would have done that rather than use a fan to just push the hot air around. Had it not been for mine I would not have slept for the last week and definitely not have worked - it was 38 degrees here last Friday and just impossible. If it breaks down, the agency get it fixed.

As for tumble dryers, I had to finish some work towels off in mine last night to stop them drying all cardboardy and it was like fucking Hades in here until I caved and put the aircon back on. Thank God it's settling down a bit.

I relish the heat and get more motivated the hotter and brighter it gets. I don't have air con so I open the windows and use a small fan for breeze for clients which seems fine. I'm a small desert animal.

Thankfully it's much cooler now so can work again.

The last few days just been constantly sweating and not even doing much, taking two showers each day. Felt so unsexy.

Might need to consider getting something for next year

I didn't even find it that hot to be honest  .

Hi all.

Just wondered if anyone will be working today on the hottest day of the year.

I've decided to just work until lunchtime as I hate it when I get sweaty and can't stand mens sweaty bodies all over me either.

I’m working but I’m always usually freezing even in 20 degrees so I’m loving this heat without having to turn the heating on x