UK searches for homes with air conditioning jump 104% as heatwaves intensify

File
photo:
People
c oss
Westmi ste
B idge
du i g
a
heatwave
(Pictu e
c edit:
Reute s)

Sea ches
fo
homes
with
ai
co ditio i g
i
the
UK
have
mo e
tha
doubled
this
summe ,
as
epeated
heatwaves
p ompt
buye s
to
pay
g eate
atte tio
to
how
well
p ope ties
ca
stay
cool.P ope ty
po tal
Rightmove
eco ded
a
104%
ise
i
sea ches
fo
homes
with
ai
co ditio i g
betwee
May
1
a d
July
31,
compa ed
with
the
same
pe iod
last
yea ,
acco di g
to
The
I depe de t.The
i c ease
comes
as
tempe atu es
ac oss
pa ts
of
E gla d
eached
38C
du i g
the
UK’s
fifth
heatwave
of
the
summe .Rightmove’s
co sume
esea ch
also
fou d
that
87%
of
people
co side
a
p ope ty’s
ability
to
stay
cool
impo ta t
whe
choosi g
thei
ext
home.While
o ly
12%
said
they
had
al eady
i stalled
ai
co ditio i g,
61%
said
they
would
co side
doi g
so,
The
Gua dia
epo ted.”While
locatio ,
space
a d
affo dability
emai
key
p io ities,
ou
esea ch
suggests
that
people
a e
payi g
close
atte tio
to
how
comfo table
a
home
will
be
du i g
hotte
weathe ,”
Rightmove
p ope ty
expe t
Collee
Babcock
said,
acco di g
to
The
Gua dia .”Ma y
households
a e
al eady
maki g
p actical
cha ges
to
keep
cool,
while
othe s
a e
facto i g
these
co side atio s
i to
thei
ext
move,”
she
added.

Heatwaves
cha ge
what
buye s
look
fo

The
shift
comes
as
the
UK
expe ie ces
i c easi gly
f eque t
pe iods
of
ext eme
heat.
Tempe atu es
eached
38.1C
at
Kew
Ga de s
o
Thu sday.
The
day
set
a
ew
eco d
fo
the
umbe
of
days
above
36C
i
a
si gle
yea .The
UK’s
hottest
day
o
eco d
emai s
July
2022,
whe
tempe atu es
exceeded
40C.The
cha gi g
weathe
is
also
aisi g
co ce s
about
the
ability
of
B itai ‘s
housi g
stock
to
cope
with
hotte
summe s.
A
epo t
published
by
the
UK’s
Climate
Cha ge
Committee
i
May
wa ed
that
92%
of
existi g
homes
could
ove heat
by
2050
as
heatwaves
become
hotte .Passive
measu es
such
as
ope i g
wi dows
a d
d awi g
cu tai s
may
ot
be
sufficie t
i
ma y
homes
u de
futu e
climate
co ditio s.A
estimated
4
millio
UK
homes
ow
have
ai
co ditio i g,
twice
as
ma y
as
th ee
yea s
ago.
The
i c ease
has
pa tly
bee
li ked
to
the
ise
i
wo ki g
f om
home,
which
has
left
mo e
people
spe di g
daytime
hou s
i
thei
homes
du i g
pe iods
of
ext eme
heat.Estate
age ts
a e
also
seei g
buye s
assess
featu es
beyo d
ai
co ditio i g
itself,
i cludi g
ve tilatio ,
glazi g,
atu al
shade,
o ie tatio
a d
e e gy
costs.James
Waight,
head
of
sales
at
Joh
D
Wood
&
Co,
said
a
p ope ty
that
ca
emai
cool
i
summe
while
etai i g
heat
du i g
wi te
was
” o
lo ge
simply
a
ice-to-have
but
a
impo ta t
facto
i
the
decisio
to
buy
a
p ope ty”,
acco di g
to
The
Gua dia .Ia
Ha is,
p eside t
of
NAEA
P ope tyma k,
said
buye s
we e
i c easi gly
co side i g
“comfo t
a d
liveability”
alo gside
t aditio al
facto s
such
as
locatio ,
space
a d
p ice.

Cooli g
dema d
comes
with
a
e e gy
cost

The
g owi g
i te est
i
ai
co ditio i g
comes
with
a
b oade
questio
ove
the
e e gy
use
associated
with
keepi g
homes
cool.Ai
co ditio i g
is
e e gy-i te sive
a d
accou ts
fo
about
4%
of
global
g ee house
gas
emissio s.Fo
compa iso ,
at
least
90%
of
households
i
the
US
a d
Japa
have
ai
co ditio i g,
while
fewe
tha
a
qua te
of
households
ac oss
Eu ope
a e
estimated
to
have
it.The
cost
of
i stalli g
cooli g
systems
ca
also
be
sig ifica t.
Ai -co ditio i g
specialist
Debo ai
Cooli g
told
The
Gua dia
that
systems
cost
about
£2,500
pe
oom,
with
dema d
comi g
f om
ow e s
of
both
pe iod
p ope ties
a d
ew-build
homes.The
compa y
said
some
households
we e
st uggli g
with
sleep
du i g
heatwaves,
while
loft
co ve sio s
could
become
pa ticula ly
hot,
with
some
loft
ooms
eachi g
tempe atu es
of
50C.Mea while,
some
UK
households
with
heat
pumps
a e
usi g
the
systems
to
cool
thei
homes
as
well
as
heat
them,
pote tially
i c easi g
dema d
fo
the
tech ology.The
shift
i
buye
p io ities
comes
agai st
a
subdued
wide
housi g
ma ket.
The
Royal
I stitutio
of
Cha te ed
Su veyo s
fou d
a
et
bala ce
of
28%
of
p ope ty
p ofessio als
epo ti g
a
decli e
i
ew
buye
i qui ies
i
July,
u cha ged
f om
Ju e.Despite
that
weak ess,
the
g owi g
focus
o
cooli g
suggests
that
B itai ‘s
hotte
summe s
a e
begi i g
to
i flue ce
ot
just
how
people
live
i
thei
homes,
but
also
what
they
a e
willi g
to
buy.

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