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by alistairSH 498 days ago
Is air-con just that rare? A heat-pump isn’t all that much complicated than a ducted air-con. Here in the US, most HVAC service companies can/will service all types (pure AC, heat pumps, various furnaces, etc).
3 comments

Mean daily maximum in July and August in Utrecht is 23C/73F (compare to 30C/85F in Chicago and NYC). The Netherlands is further north and a lot more moderated by ocean temperatures - it's kind of like SF in that regard except the entire country has a similar climate so AC is not a cultural expectation.
> Mean daily maximum in July and August in Utrecht is 23C/73F […]

Which is why heat waves/domes can be so lethal in Europe: people/infrastructure are not prepared for them.

* https://climate.copernicus.eu/heatwaves-brief-introduction

Same problem in Vancouver, Canada: it's a Marine climate, so when heat hits, folks aren't prepared for it.

In the UK at least, domestic air conditioning is extremely rare. Less than 5% of homes (I'm surprised it's even that high, although I am up North).
Oh wow, that’s lower than I would have expected. Totally makes sense in the north and Scotland.

How are most homes in England heated? Gas furnace + radiators?

Yup. Gas boiler central heating with radiators.
Air con is fairly rare here in NL although you do see more units popping up so it may be getting more popular.