Aircon: government should fund / subsidise it?

This thread is kind of wild. New builds should be designed with heat reduction measures in mind that are not inefficient. AC is dreadful for the environment. There are a myriad of other usually far cheaper ways to cool a house - start with external shutters, awnings over windows/glass (if you can stop the sun landing inside the thermal envelope of the house, ie external not internal, again inside remains cooler). People understanding about when to open (when outside temp is cooler) and when to shut (when outside temp is hotter) windows. If you have sash windows opening the top and bottom to allow for circulation (victorians designed them this way for a good reason) not bottom up. Internal insulation helps keep steadier temps - cooler in summer warmer in winter. Painting south side of houses white. Ventilation systems in large buildings. Shading from outside. Plants on side of buildings. Try these first. In a world that is literally burning from our excessive carbon usage, I think it is insane and abominable to turn to a high carbon approach (and even tax fund it????) when there should be tax incentives to do the exact opposite - encourage eco low carbon ways to cool homes. You are being very, very unreasonable.

Insanity.

If you need a new boiler/heating system the government don't fund it - and heating and hot water are needed much more in winter than AC is in summer.

If you want AC then pay for it yourself.

No. Instead developers should be thinking about how to keep homes cooler using cheaper and more eco methods than just slapping air con on everything. People can choose to upgrade to Aircon out their own pockets if they like.

We need to look at our southern european neighbours, not all domestic buildings have air con, instead their residential buildings have window awnings, window shades and shutters, north facing vents. These should be installed first and can easily be installed on new builds.

They do need to look at flats, again, shutters/ shades and awnings on balconies. The "luxury flat" market can well and truly sustain the cost of pre installed Aircon without the government funding it for them.

They use lots of energy.
They take the heat from inside and put it outside.
In the same way large cities are warmer than smaller towns nearby an increase in AC units will add to this.
By how much is impossible to say.
I thought this was common knowledge.

Interesting you demand facts and statistics from everyone else OP and yet don’t have any yourself. Specifically where from the budget would you want cuts made, based in what info, how have you calculated the savings you think could be made and based on what have you justified that those imaginary savings would be best spent on AC rather than the many, many other things we need extra money for?

It may be a difficult concept to understand, but the insulation that keeps new-builds warm in the winter, also stops them absorbing to much heat in the summer. Keep windows and blinds on the sunny side of the house closed

Fgs it’s a few weeks a year. Of course the govt shouldn’t fund AC 😂😂😂😂

Hey. I've been discussing this in good faith, please don't get arsey. Although I do let you off, it is damn hot and I'm grumpy too. Even though I do actually have AC in my house, as I previously said, I can't hide inside and sit in front of it all day 😆 I do agree with new builds. Everything else I'm not so sure a gov scheme is a good idea, for environmental reasons (until renewables catch up) and from a funding perspective.

Increased energy use of green electricity won’t increase emissions

oh yes no one bothered shifting the electricity system fast enough did they

the mythical welfare reform cash cow spotted again

Fund it yourself!!!

What would be sensible is to amend building regulations to include requirements for ventilation and avoiding solar gain.

We already have lots of requirements for new builds which are about keeping heat in in winter - we could add some aimed at keeping heat out in summer. For example brise soleil and passive ventilation systems.

If there is state money for aircon it should be for schools and other public buildings.

I grew up in a hot country. Our houses were very similar to UK new builds. We privately installed and ran ac. That said, in my house, even in very hot weather, I don’t need ac. It’s cool as a cucumber inside. Because it’s old and well built like lots of houses in the UK.

What I would like to see is more action on climate change and more incentives to build houses suitable for our climate.

This.
I went for a walk yesterday along our local river
It is clogged full of huge fuel guzzling motor yachts. The roads around are clogged with needlessly large SUVs. The solent is filled with giant container ships bringing more shite to clog up houses and landfill. Plus huge mega polluting cruise ships.

I want the govt to tax awful harmful behaviours and direct those taxes to greener energy and public transport

Indeed. Strange suggestion I know but why don’t you get a job/do some over time/ save some money and buy a couple of fans yourself?

Who bears the cost of climate adaptation? The mugs at the bottom of the heap of course. This has been the expectation of the super rich for decades.

Sorry babes, I work minimum wage and you want my tax money to pay for your, check notes, air conditioning? Do fuck off.