Honestly, it's a little bit of A, a little bit of B
I haven't looked super hard into it myself, but I'm told that AC is kinda expensive and awkward to install here in the yook just because it's so rarely done in housing, plus our energy bills are extremely high over here so it would be expensive to run too. Considering Britain only really gets super hot for a whole maybe 2-3 weeks per year, it just isn't really worth the expense and the bother.
On the other hand, yes. Complaining about the weather is a standard British pastime. It's enrichment for us. We are literally never happy with it. And we like it that way. Lmao
"AC is kinda expensive and awkward to install here in the yook just because it's so rarely done in housing"
With our summers heating up, these portable units can make a big difference
Permanent is better but if it's just a few weeks per year you have to worry about, get a decent portable, and remove the water before storage. Make sure it has a decent seal with the window. Also a lot of them are noisy - be aware that having it next to your bed might be an issue. Best tactics: DO NOT HEAT ANYTHING INSIDE. Seriously, I see Brits complaining about the heat, then putting the kettle on. An oven is worse. Even a gaming computer is basically a small oven, laptops are better, but gaming generally pushes heat into the environment. Unless you play Solitaire, I suppose. In a pinch, you can get ice delivered and if you can keep a container of ice in a bedroom, it should help. Sleep is the most important time for cooling, you can endure heat when awake, but you need sleep to cope, and you will sleep better with something like this. https://ice-express.co.uk/order-online/ If you are going out, there are icepacks etc you can strap to your body. I just grab bottled water, let a bit out, freeze. I walk with a backpack and it does help to be able to splash cool water every now and then, and just having it against my back makes a difference. Freezer bag can be useful. I've been posting solutions for about a decade on Tumblr and not once in that time have I seen anyone actually trying to solve their problem rather than complaining. Yes, I know what it is like to be so poor you can't do anything, but most people are not in that boat. They can do something, but venting means they are no longer motivated to take action. Just remember, an insulated house means it is easier to keep it cool. Also, before I forget, large windows are bad, if you can cover them FROM THE OUTSIDE or at least shade them, that will help. I've seen some older homes with small windows, but sadly the global fashion in architecture is large windows which are a stupid stupid idea, but the psychology means they can make great profits.
Hot days and heatwaves can place stress your body, and heat-related illness can be dangerous. Learn how to keep cool and hydrated in hot wea
Aye to be fair a lot of Brits don't really seem to be interested in learning how to mitigate the heat when it gets bad.
We've done some research in this house - closing curtains and blinds to keep the sun out helps, turning off any unnecessary devices (the gaming PCs go off and we read a book instead, friends), and also having multiple fans positioned in a way that encourages airflow through the house helps. That last one seems a little counter-intuitive to most because it'll include having a fan in your window that's pointing outwards, but trust the process.
Again I think it comes down to just how rare the heat is here, it's not around long enough for people to take an interest in learning how to actually fix it.
