Air conditioning? In the United Kingdom? Less than a quarter century ago apartment hunting, house hunting, and even automobile buying, even in the north-eastern United States, begged the question whether the dwelling was air conditioned at all, centrally air-conditioned, and whether the vehicle even was equipped with air-conditioning. Imagine the surprise at a question about air conditioning companies in the U.K.

The average summer temperature around London, the central to southern part of the country aside from coastal areas, is 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Duly noted is the fact that the highest population concentrations in the U.K. tend to be in the urban areas around London, which happen also to be the warmest areas of the U.K.

Interestingly enough, classified listings in national newspapers do not even mention heating and cooling systems as selling points. The most common ones seem to be location and whether there are gardens in front and back of the dwelling. True it is that urban living creates different temperature environments than a country cottage down-stream on the Thames River or a sea-side villa down on the coast. Being surrounded by brick, cement, and asphalt creates more of a need for artificial air movements than life in a rural cottage a century ago would have required.

While mobile air condition units are available as well as air conditioners, air purifiers, fixed units, and fitted air conditioning systems, the national focus does not seem to be on domestic use. And there is likely at least one reason for that.

First, scientific evidence supposedly stipulates that workers in a hot room or environment are less productive because they are less alert and more focused on their discomfort. Incidentally, a similar observation is said to have been made for rooms inadequately heated.
Yes, true it is that equipment like computers need a cool environment to maintain operations because they tend to generate their own heat, much like the human body actually. Also a universal truth is the fact a paralegal on the 25th floor of a high-rise office building in central London today cannot open the window for fresh air as did paralegal in central London on the second floor of an office building the central London as the turn of the twentieth century.

The more compelling reason, however, for more of a national focus on conditioned air is a new government law that requires air conditioning inspections for those with output of 12kW or more n an effort to reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption from outdated or poorly maintained air-conditioning equipment. And who stands to benefit more from the new law beside the environment and Parliament's revenue office in citation collections than companies dealing in the installation, inspection, and maintenance of cooling systems?

And exploiting that opportunity they are. Some advertisements for air conditioning companies in the U.K. preen their concern for the environment and carbon emissions from out-dated or improperly maintained cooling systems. Other companies tout the importance of the right equipment for the right facility. Still others sing the praises of maintenance.