While some Britons enjoyed this week’s record-breaking heatwave in air-conditioned comfort, many in poorer areas faced health risks in furnace-like homes. Temperatures in London reached 35C, with consecutive ‘tropical nights’ above 20C, making sleep difficult for those without cooling.
In Canary Wharf, 27-year-old banker Aykhan described his air-conditioned flat, commute and office as a breeze. ‘It’s a new flat, the air-con is great, my bedroom is cool,’ he said. His colleague Will, 37, noted dress codes had relaxed, and his Edwardian house with shutters and high ceilings stayed cool. Meanwhile, in Whitechapel, one of the UK’s most deprived areas, 26-year-old Asiyha sat under a tree with her baby. ‘It is way too hot in my flat, that is why we are sitting outside. My baby is struggling,’ she said.
Health risks spike when indoor temperatures exceed 25C, and last year the Resolution Foundation found nearly half (48%) of the poorest fifth of English households live in homes liable to overheat – three times the rate among the richest fifth (17%). Air-conditioning units have risen in price by about 17% since April, with a Dyson fan costing up to £600, putting them out of reach for many.
In Bethnal Green, the 126-year-old E Pellicci cafe relied on a cheap fan in the doorway, having been refused planning permission for air-con. Student Shereen, 21, sat in a supermarket for its air-con, laughing at the idea of having it at home. As one finance worker put it: ‘We can’t afford AC yet – that’s why we work in finance, so one day we can afford it!’
