Europe Heatwave: Chinese AC Sales Top 10,000, Installation Fee 1,500 Euros

Recently, extreme heatwaves continue to sweep Europe, with Germany, UK, France, etc., repeatedly breaking high-temperature records. Many countries issued heat alerts. In this context, Chinese-made ACs and other cooling appliances became hot items locally, with e-commerce monthly sales exceeding 10,000 units and offline even seeing 'hard to find a unit'.

Over 40°C Heatwave Continues, Multiple European Countries Issue Heat Alerts

According to CCTV News, on the 26th, a WMO official said the heatwave that recently swept Western Europe, breaking multiple temperature records, will continue spreading eastward, affecting the entire continent.

Data shows France faced heatwaves for consecutive days, with western France reaching 43°C, a record high for June in France; UK's heat records were broken for three consecutive days on June 24-26, reaching 37.3°C on the 26th. On the 26th, over a thousand schools in England and Wales fully or partially closed; Moeckern-Drewitz area in eastern Germany recorded 41.5°C on the 27th, a record high. Persistent heat in Germany caused damage to highway surfaces, leading to closures or speed limits on many sections; railway authorities urged reduced long-distance travel. Italy also suffers intense heat, with the government issuing red alerts for 18 cities including Rome, Venice, Florence, Milan.

Despite record temperatures, European AC penetration is far lower than other major economies, with only about 20% of households having AC or cooling equipment.

Reasons are multiple. First, historically, summers in Europe, especially northern Europe, rarely had prolonged high temperatures, so demand for AC installation was low. Additionally, to address climate change, Europe set green development goals, leading some countries to restrict AC use. For example, Spain in 2022 mandated that indoor AC temperature in public places not be below 27°C.

Chinese Brands Break Through with Value: Monthly E-commerce Sales Exceed 10,000 Orders

Under intense heat, home cooling demand surged. Data shows in France, ordinary portable AC prices range from 200 to 500 EUR, split ACs from about 500 to 1,200 EUR.

Blue Whale reporters checking Amazon France's best-seller list found the top two were both Midea ACs. One had over 10,000 purchases in the past month, priced at 166 EUR; another had over 7,000 orders, priced at 459 EUR.

In this heatwave, Chinese brand ACs stood out with value for money, becoming the top choice for many local consumers.

According to CCTV News, China's home AC exports to Western European countries grew 9.7% YoY in the first five months of 2026; the portable AC category saw outstanding growth, up over 70%. Many companies reported queuing for ACs in several Western European markets, stockouts in offline stores, and supply falling short of demand.

"Affordable to Buy, Not to Install or Run": Installation Fee Up to 1,500 EUR, Monthly Electricity Adds 100 EUR

Notably, buying an AC in Europe is not the hardest part; what really deters consumers is installation. Single split AC installation costs typically range from 300 to 1,500 EUR, with highest quotes exceeding the AC unit price.

High installation costs include: many Paris urban buildings are decades or centuries old, with thick walls making drilling much harder than modern buildings; high-rise outdoor unit installation involves risky high-altitude work; most apartments require advance application to property management and approval from owner committees, a very cumbersome process.

Meanwhile, local installers' hourly rates are high, and combined costs make split ACs a "affordable to buy, not to install" appliance locally.

Due to high installation difficulty and cost, portable mobile ACs have become the preferred cooling option for locals, especially renters.

In response to Europe's facade protection restrictions and high installation costs, Chinese companies offer customized products. For example, the "Midea U-Shape Smart Inverter Window AC" with over 7,000 monthly sales features a U-shaped hollow design that fits into window gaps for installation, allowing the window to still open/close, thus bypassing Europe's high split AC labor costs, property approvals, and old wall drilling issues. It's a hot model in overseas rental markets.

Buying an AC in Europe is only the first step; subsequent electricity costs are also significant. Based on daily use of 6-8 hours, split AC monthly electricity increases by 30-80 EUR; higher-consumption portable ACs may add 50-100 EUR per month.

Thus, energy efficiency has become a core consideration for local consumers. On e-commerce platforms, Chinese brand high-efficiency models also lead in sales.