Europe's High AC Installation Fees Drive Chinese AC Sales Past 10,000
Recently, extreme heatwaves have been sweeping across Europe, with Germany, the UK, France, and other countries continuously breaking high-temperature records, prompting many countries to issue heat warnings.
Against this backdrop, Chinese-made air conditioners and other cooling appliances have become sought-after products locally, with monthly sales exceeding 10,000 orders on e-commerce platforms, and offline stores even seeing a situation of 'hard to find a unit'.
Over 40°C Heatwave Continues to Scorch Multiple Countries
According to CCTV News, a World Meteorological Organization official said that the heatwave sweeping Western Europe and breaking multiple temperature records will continue to move eastward, affecting the entire European continent.
Data shows that France has been hit by a heatwave for several consecutive days, with temperatures in western France rising to 43 degrees Celsius, setting a new record for the highest temperature in June in France.
In the UK, the three-day high temperature record from June 24 to 26 was broken consecutively, reaching 37.3 degrees Celsius on the 26th. On the 26th, over a thousand schools in England and Wales were fully or partially closed.
In eastern Germany, the Mucken-Drewitz region recorded a temperature of 41.5 degrees Celsius on the 27th, refreshing the highest temperature record. The persistent high temperatures caused damage to highway surfaces in many areas, leading to closures or speed limits on many sections, and the railway department called on the public to reduce long-distance travel.
Italy is also suffering from scorching heat, with the Italian government issuing red heat alerts for 18 cities including Rome, Venice, Florence, and Milan.
Despite record-breaking temperatures, the prevalence of air conditioning in European countries is far lower than in other major economies, with only about 20% of households equipped with cooling devices.
The reasons are multifaceted: historically, long periods of high temperatures have not been frequent in Europe, especially in the north, so there has been less demand for AC installation; at the same time, to address climate change, Europe has set green development goals, and some countries have implemented policies restricting AC use, such as Spain's 2022 regulation that public places' AC temperatures must not be lower than 27 degrees Celsius.
Chinese AC Breaks Through with Cost-Effectiveness, Monthly Sales Exceed 10,000
Under the scorching heat, home cooling demand has surged sharply.
In France, ordinary mobile air conditioners sell for between 200 and 500 euros, while split air conditioners range from 500 to 1,200 euros.
Blue Whale News reported that on Amazon France, sorted by best sellers, the top two are both Midea ACs: one has over 10,000 customer purchases in the past month, priced at 166 euros; another has over 7,000 customer orders, priced at 459 euros.
During the heatwave, Chinese brand air conditioners have become the first choice for many local consumers due to their cost-effectiveness. Local Chinese residents said, 'Midea, Haier, Gree and other brands can all be bought in France. With the same configuration, domestic brands are generally much cheaper than European, American and Japanese brands.'
According to CCTV News, in the first five months of 2026, China's exports of household air conditioners to Western European countries increased by 9.7% year-on-year; among them, the mobile AC category grew particularly strongly, with a year-on-year increase of over 70%. Many companies reported that in many Western European markets, consumers were queuing to buy, offline stores were out of stock, and supply could not meet demand.
Can Afford to Buy, Can't Afford to Install or Use: Installation Fees Up to 1,500 Euros
It is noteworthy that buying an AC in Europe is not the hardest part; what truly deters consumers is the installation process. The installation cost for a split AC generally ranges from 300 to 1,500 euros, with the highest quotes even exceeding the price of the unit itself.
Why are installation fees so high? Local Chinese residents analyzed that many buildings in Paris are decades or even centuries old, with thick walls that are much more difficult to drill than modern buildings. Installing the outdoor unit in high-rise apartments involves high-altitude work, which carries higher risk. Most apartments also require a prior application to the property management for installation, which must be approved by the homeowners' committee before construction, a cumbersome process.
At the same time, local installers charge high hourly rates. With multiple costs combined, split ACs have become a product that is 'affordable to buy but not to install' locally.
Therefore, portable mobile ACs have become the cooling choice for local residents, especially renters.
However, to address issues such as facade protection restrictions and high installation costs when installing ACs in Europe, Chinese companies have introduced customized products. For example, the 'Midea U-Shape Inverter Window AC' uses a U-shaped cutout design that fits into the window gap for installation. The window can still be partially opened after installation, thus avoiding the labor costs, property approvals, and old wall drilling issues associated with split ACs. It is a popular model in the overseas rental market.
Moreover, buying an AC is only the first step; the subsequent electricity bills cannot be ignored. Local Chinese residents reported that based on daily usage of 6 to 8 hours, a split AC can increase monthly electricity bills by 30 to 80 euros; a portable AC with higher energy consumption may increase the monthly bill by 50 to 100 euros.
As a result, energy efficiency has become a core consideration for local consumers when choosing an AC. On e-commerce platforms, Chinese brands' high-efficiency energy-saving models are selling the most.
