European AC Installation Costs Up to €1,500, Chinese AC Monthly Sales Exceed 10,000

Recently, an extreme heatwave has been sweeping across Europe, with Germany, the UK, France, and other countries continuously breaking high temperature records, prompting heat warnings in many countries.

Against this backdrop, Chinese-made air conditioners and other cooling appliances have become hot-selling products locally, with monthly sales exceeding 10,000 units on e-commerce platforms, and offline stores even experiencing shortages.

Heatwave Exceeding 40°C Continues to Scorch, Multiple Countries Issue Heat Alerts

According to CCTV News, an official from the World Meteorological Organization stated that the recent heatwave sweeping Western Europe and breaking multiple temperature records will continue to spread 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 reaching 43°C, setting a record for the highest temperature in June; the UK saw its high temperature record broken for three consecutive days from June 24 to 26, reaching 37.3°C on the 26th, leading to complete or partial closures of over a thousand schools in England and Wales; the Muecken-Drewitz area in eastern Germany recorded a temperature of 41.5°C on the 27th, breaking the highest temperature record. The sustained high temperatures have damaged highway surfaces in many places, leading to closures or speed limits on some sections, and railway authorities called on the public to reduce long-distance travel; Italy issued red heat alerts for 18 cities including Rome, Venice, Florence, and Milan.

Despite record-breaking temperatures, the penetration rate of air conditioners in European countries is far lower than in other major economies, with only about 20% of households equipped with cooling devices.

Reasons include: in the past, prolonged high temperatures were not frequent in European summers, especially in northern regions, so the need for AC installation was relatively limited; at the same time, to address climate change, Europe has set green development goals, with some countries implementing policies to restrict AC use. For example, Spain stipulated in 2022 that public places must not set AC temperatures below 27°C.

Amid Heat: Single AC Model Sells Over 10,000 Units Monthly, Chinese Brands Break Through with Cost-Effectiveness

Blue Whale Journal interviewed a Chinese person who has lived in Paris for ten years, who said that the recent sustained heat in Paris made walking on the street feel like 'melting.'

He introduced that in France, the price range for ordinary portable ACs is 200 to 500 euros, while split-type ACs cost about 500 to 1,200 euros.

Blue Whale Journal searched Amazon France and found that the top two best-selling items were Midea ACs: one had over 10,000 purchases in the past month, priced at 166 euros; the other had over 7,000 orders, priced at 459 euros.

The Chinese person said that in Europe, brands like Midea, Haier, and Gree are available; 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, with the portable AC category growing particularly rapidly, up over 70%. Many companies have reported that in Western European markets, consumers are queuing to buy, offline stores are out of stock, and supply is falling short of demand.

Affordable to Buy, Expensive to Install and Use: Installation Fees Up to €1,500, Monthly Electricity Bills Up to Hundreds of Euros

It is worth noting 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 typically ranges from 300 to 1,500 euros, with the highest quotes even exceeding the unit's price.

Local Chinese residents analyze that many buildings in Paris are decades or even centuries old, with thick walls that make drilling much more difficult than in modern buildings. Additionally, installing outdoor units in high-rise apartments involves high-risk work, and most apartments require prior approval from the property management and homeowners' committee, making the process cumbersome.

At the same time, local installation workers have high hourly rates, and with multiple cost factors piling up, split ACs become a 'buyable but uninstallable' appliance in the region.

Due to installation difficulties and high costs, portable ACs have become the cooling choice for many residents, especially renters.

In response to Europe's restrictions on facade preservation and high installation costs, Chinese companies have introduced customized products. For example, the 'Midea U-shaped Smart Inverter Window AC' features a U-shaped hollow design that can be fixed in the window gap for use; after installation, the window can be opened to a limited extent, helping to avoid high labor costs, property approvals, and drilling issues associated with split ACs, making it a popular model in the overseas rental market.

Furthermore, purchasing an AC is only the first step; subsequent electricity costs are also significant. Local Chinese report that with daily use of 6-8 hours, split ACs can increase monthly electricity bills by 30 to 80 euros, while portable ACs with higher energy consumption may add 50 to 100 euros per month.

As a result, energy efficiency has become a key consideration for local consumers when choosing an AC; on e-commerce platforms, Chinese brands' high-efficiency energy-saving models are also more popular in terms of sales.