Europe AC Installation Fee Up to €1,500: Chinese Brands Sell Over 10K Units Monthly

## Europe Heatwave Intensifies, AC Demand Surges Blue Whale News, June 29 (Reporter Lu Pengpeng) - An extreme heatwave continues to sweep across Europe, with Germany, the UK, France and others repeatedly breaking high temperature records, and many countries issuing heat warnings. Meanwhile, Chinese-made air conditioners and other cooling appliances have become hot sellers locally, with monthly sales exceeding 10,000 orders on e-commerce platforms and even shortages offline. ## Multiple Countries Record Broken Heat, Passive Demand for AC According to CCTV News, a WMO official said the heatwave that has broken many temperature records in Western Europe will continue to spread eastward, affecting the entire continent. France: Suffered several days of heatwave, with temperatures in the west rising to 43°C, the highest June temperature ever recorded in France. UK: High temperature records were broken for three consecutive days from June 24-26, reaching 37.3°C on June 26; over 1,000 schools in England and Wales fully or partially closed. Germany: The eastern Mucken-Drewitz region recorded 41.5°C on June 27, breaking the all-time high; multiple highway surfaces were damaged, leading to closures or speed limits, and railways urged reducing long-distance travel. Italy: The government issued red heat alerts for 18 cities including Rome, Venice, Florence, and Milan. Despite record temperatures, AC penetration in Europe remains low, with only about 20% of households having cooling equipment. ## Why Is AC Installation So Difficult in Europe: "Affordable to Buy, Not to Install" In the past, Europe didn't have frequent extreme summer heat, so demand was relatively weak. Meanwhile, Europe has set green development goals to combat climate change, with some countries imposing policies restricting AC use. For example, Spain stipulated in 2022 that public places must not set AC below 27°C. But beyond e-commerce hot sales, the real deterrent for consumers is the installation process: single installation cost for split ACs typically ranges from €300 to €1,500, with the highest quotes exceeding the unit price. Reasons for high installation costs include: - Many buildings in Paris are decades or even centuries old, with thick walls making drilling more difficult - High-rise outdoor units involve climbing, higher risk - Most apartments require installation applications to management, approval from owners' committees, a cumbersome process - Local installation workers charge high hourly rates, multiple cost layers Thus, split ACs are in an "affordable to buy, not to install" state. ## E-commerce Side: AC Single Product Monthly Sales Over 10K, Chinese Brands Break Through on Cost During the heatwave, household cooling demand surged. In France: Mobile ACs priced around €200-500; split ACs around €500-1,200. Blue Whale reporter checked Amazon France: Sorted by best-selling, the top two are both Midea ACs. One sold to over 10,000 customers in the past month, priced €166; another over 7,000 orders, priced €459. A Chinese local said Midea, Haier, Gree and other brands are available in France, and with the same configuration, Chinese brands are generally much cheaper than European, American and Japanese brands. According to CCTV News: China's exports of household ACs to Western European countries (first five months of 2026) grew 9.7% year-on-year; mobile AC category saw particularly strong growth, up over 70%. Many companies reported queuing consumers, offline shortages, and supply-demand gaps in multiple Western European markets. ## Customized "Window AC" Solves Installation Pain Points, Reduces High Construction Costs Due to high installation difficulty and cost, portable mobile ACs have become the first choice for cooling, especially among renters. To address facade protection restrictions and high installation fees, Chinese companies have launched customized products. For example, the "Midea U-shaped Smart Inverter Window AC" features a U-shaped hollow design that fits into the window gap; after installation, the window can still open to a limited extent, thus bypassing high European labor costs, property approvals, and old wall drilling issues—a hot model in overseas rental markets. ## Electricity Bills: Another Barrier from "Cannot Afford to Run" to More Emphasis on Efficiency Buying the AC is only the first step; subsequent electricity bills are also significant. Local Chinese said: Based on daily usage of 6-8 hours, monthly electricity bill increases by about €30-80 for split ACs; for higher-consumption mobile ACs, it could reach €50-100 per month. Therefore, energy efficiency has become a core consideration for local consumers when choosing ACs; on e-commerce platforms, high-efficiency energy-saving models sell significantly better than other Chinese brands. ## Key Takeaways: Heatwave Drives Sales, but European Installation and Energy Costs Determine Purchase Strategy Amid the European heatwave, Chinese ACs have achieved over 10K monthly sales on e-commerce and broken through on cost; however, split AC installation fees can be as high as €1,500 and electricity bills increase significantly, leading many consumers to choose easier-to-install, more energy-efficient product forms (such as window ACs and more efficient models).