It may be hot, but most British homes don't need aircon. Switch it off | Hannah Fearn

As a coal-fired power station is readied to meet the exploding demand for portable units, let's face it: this is just extravagance

Fifteen years ago, it was the wood burner: an unnecessary middle-class indulgence that, despite causing untold environmental damage, started popping up in homes across the country. They became symbolic of a certain affluence that allows a privileged few to live in optimum comfort at all times.

Now there's a new kid on the block: the portable air-conditioning unit. As we adjust to a changing climate, with mid-summer temperatures regularly exceeding 25C and occasionally reaching 35C or even higher, this is the new must have". Sales of air-conditioning units were up more than 500% during last year's heatwave and, according to property website Rightmove, searches for homes with air-conditioning tripled over the same period. At between 300 and 1,000 a pop, they're not cheap - but they certainly make three or four weeks of good UK weather each year easier to handle.