Air conditioning splits Spain's summer: 25°C vs living in an oven

Air conditioning at 25°C has become a luxury that divides the summer

While one user brags about keeping their room at 25 degrees with the AC on, another describes living on a top floor with no cooling at all, finding relief only when stepping outside. Spain's first heatwave of the summer is creating two Spains: those who can afford active cooling and those suffering in attics that feel like ovens.

On one side are those who switch on the AC and keep it at 25°C, a temperature that gives some people headaches. On the other, those who adapt with more extreme methods: wearing long sleeves at home, closing windows but not shutters, and enduring the heat from a PC running at full power.

The paradox of going outside to cool down

One of the most striking accounts comes from someone living in a home without air conditioning who says that stepping out into the street brings such a big temperature difference that they actually feel better. In the middle of August, the street becomes their refuge. Another, by contrast, spends the whole summer under a blanket, suggesting the cold from the AC can be excessive.

In Asturias, with 25°C in the shade under a tree or on the beach, the outlook is very different. The north presents itself as paradise for anyone fleeing extreme heat, while the south and poorly oriented flats become private infernos.

Electricity bills and health

The debate over electricity consumption is implicit: air conditioning sends the bill soaring, but giving it up in a flat with no shade can be unbearable. On top of that, the headaches associated with AC are a reminder that the technical fix isn't perfect. Meanwhile, summer has only just begun.