Overview

• Only about 18% of German households now use air conditioners, and nearly two-thirds of those rely on cheaper but far less efficient mobile units.
• While almost all drivers use car climate control, many offices, shops, restaurants and hospitals remain without adequate air conditioning.
• Deutsche Bahn’s ICE trains frequently suffer broken cooling systems and Berlin’s BVG operates subway cars without AC, citing uneconomical costs and environmental harm.
• Despite BEG subsidies since 2023 and a growing market for heat pumps that also cool, permanent air conditioning installations have seen limited adoption.
• Deep-seated concerns over energy consumption, cold drafts, noise and perceived health risks continue to underpin Germans’ reluctance toward artificial cooling.