Air conditioning is not common in France, especially in private homes – but there are other ways to keep yourself and your home cool during a heatwave.
In total only around 25 percent of private homes in France have air conditioning installed, so if you’re moving here then it’s likely that your new place won’t have it.
It’s more common in shops and offices, but it’s far from standard in hotels – if a hotel or tourist rental doesn’t specifically list la climatisation (air conditioning) then you can assume they don’t have it.
READ ALSO: ANALYSIS: Why are the French resistant to air conditioning?✎
If you’re living here you could try and install it, but this can be complicated (not to mention expensive) and if you’re renting you will need to get permission from your landlord.
If you have bought a home then you have more freedom, but there are still rules and restrictions on installing AC units, especially if your new home is old or in a historic area.
READ ALSO: The rules for installing air conditioning in your French home✎
There are, however, alternatives that will also keep you cool when la canicule (the heatwave) hits.
1 Shutters
Shutters are much more common in French homes, although not ubiquitous. Used correctly, shutters do a great job of keeping the interior cool – the trick is to keep both the windows and the shutters shut during the day, in order to keep out the hot air and the sunlight.
Then open up shutters and windows in the evening or the early morning when the air outside is cooler, in order to ventilate the room.
If you live in a small apartment it’s better to keep internal doors closed too so that any heat generated by cooking or use of screens doesn’t filter into the bedroom, which you ideally want as cool as possible so that you can sleep.
If your place doesn’t have shutters then it’s worth looking at installing them – most French DIY stores sell them in a variety of sizes or with a made-to-measure option if you don’t have standard size windows. For a cheap, temporary fix you’ll also see people putting reflective foil over their windows in summer.
2 Fans
Fans are common in French homes, especially in the south where you might have ceiling fans – usually electric – already installed.
You can also buy free-standing electric fans that circulate the air, helping to keep things a little cooler (with a welcome side effect that mosquitoes don’t seem to enjoy the draft from a fan). In summer, some people put a bowl of ice in front of the fan in order to generate some cool air that is then circulated around the room.
Almost all French electrical stores sell fans in varying sizes – from the tiny hand-held to the big floor fans – as do supermarkets that have an electrical aisle. It’s well worth buying one at the start of the summer – they sell out rapidly once the heatwave strikes.
A handy thing to keep in your bag or pocket on a hot day is the old fashioned paper or fabric hand fan, you’ll see people all over France wafting themselves with these on the hottest days. Beware, though, French has two different words for fan – the electrical option is un ventilateur while the old-fashioned hand held version is un éventail.
3 Heat pumps
Definitely not a cheap option and probably not practical for tenants – but don’t forget that as well as keeping your home warm in the winter, a heat pump will also keep it cool in the summer.
It acts as a one-stop-shop, meaning that all your heating and cooling needs are met with a single machine.
The other great advantage is that it does a lot less environmental damage than an air conditioner – heat pumps are famously energy-efficient and they don’t have the nasty coolant chemicals that AC units rely on. Although the initial installation is expensive, running costs – for both heating and cooling – are very low.
There are also grants available to help residents of France to install heat pumps.
READ ALSO: What you need to know about installing a heat pump in your French property✎
4 Insulation
It might sound counter intuitive to be thinking about insulation when outside is the approximate temperature of the third circle of Hell, but just like heat pumps, good insulation keeps your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
If you’re a tenant there are limits on the amount or work you can do, but if you are a property owner you can check that your home is properly insulated and that the windows fit well and keep out drafts – as with heat pumps, there are grants available to help with insulation costs.
When buying or renting a place, check out its energy rating score – a place that has a D rating or below is likely to be cold in winter and hot and stuffy in summer.
5 Heat bridges
Did you know about the concept of a ‘heat bridge’? Basically it means that if you have a balcony or patio area that is covered in heat-sucking concrete, and you have a glass door or window directly next to it, then this will be funnelling heat into your home.
Therefore keeping outdoor spaces that are directly connected to your home cool, will keep the interior cooler too – for example you could replace concrete with grass or wood panelling or (for balconies) fake grass. If you keep the outdoor space shady via a parasol or awning it will also lower the temperature inside.
Plants also play a big role, and can help keep the area around your windows cool. The greener your outdoor space, the better. Consider leafy plants that block sunlight in the summer, but lose their foliage in the winter (and thus give you more sun during the cold seasons).
6 Portable AC units
If you’ve tried all of the above and you’re still too hot, there are also the portable air conditioning units available.
Unlike proper AC those don’t require any installation, so you won’t need permission from your landlord or coproprieté, although some places have rules on where you can run the hose out of the window.
The downside of these is that they are very energy inefficient, so will likely push up your electricity bills, but they’re better than nothing.
7 Cool jackets and cool tips
If you’re still too hot there are various ‘cooler’ products on the market such as cool jackets or fan-assisted clothing – although the biggest market for these is pets, who can suffer too when the temperatures soar.
It’s worth checking out the French government’s advice for staying cool during a heatwave, and some tips from the French on avoiding overheating.
