The only place I've got a/c is my car (well, one of them), and while a lot of cars come with it, it's still regarded as something of a "luxury" option.

*VERY* few people have a/c in their houses. Offices, some shops and server rooms, yes, houses, no. Our house is brick/breeze block with polystyrene cavity wall insulation, roof insulation and double glazing! It does stay a little cooler than outside but it does hold the heat in the evenings, even with all the windows open.

I've found I need to drink a LOT more than usual - normally at work I drink a couple of cups of tea in the morning and a couple glasses of squash in the afternoon, but the past week I've probably had 6+ glasses of squash every day.

Gareth