The Tories warned that Britain was being left 'in the dark ages' through the 'bonkers' Net Zero drive
By Dan McDonaldPublished: 25/06/2026 - 03:40
Britons have been ordered to remove air conditioning from their homes - despite the country baking in up to 40C heat this week - under a fresh Net Zero crackdown.
Planning officials at councils have told residents to take down their cooling units over concerns about carbon dioxide emissions.
They say AC, despite the heat, should serve only as a "last resort".
The crackdown comes from building regulations which demand "active cooling" is used only after all "passive cooling" methods, like opening windows or running fans, have been exhausted.
The Tories have accused the Government of leaving Britain "in the dark ages" through Net Zero policies which prevent citizens from accessing "modern conveniences that are completely normal in other countries".
Standard guidance says planning consent is not needed for air conditioning in most circumstances.
But permission becomes mandatory in specific scenarios, including properties in conservation areas - with separate regulations applying to flats, leasehold properties, and shared buildings.
This creates situations where units are fitted believing they comply with rules, only for council enforcement teams to turn up and demand their removal.
One Londoner received orders to "permanently remove" two cooling units from the rear of their property, The Telegraph revealed.
Camden Council's planning inspectors determined there was "no justification" for the equipment, ruling it breached the authority's "cooling hierarchy" policy.
During an appeal, the homeowner was advised to open windows and balcony doors in their first-floor flat to achieve ventilation "by natural means".
When the resident raised security concerns in the crime-addled capital, inspectors dismissed these, arguing the risk was not "as great as those associated with ground floor windows" and suggesting windows could remain closed overnight.
Camden inspectors specifically noted "the absence of ceiling fans" in the property, though this was never a stated requirement.
Even after determining the units were "neither intrusive nor harmful" to the neighbourhood's character, officials still demanded they were scrapped.
The homeowner ultimately won on appeal to the Planning Inspectorate by proving their property already featured environmental improvements like solar panels.
Londoners are at greater risk of enforcement action.
The capital's borough councils have incorporated rules derived from Sir Sadiq Khan's "London Plan" into their local planning frameworks.
The Mayor's 2021 strategy notes that "new development in London should also be designed to avoid the need for energy intensive air conditioning systems as much as possible".
Camden's local plan pledges to actively "discourage the use of air conditioning" over concerns it raises "demand for energy" and warms "the local micro-climate".
Islington Council also restricts cooling systems on environmental grounds, saying they "must only be considered as a last resort".
These local policies go above and beyond national building regulations, which merely prioritise "passive cooling" measures like window shading before AC.
Shadow Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho said: "It is totally bonkers for council bureaucrats to block people from installing air conditioning because it uses too much energy.
"This is exactly why we must repeal the mad building regulations that force councils to care more about box-ticking and process than letting people keep their homes cool in the summer.
"We have to get out of this miserabilist Net Zero mindset which says that Britain alone has to stay stuck in the dark ages and can't enjoy the modern conveniences that are completely normal in other countries."
Estimates indicate roughly three per cent of British homes have air conditioning, compared with 90 per cent in America.
The Climate Change Committee has acknowledged the need for cooling systems in care homes, schools and hospitals as temperatures increase, appearing to contradict official Government policy.
Labour failed to amend building regulations last week, saying they reflected "the Government's commitment to improving energy efficiency".
A spokesman for the party said: "Air conditioning units are not banned. They can be installed in both existing and new homes and we expect councils to take a common-sense approach to the rules around this, which are there to manage the interests of communities and the environment.”
A Camden Council spokesman said: “Residents seeking planning permission need to demonstrate that alternative, more climate-friendly measures are not suitable, and that units will not create noise or other harmful impacts on neighbours.
“Enforcement action in these cases is rare and used only as a last resort where this guidance has not been followed.”
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the London Mayor said the policies kept “keep homes cooler without relying on energy-intensive solutions”.
They added: "Local planning decisions are the responsibility of the boroughs, who have their own policies in place”.
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