Every shop, hotel, office, restaurant, library, and almost all houses and apartments. have central air-conditioning. If you don't have central A/C, then why don't homes in England have A/C window units?
My former in-laws did not live in Texas but in another southern state. With four children, they had little extra money to spare. There were two things they chose not to invest in: one was city water - they had a well delivery-system - the water was undrinkable and it smelled strongly of sulphur. The other thing they chose not to invest in was central air-conditioning. They had an attic fan to combat the very hot, humid months. During the summer, which, of course, was May-October, their house was hot, stuffy and damp - even the sheets felt damp. Add the smell of cigarette smoke to this and it was a miserable experience to visit them. Going without an air-conditioner - central or window unit - in the southern United States is not only foolish, but dangerous. There are agencies that will help those who cannot afford window units get one free.
