My region is probably more than 40 behind that on cooling, while as the Great Texas Freeze of 2021 (not unique, but repeating at least a handful of previous events seen in the weather records) showed, we are far ahead on dealing with cold weather, even in the mild Puget Sound lowlands. Home heating has always been a significant energy cost here, but until recently, our heat waves were just not strong or long enough to make cooling, or at least whole-house cooling, worth the cost for most people. The lost productivity was smaller than the installation cost. Climate Change has changed the equation, our heat waves are quite noticeably worse now. Though expanding urban heat islands and reduced equipment costs also play into it. As this week's weather in Europe is showing, big portions Europe are well behind even my region in dealing with hot weather.
watching a YouTube on diy mini split installation, it's actually cheaper to buy a vac pump, gauges and a few tools to install regular line sets than the recharged, and not a lot more difficult.
