From ceiling fans to ACs: When cooling becomes a necessity

The ceiling fan has long been a fixture of middle-class life in Bangladesh. For generations, it offered a simple and affordable escape from the country's tropical heat. But as temperatures rise, heatwaves become more frequent and nights grow increasingly uncomfortable, the humble fan is losing its ability to keep pace with a warming climate. 

Across urban Bangladesh, households are spending more on cooling, buying air conditioners earlier than they once planned and watching electricity bills climb during the summer months. What appears to be a change in consumer preference is, in reality, a deeper transformation driven by climate pressures-one that is reshaping household budgets, energy consumption patterns and even the way people organise their daily lives. 

The new economics of heat

The impact of rising temperatures is often measured in records broken, heatwave warnings issued or crops damaged. Yet one of the most profound changes is unfolding behind closed doors-in the living rooms, bedrooms and monthly budgets of urban middle-class households.

For decades, the ceiling fan was a symbol of comfort in Bangladesh. It was affordable, energy-efficient and sufficient for most households even during the hottest months of the year. Today, however, that reality is changing. In many cities, particularly Dhaka, Chattogram, Rajshahi and Khulna, a fan alone is increasingly unable to provide relief during long stretches of extreme heat.

As temperatures remain high well into the night, cooling is becoming less about comfort and more about necessity. The result is a gradual but significant shift in household spending patterns, energy consumption and daily routines.

The rise of the cooling economy

Bangladesh's growing appetite for cooling is becoming increasingly visible in electricity consumption data.

During recent heatwaves, electricity demand rose sharply as households relied more heavily on fans, refrigerators and air conditioners. Energy experts have long warned that rising temperatures would translate into higher cooling demand, but the pace of that transition appears to be accelerating.

The emergence of what could be called a "cooling economy" is reshaping consumer behaviour. Air conditioners, once considered aspirational purchases reserved for affluent households, are becoming increasingly common among middle-income families. Electronics retailers report growing demand during summer months, while banks and financial institutions have made it easier for consumers to purchase appliances through instalment schemes.

Industry insiders estimate that around 550,000 air conditioner units were sold in Bangladesh last year, a dramatic increase from roughly 180,000 units just five years ago. The sector is expected to grow by another 16% in 2026, while annual compound growth is projected at 14.4% through 2030. Such figures suggest that cooling appliances are no longer a niche consumer product but one of the fastest-growing segments of the country's consumer electronics market.

The rapid growth has been driven not only by rising temperatures but also by falling prices. Five years ago, a one-tonne air conditioner often cost more than Tk100,000. Today, Chinese brands are available for Tk35,000-Tk40,000, while locally manufactured one-tonne units from companies such as Walton, GREE and Pran-RFL sell for around Tk45,000-Tk50,000. What was once beyond the reach of many middle-class families is increasingly becoming affordable.

This trend reflects a broader reality: households are adapting to climate conditions not through policy interventions but through personal spending decisions.

A growing burden on household budgets

The expansion of cooling technologies comes with a cost.

For many families, electricity bills now fluctuate more dramatically between seasons than they did a decade ago. The difference between winter and summer electricity expenses can be substantial, particularly for households that rely on air conditioning during the hottest months.

Recent tariff increases have further amplified this pressure. At a time when many families are already coping with inflation and rising living costs, higher electricity consumption creates an additional financial burden.

The challenge is not limited to households that own air conditioners. Even families that depend solely on fans often find themselves running appliances for longer hours as temperatures remain elevated throughout the day and night. As a result, heat is creating an invisible but increasingly significant expense across income groups.

In effect, climate change is beginning to appear not only in weather forecasts but also in monthly utility bills.

Changing the rhythm of daily life

The effects of rising heat extend beyond economics.

Across urban Bangladesh, daily routines are being adjusted to accommodate higher temperatures. Outdoor activities are increasingly avoided during peak afternoon hours. Work schedules are adapted where possible. Children spend more time indoors, and many households delay cooking or other heat-generating activities until later in the evening.

Sleep has become a particularly important concern. In densely populated urban neighbourhoods, high nighttime temperatures can make rest difficult, affecting productivity, health and overall well-being. What households are ultimately purchasing when they invest in cooling is not merely colder air but the ability to sleep, work and function effectively.

This is an important distinction. The debate over air conditioning is often framed as one of convenience or lifestyle. Increasingly, however, it is becoming a discussion about basic living conditions in a warming climate.

A challenge for the power system

The implications extend far beyond individual households.

As cooling demand grows, pressure on the national electricity grid increases. Peak electricity demand now tends to coincide with periods of extreme heat, creating challenges for power generation and distribution systems.

Bangladesh has made significant investments in expanding electricity access and generation capacity over the past decade. Yet rising temperatures are creating new forms of demand that were not as prominent in previous decades.

The issue is not simply how much electricity is generated but when it is needed. During hot summer evenings, millions of households simultaneously turn on fans, air conditioners and other appliances, creating sharp spikes in demand. These peaks place considerable strain on the grid and raise concerns about reliability during prolonged heatwaves.

As climate change intensifies, managing cooling demand may become one of the defining challenges of Bangladesh's energy sector.

When comfort becomes infrastructure

Perhaps the most significant change is conceptual.

Historically, cooling appliances occupied a space somewhere between convenience and luxury. Today, that distinction is becoming increasingly blurred. Just as access to electricity, clean water or internet connectivity has become integral to modern life, cooling is gradually emerging as a form of essential infrastructure for many urban households.

The transformation is also evident in the structure of the industry itself. A decade ago, Bangladesh's air conditioner market depended heavily on imported brands such as General, Hitachi, Panasonic, Samsung and LG. Today, local manufacturing and assembly have significantly expanded. Industry insiders estimate that only 20-25% of air conditioners sold in the country are now imported.

Local brand Walton reportedly holds more than 22% of the domestic market, while companies including GREE, Haier, Vision, Jamuna, Butterfly, MyOne, Unitech and Transcom Digital have established manufacturing or assembly operations within the country. The localisation of production has helped reduce prices, expand availability and support wider adoption among middle-income consumers.

The implications extend beyond domestic consumption. According to FY25 trade data, Bangladesh exported air conditioner-related products to countries including Yemen, Guinea, Cameroon, Sri Lanka and Gabon. Although export volumes remain modest, they indicate that Bangladeshi manufacturers are beginning to compete beyond the domestic market. In the longer term, rising regional demand for cooling technologies could position Bangladesh as an assembly and export hub for selected cooling appliances.

This shift carries important implications for policymakers, energy planners and businesses alike. If cooling is becoming a necessity rather than a luxury, future planning must account for rising demand, improved energy efficiency and equitable access to affordable electricity.

The question is no longer whether households will consume more energy for cooling. The evidence suggests that they already are. The challenge is how to manage this transition in a way that protects both household finances and the stability of the power system.

A glimpse of the future

The story of rising heat is often told through climate models and scientific projections. Yet its consequences are already visible in ordinary households.

They can be seen in rising electricity bills, growing demand for air conditioners, changing sleep patterns and the increasing importance of cooling in household decision-making.

The ceiling fan is not disappearing anytime soon. But its dominance as the primary tool for coping with summer heat is steadily fading.

In its place is a new reality-one in which cooling is becoming an essential service rather than a discretionary purchase. That transformation may seem subtle today, but it offers an important glimpse into how climate change is reshaping everyday life in Bangladesh.

The future of urban living may depend not only on how hot the country becomes, but also on how effectively it adapts to staying cool.

The story of cooling in Bangladesh is no longer simply about technology or consumer choice. It is about how millions of households are adapting to a hotter future in real time. Every additional hour of AC use, every higher electricity bill and every adjustment to daily routines reflects a broader shift underway across the country. 

As rising temperatures continue to redefine what is necessary for comfort, health and productivity, cooling is becoming an increasingly important part of modern urban life. The challenge now is not whether demand for cooling will continue to grow, but whether households, cities and the power system can adapt to a future in which staying cool is no longer a luxury but an essential cost of living.