Most older properties in the UK have walls made of solid stone - which is pretty resilient in a fire. Also, at least where I live, it hardly ever gets above 25

Most older properties in the UK have walls made of solid stone - which is pretty resilient in a fire. Also, at least where I live, it hardly ever gets above 25C and if your house has thick solid stone walls the inside doesn't get too warm so no real need for AC either. Edit: I'm 55 - I've never lived in a property that wasn't at least 100 years old and some were closer to 300 years old. Edit: I would agree that heating in some older properties can be a challenge, but my parents told my that having to chip ice out of the bath before getting washed was character building.... ;-)