Hillock , 10 months ago

The North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA) reported that approximately 90% of U.S. single-family homes are under-insulated and are wasting energy and money

https://www.constructiondive.com/news/study-90-of-us-homes-are-under-insulated/406638/#:~:text=The%20North%20American%20Insulation%20Manufacturers,as%20decreasing%20homeowners%27%20comfort%20levels.

European houses are typically built with masonry, while North American houses are usually made of wood.

http://masonrydesign.blogspot.com/2014/01/european-construction-versus-north.html?m=1

Then there are some design choice difference that also matters. In the US average ceiling height is around 9 foot. In Europe it's 11. Open floor plans are more common in the US. It's a trend coming to Europe but given the average age of a house in Europe it's still relatively rare.

Yes, the USA has plenty of well built houses. No one is arguing against this. And the climate plays a bigger part why most of Europe doesn't have AC. But the statement is still true. European homes are generally built without taking an AC into consideration and are trying to fix the issues in a passive way because of it.

The USA aren't the worst offender either. Australia has it way worse. They have some of the worst insulation and are melting during summer and freezing during winter. Despite spending an ungodly amount on cooling and heating.