The Central England Temperature (CET) record is a meteorological dataset originally published by Professor Gordon Manley in 1953 and subsequently extended and updated in 1974, following many decades of painstaking work. The monthly mean surface air temperatures, for the Midlands region of England, are given (in degrees Celsius) from the year 1659 to the present.

In much of the temperate climate zone, most detached housing has had central heating installed since before the Second World War. Where coal was readily available (i.e. the anthracite coal region in northeast Pennsylvania) coal-fired steam or hot water systems were common. Later in the 20th century, these were updated to burn fuel oil or gas, eliminating the need for a large …