Now it makes sense to me. I live in central continental Europe but spent a month or so in the UK a couple years ago, and one of my immediate impressions was how much colder it felt inside buildings. The buildings themselves seemed thinner and made of less dense materials as well.
Right. My friend said to me, after visiting his sister and brother-in-law in the UK that "it's incredible, the houses there are made of shit". Sounds harsh and I reprimanded him but I think there's something to it.