There are also portable air conditioner units you can purchase that fit right in your room and you can vent to the outside thru a window. If he balks at the extra electricity use, offer to pay some towards the electric bill but these are very economical.
I say take over the electric bill and then you have the say so. If you're SS is being taken by them already, then you already pay your share of the utilities and you need only ask for you due. If you pay nothing towards your living expenses, then the idea of buying a small far is a good one.
You do not state why he refuses to turn on the air, is it because the electricity is too much, is he out of work, do you help to pay the bills? There may be some good reason as to why he doesn't turn it on other than he is just being stubborn or mean. I think Macada, had the best answer....go and purchase yourself a fan and take it to each room you are sitting in and turn it on. That is much less than the air conditioner which cools the entire house. Although it is not like having air conditioning on, it is better than nothing. If their finances are tight perhaps you could make arrangements with them to help pay for the utilities and it would allow you all to enjoy the cool of the air conditioner.
Personally I feel that it is very rude of him to refuse to turn it on, but if I could not afford the bill then I too would probably refuse to turn it on. I wonder how he would feel about you standing in the running water 3 times a day to cool down?
althea, this can be terrible in the hotter places in the world. I know exactly how you feel. Being too hot has been about the hardest thing for me living with my parents. Do you help with the utilities? That could give you some leverage. What helped me most was sitting down with my mother and reaching a compromise so they would not be too cold and me too hot. It still works fairly well, even though there are still some thermostat wars going on.
Personally I feel that it is very rude of him to refuse to turn it on, but if I could not afford the bill then I too would probably refuse to turn it on. I wonder how he would feel about you standing in the running water 3 times a day to cool down?
I hope you work this out, speak to your daughter.