Energy Performance Certificates in Greenwich

Common property types

• Georgian terraces: Found around Greenwich Park, Crooms Hill, and the streets behind the Old Royal Naval College. These are among the oldest residential properties we assess, typically dating from 1780-1830. Built with solid brick walls up to 50cm thick, single-glazed sash windows, and no insulation of any kind. Many are Grade II listed, which severely limits what improvements can be made. Ratings of E, F, or even G are common.
• Victorian conversions in Blackheath: Large Victorian houses on streets like Lee Terrace, Eliot Hill, and around Blackheath Village have been subdivided into flats over the decades. Each flat needs its own EPC, and the conversion quality varies enormously. Shared hallways, party walls between flats, and communal heating systems all complicate the assessment. Individual flats in these buildings typically rate D or E.
• Modern riverside apartments: Greenwich Peninsula has seen extensive development since the Millennium Dome era, with thousands of new-build flats along the Thames. These properties are built to current building regulations with double glazing, modern boilers or communal heating, and good levels of insulation. Ratings of B or C are standard, and EPCs are straightforward.
• Charlton terraces and council blocks: Charlton has a mix of Victorian two-up-two-down terraces and 1960s council tower blocks along the Woolwich Road corridor. The terraces have solid walls and are similar to assess as the Greenwich town centre stock. The council blocks present different challenges: concrete panel construction, communal heating systems, and sometimes asbestos-containing materials that affect what improvements are feasible.
• Maisonettes in Woolwich and Plumstead: Purpose-built 1960s-70s maisonettes, often above garages, found across the estates south of Woolwich Road. These have their own front doors and typically two to three bedrooms. Concrete construction, flat roof sections, and older electric heating are common issues that keep ratings at D or E.
• New-build houses around Kidbrooke Village: The regeneration of the former Ferrier Estate has produced modern family houses and apartments built to current standards. These typically achieve B or C ratings and rarely need improvement work for EPC compliance.

Typical EPC issues we find in Greenwich

• Listed building restrictions: Greenwich town centre is a conservation area, and many properties have listed status. This can prevent owners from installing double glazing, external wall insulation, or even solar panels. Secondary glazing is usually permitted and can help, but the EPC methodology gives it less credit than full replacement double glazing.
• Solid wall Georgian construction: The thick brick walls in Georgian properties conduct heat efficiently to the outside. Internal wall insulation is sometimes possible but reduces room sizes in already compact flats. External insulation is rarely permitted on listed or conservation area frontages.
• Communal heating in converted flats: Many Victorian conversions and some council blocks use shared boiler systems or district heating. The EPC assessment for communal systems requires specific data about the boiler plant and distribution losses, and without this documentation the default assumptions used in the calculation tend to produce a worse rating than the property may deserve.
• High ceilings increasing heat demand: Georgian and Victorian properties in Greenwich often have ceilings of 3 metres or more. The RDSAP calculation accounts for room height, and taller rooms require more energy to heat. There is nothing you can do about ceiling height, but it explains why period properties score lower even after improvements.
• Poor ventilation in converted flats: Many Victorian conversions in Blackheath have inadequate mechanical ventilation. Kitchens and bathrooms without extractor fans or with blocked-up chimneys can develop condensation problems. While not directly penalised in the EPC calculation, these issues flag up in the assessment report.