Energy Performance Certificates in Lewisham

Common property types

• Victorian terraces: The streets between Lewisham High Road and Ladywell, including Marsala Road, Eastdown Park, and Clarendon Rise, are lined with two and three-storey Victorian terraced houses dating from the 1880s to 1900. Built with solid brick walls, slate roofs, and bay windows, these properties form the backbone of the local housing market. Many remain as family homes, but a large number have been converted into self-contained flats. Solid wall construction is the single biggest factor pulling ratings down, and most unconverted houses score D or E.
• Converted Victorian flats: Lewisham has one of the highest concentrations of Victorian house conversions in the borough. Properties along Lewisham Way, Loampit Vale, and the roads around Brockley Cross have been split into studio, one, and two-bedroom flats. Each self-contained unit requires its own EPC when sold or let. The combination of solid walls, high ceilings, older boilers, and limited scope for insulation means many of these flats score E or F.
• Edwardian semis in Hither Green: The residential streets around Hither Green station, including Ennersdale Road, Torridon Road, and Staplehurst Road, feature Edwardian semi-detached houses with larger plots and front gardens. These three and four-bedroom properties have cavity walls in some cases and solid walls in others. Bay windows, decorative render, and tiled paths are common features. Well-maintained examples with filled cavities and updated heating can reach a mid-D rating.
• Post-war council housing: Several council estates sit within the Lewisham area, including the Pepys Estate near Deptford, the Parkside Estate, and blocks along Lewisham Road. Construction ranges from brick to concrete panel and system-built types. Many flats have electric storage heaters, and some estates have had partial refurbishment programmes that improved windows and insulation on selected blocks.
• New-build apartments: The Lewisham Gateway development near the station and other schemes along Loampit Vale have added modern apartment blocks to the area. These are built to current standards and typically achieve B or C ratings. They still require an EPC for every sale or letting, but improvement work is rarely needed.

Typical EPC issues we find in Lewisham

• Solid walls in Victorian terraces: The terraced streets around Ladywell and Lewisham High Road are almost entirely solid brick construction. External or internal wall insulation is the recommended improvement, but it is costly and often impractical on mid-terrace properties. Without it, these houses and their converted flats rarely score above E.
• Old boilers in rental flats: Many converted flats in Lewisham have individual gas boilers that are over 15 years old. Replacing an old boiler with a modern condensing model is one of the most impactful improvements a landlord can make, often shifting the rating by one full band.
• Thin or missing loft insulation: Victorian terraces with accessible lofts frequently have less than 100mm of insulation. Topping up to the recommended 270mm is one of the cheapest EPC improvements available and can improve a rating by several points.
• Single-glazed sash windows: Original timber sash windows survive in many Lewisham properties, particularly in conservation areas around Brockley and Ladywell. Single glazing scores significantly worse than double glazing on an EPC. Secondary glazing or replacement with slim-profile double-glazed sashes are common improvement options.
• Communal heating in converted houses: Some Victorian conversions share a single boiler serving multiple flats. The efficiency and distribution losses of shared systems must be assessed carefully, and they often score worse than individual boilers in each flat.