Energy Performance Certificates in Belgravia

Common property types

• Eaton Square and Chester Square Stucco Terraces: The houses on Eaton Square and Chester Square represent the peak of Cubitt's Belgravia development: six-storey stucco-fronted terraces with full basements, principal floors of impressive height and rear access via service mews. Whether occupied as single houses or subdivided into flats, these properties invariably have solid brick walls and original or replica sash windows, and typically rate D or E.
• Wilton Crescent and Wilton Place Houses: Wilton Crescent is one of London's most recognisable Regency residential streets, with a curved terrace of stucco houses facing a private garden. These properties, and those on the adjoining Wilton Place, are listed grade II or II* and are occupied as embassies, single residences and substantial flats. EPC assessment here requires careful recording of basement levels and floor construction.
• Belgravia Mews Cottages: Every block in Belgravia has a parallel mews - Eaton Mews, Chester Mews, Wilton Mews and others - containing converted coach houses and stables. These two and three-storey mews cottages have been modernised to varying degrees and can achieve C ratings where new heating systems and improved glazing have been installed, offering a contrast to the larger townhouse stock.
• Cadogan Place and Cadogan Gate Mansion Flats: The boundary between Belgravia and Chelsea along Cadogan Place contains a number of large Edwardian and inter-war mansion blocks. These solid brick buildings contain substantial flats and typically achieve D ratings, with opportunities for improvement through boiler upgrades and secondary glazing where listed building constraints allow.

Typical EPC issues we find in Belgravia

• Belgravia Conservation Area Restrictions: Almost all residential property in Belgravia falls within the Belgravia Conservation Area or is individually listed. This restricts the full range of improvement measures, particularly external wall insulation, window replacement and solar panels. Assessors record improvement measures and note where listed building or conservation area consent would be required.
• Stucco Render Complicating Wall Insulation: The Portland cement stucco on Cubitt's Belgravia houses cannot simply be overclad. External wall insulation would require the consent of the Grosvenor Estate and the local planning authority, and would alter the visual character that the conservation area is designed to protect. Internal wall insulation is possible in theory but rarely accepted by the Grosvenor Estate on the principal floors.
• Basement and Sub-Basement Habitable Rooms: Most Belgravia townhouses have fully habitable basement and lower-ground floors. These below-ground rooms require careful measurement of exposed floor and wall areas, and the heat loss calculations for these storeys can significantly influence the overall EPC rating if not recorded accurately.
• Embassy and Mixed Diplomatic Use: Some Belgravia properties are partly in diplomatic use, with residential accommodation above or adjacent to embassy offices. Assessors focus exclusively on the residential parts of these properties and must ensure the EPC covers only the domestic area included within the residential title.