Energy Performance Certificates in Dartford

Common property types

• Victorian terraces — Found around Dartford town centre, Lowfield Street, and parts of Crayford. Built with solid brick walls and typically dating from 1880-1910. Solid wall construction is the single biggest drag on EPC ratings, and these properties often score E or F without improvement work. Narrow floor plans and small rear extensions are common.
• 1930s semi-detached houses — The most common house type in Dartford, concentrated along Shepherds Lane, West Hill, and the streets between Dartford Heath and the town centre. Most have cavity walls, though many remain unfilled. Original steel-framed Crittall windows are still found in some properties, which are single-glazed and let a lot of heat out.
• New-build developments — Ebbsfleet Garden City and The Bridge development have added thousands of modern homes to the DA1 and DA2 postcodes over the past decade. These properties are built to current building regulations and typically achieve B or C ratings straight away, rarely needing EPC improvements.
• Post-war council housing — Concentrated in Crayford and Temple Hill, these 1950s-1960s properties include a mix of houses and low-rise flats. Some have had cavity wall insulation retrofitted by the council, which helps ratings. Others still have original single-glazed windows and outdated electric heating systems.
• Converted flats above shops — Dartford town centre has residential flats above commercial units on the High Street and Lowfield Street. These often have poor insulation between floors, shared or outdated heating, and limited scope for external improvements. Ratings tend to sit around E or F.
• Bungalows around Wilmington and Hawley — Detached and semi-detached bungalows from the 1950s-1960s in the villages south of Dartford. Large roof areas relative to floor space mean loft insulation upgrades have a big impact. Some still have oil-fired heating, which scores less favourably than mains gas.

Typical EPC issues we find in Dartford

• Solid walls in Victorian terraces — External or internal wall insulation is the recommended improvement, but it is expensive and disruptive. Without it, these properties struggle to get above an E rating.
• Old boilers in rental properties — Many landlord-owned properties in DA1 still have boilers over 15 years old. Replacing an old G-rated boiler with a modern condensing model can shift an EPC by one or two bands on its own.
• Missing loft insulation in terraces — Terraced houses with accessible lofts often have little or no insulation. Adding 270mm of mineral wool is one of the cheapest and most effective improvements available.
• Single-glazed Crittall windows — Original steel-framed Crittall windows survive in many 1930s properties along West Hill and Shepherds Lane. These are single-glazed and let out a significant amount of heat. Replacing them with modern double-glazed units improves both the rating and the feel of the property.
• Flat roof extensions on terraces — Many Victorian and post-war terraces in central Dartford have had single-storey rear extensions added with flat felt roofs. These are typically uninsulated and leak heat. Insulating from above during a re-roof or from below with rigid board is one of the better value-for-money improvements.