Energy Performance Certificates in Earl's Court

Common property types

• Victorian Mansion Flats: The large purpose-built Victorian and Edwardian mansion blocks around Earl's Court Square and Nevern Square typically contain flats with high ceilings, solid brick external walls, and original timber sash windows. Heating is usually supplied by modern gas boilers installed by individual leaseholders. EPC ratings depend on the glazing specification, boiler efficiency, and whether there is any insulation in the communal roof space.
• Converted Townhouses on Philbeach Gardens: The ornate late-Victorian townhouses on Philbeach Gardens and the surrounding streets were designed as single family homes and are now almost universally converted into flats. Each conversion tends to be unique in layout, and the building fabric varies between floors. Accurate EPC assessment requires careful inspection of exposed walls, party walls, and heating system controls at each level.
• Coleherne Court Flats: Coleherne Court on Old Brompton Road is one of Earl's Court's best-known mansion blocks. Built in 1901, the block contains large, well-proportioned flats with solid brick construction. Many have been refurbished with double glazing and modern heating, which supports higher EPC ratings, though assessors still check for thermal bridging and inadequate insulation in older common areas.
• Modern Infill Developments: Small pockets of post-war and modern infill development exist throughout Earl's Court, particularly near the former exhibition site and along Warwick Road. These newer properties typically achieve higher EPC ratings due to cavity wall construction, double glazing as standard, and more efficient heating systems, though variation between schemes can be significant.

Typical EPC issues we find in Earl's Court

• High Ceilings and Heat Loss: The characteristically high ceilings in Earl's Court Victorian flats mean larger air volumes to heat and greater heat loss through ceilings. Where loft insulation is absent or minimal, this has a direct negative impact on EPC scores.
• Multiple Heating Systems in Split Buildings: Converted townhouses often have each flat on a different boiler system, sometimes installed decades apart. This inconsistency can lead to wide variation in EPC ratings across flats in the same building and complicates block-level improvement planning.
• Absent or Thin Insulation: Many Earl's Court mansion blocks were built with no cavity and have never received external or internal insulation retrofits. This single factor is the most common reason for D and E ratings across the area's older stock.
• Windows in Conservation Areas: Large parts of Earl's Court fall within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea's conservation areas. Replacing original sash windows with double glazing can require planning permission, and many landlords choose secondary glazing as an alternative, which has a more modest effect on EPC scores.