Energy Performance Certificates in Fitzrovia

Common property types

• Georgian Townhouses around Fitzroy Square: The houses bordering Fitzroy Square and along Grafton Way are among the finest examples of late 18th-century terraced architecture in central London. Built with solid brick walls and original timber sash windows, these grade II listed properties are challenging to improve under current planning rules and typically rate D or E on their EPC.
• Victorian Conversion Flats on Charlotte Street: Charlotte Street and Percy Street contain a number of Victorian terraced houses subdivided into flats, many with retained period features. Conversion quality varies significantly, and assessors pay close attention to insulation above top-floor flats, the presence of draughty communal corridors and the type of heating system in each individual unit.
• Mansion Blocks on Tottenham Court Road Fringe: The streets immediately east of Tottenham Court Road include late Victorian and Edwardian mansion blocks with solid brick construction and communal heating in some cases. Flats here typically achieve D ratings, though units with updated boilers and secondary glazing can reach C.
• Modern Apartments on Euston Road Sites: New residential blocks developed on former commercial and light industrial sites around Warren Street and Euston Road meet current building regulations and typically achieve B ratings. These properties are straightforward to assess, with easily identifiable insulation standards and modern heating systems.

Typical EPC issues we find in Fitzrovia

• Georgian Solid Wall Heat Loss: Fitzroy Square and the surrounding Georgian streets have solid brick walls with no cavity. Internal wall insulation is possible but significantly reduces floor area, and external insulation is restricted by listed building and conservation area constraints, leaving these properties in lower EPC bands.
• Variable Conversion Standards: The quality of conversions across Fitzrovia varies widely, from professionally managed period conversions with upgraded insulation to poorly divided Victorian houses where the original roof void has been split without proper insulation. Assessors observe and record conditions as found.
• Mixed Commercial and Residential Floors: Charlotte Street and Goodge Street are primarily ground-floor commercial with residential above. Identifying party floors between commercial and domestic use, and correctly assessing floor heat loss, is an important step in getting an accurate result for these upper-floor flats.
• Flat Roofs on Infill Developments: Some 1970s and 1980s infill residential blocks in Fitzrovia have flat roofs with variable insulation depth. Assessing roof insulation in these cases requires access to the roof void or reliance on available documentation, which is not always straightforward to obtain for older blocks.