Energy Performance Certificates in Pimlico

Common property types

• Cubitt Stucco Terraces on Warwick Way: The mid-Victorian terraced houses on Warwick Way, Claverton Street and the side streets linking them are classic Cubitt construction: solid brick behind a Portland cement render, with timber joist floors and original sash windows. They are typically subdivided into flats and commonly achieve D ratings, with the render making external wall insulation more complex.
• Eccleston Square Garden Flats: The large terraces around Eccleston Square and Warwick Square retain more of their original use as whole houses or substantial flats. Many now house embassies or professional offices on ground floors, with residential above. The garden squares are part of a conservation area, restricting window replacement and external alterations.
• Dolphin Square Apartments: Dolphin Square is a self-contained estate of residential blocks built in the 1930s with cavity brick walls and metal Crittall windows. The cavity walls offer some advantage over solid Victorian construction, but the original Crittall glazing is poor thermally. Individual flat ratings vary significantly depending on whether residents have upgraded glazing and heating since occupation.
• Basement Conversions on Lupus Street: The lower-ground and basement floors of the Pimlico terraces have been converted into residential flats in significant numbers. These below-ground units face challenges including ground floor heat loss to the surrounding soil, inadequate ventilation and potential damp issues, all of which affect both the EPC rating and the recommended improvement measures.

Typical EPC issues we find in Pimlico

• Stucco Render Over Solid Brick: The Portland cement render on Pimlico's Cubitt terraces complicates external wall insulation, which is the primary route to improvement for solid-wall properties. Render condition, listed building status and conservation area restrictions all affect whether this measure is technically and legally feasible.
• Crittall Windows in Dolphin Square: Original metal Crittall windows in Dolphin Square are thermally poor and difficult to replace without altering the listed fabric of the buildings. Assessors record glazing type as observed and note where secondary glazing or conservation-compliant replacement glazing has already been fitted.
• Communal Heating Identification: Some Pimlico mansion blocks and larger conversions have communal or district heating systems. Correctly identifying the heat source, distribution type and metering arrangement is essential for an accurate EPC, and assessors may need building manager cooperation to access plant room data.
• Basement Flat Floor Heat Loss: Below-ground flats on Lupus Street and Charlwood Street lose heat through their floor to the surrounding ground and through party walls with below-ground spaces. The RDSAP methodology for ground floor heat loss in these scenarios requires careful measurement of exposed floor perimeter.