Energy Performance Certificates in Soho

Common property types

• Upper-Floor Flats on Dean Street: Dean Street is one of Soho's main residential addresses, with flats occupying the upper two or three storeys above bars, restaurants and offices. Victorian solid brick construction, high ceilings and original sash windows are common. These properties typically achieve D or E ratings, with heating system type being the most influential variable on the final score.
• Berwick Street and Brewer Street Conversions: The market street buildings along Berwick Street and the mixed-use properties on Brewer Street contain compact flats on upper floors. These tend to be smaller in floor area, with electric heating in many cases. Electric storage heaters and panel heaters result in lower EPC ratings compared to gas-heated properties of similar construction.
• Poland Street Residential Terraces: Poland Street has a higher proportion of purely residential use than the main Soho streets, with Victorian terraced houses converted into flats of varying sizes. Construction quality and insulation standards vary by conversion, and assessors note the presence of any loft insulation, wall insulation and secondary glazing.
• Modern Residential Schemes near Shaftesbury Avenue: A small number of purpose-built residential blocks developed since 2000 exist on the fringes of Soho near Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road. These meet modern thermal standards and typically achieve B or C ratings with gas-fired combination boilers and double glazing throughout.

Typical EPC issues we find in Soho

• Electric Heating in Small Flats: Many Soho flats, particularly compact studios and one-bedroom units on Berwick Street and Wardour Street, rely on electric panel heaters or night storage heaters. RDSAP methodology treats electric resistance heating as less efficient than gas, which substantially reduces the EPC rating compared to an equivalent gas-heated property.
• Party Floors to Commercial Use: Identifying the floor construction between a residential flat and the commercial unit below it is a critical step for Soho properties. Where the floor separates from a heated commercial space, the heat loss calculation differs from a floor above an unheated space, and assessors must record this accurately.
• Access Difficulties for Top-Floor Flats: In tightly subdivided Victorian buildings, access to the roof void is often restricted or absent. Where loft insulation cannot be confirmed by inspection, assessors apply default values which may not reflect the actual level of insulation present, affecting the accuracy of improvement recommendations.
• Inadequate Ventilation in Deep-Plan Buildings: Some of the deeper Victorian properties in the Soho grid have habitable rooms without direct external windows. While this is primarily a building regulations issue, assessors must correctly identify habitable room counts and floor areas, which can be challenging in irregularly subdivided buildings.