Can an EPC be corrected or challenged?
What can and cannot be changed on a lodged certificate, how evidence affects the outcome, and the difference between a correction, a complaint and a new assessment.
Three different things people mean by "correcting" an EPC
It helps to separate them, because the route and the likely outcome are different in each case.
- An explanation. You want to understand why an element was recorded the way it was. This is often resolved by asking the assessor or the company that arranged the certificate.
- A complaint or audit. You believe the assessment does not reflect the property. Every assessor belongs to an accreditation scheme with a published complaints procedure, and schemes can audit a lodged assessment.
- A new assessment. The property can now be evidenced differently, so a fresh certificate is produced and becomes the current one for the property.
What cannot happen
No assessor — including us — can simply edit another assessor's lodged certificate on request, and no assessor can promise you a particular band in advance. Anyone guaranteeing a rating before an assessment should be treated with caution. A rating is calculated from recorded evidence; it is not negotiable.
Why evidence decides almost everything
The methodology allows an element to be recorded as present where it can be seen or evidenced. Where it cannot, cautious default assumptions apply. That is why paperwork matters so much: insulation records and grant documents, boiler installation certificates, window installation certificates, dated photographs from works, floorplans and measurements, and previous certificates for the property.
A sensible order of steps
- Read the recorded property description on the certificate, element by element.
- List the elements that do not match the property as it stands.
- Collect the evidence that supports your version.
- Ask for an explanation from whoever produced the certificate.
- Where that does not resolve it, seek an independent review or raise it with the scheme.
- Where improvements can now be evidenced, commission a new assessment.
How D8 can help
D8 reviews the certificate and the evidence, identifies apparent discrepancies, explains the options in plain terms and — where appropriate — carries out a reinspection or a new assessment. Sometimes an EPC result is completely correct. Sometimes something deserves another look. Think your EPC may not be right? Start with a free initial consultation by phone, email or WhatsApp.
Official sources
- Find an energy certificate (GOV.UK)
- The Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) Regulations 2012