My EPC is wrong — what should I do?

Start with the certificate itself

Find your certificate on the GOV.UK "Find an energy certificate" service and read the property description carefully rather than only the rating. The rating is the output; the description is the input. Almost every genuine problem shows up in the recorded details rather than in the letter on the front.

• Property type and configuration — is it described as the right kind of home?
• Total floor area — does it look plausible for your property?
• Walls, roof and floor — is insulation recorded, and does it match what you know is there?
• Main heating, hot water and controls — is the correct boiler or system listed?
• Glazing — type and approximate age, and how much of the property it covers.
• Recommendations — do any of them describe work you have already completed?

A lower rating is not automatically an error

An assessment records what can be seen or evidenced on the day. Where evidence is not available, the approved methodology requires default assumptions to be applied, and those assumptions are usually cautious. Methodology updates between one certificate and the next can also change a result even where nothing about the property has changed. Our job is not to assume the EPC is wrong — it is to help you understand whether it makes sense.

Gather the evidence you already hold

Whatever route you take, evidence decides the outcome. Useful items include insulation installation records or grant paperwork, boiler installation certificates and Gas Safe records, window installation invoices or FENSA/CERTASS certificates, photographs taken during works, floorplans, and any previous certificate for the property.

Your realistic options

1. Ask for an explanation. The assessor or the company that arranged the certificate can explain how a particular element was recorded and what evidence was used.
2. Raise a complaint with the accreditation scheme. Every assessor belongs to a scheme with a complaints procedure, and schemes can audit a lodged assessment.
3. Obtain an independent review or second opinion. A qualified assessor can review the recorded data against the property and the evidence you hold, and explain what appears inconsistent.
4. Commission a new assessment. Where improvements can now be evidenced, a fresh assessment reflects the evidence available at the time of the new visit.

If a sale, letting or remortgage is affected

Tell your agent, buyer or lender that the certificate is being reviewed, and keep a written record of what you have asked and when. Deadlines matter more than perfection here — establishing quickly whether the certificate is defensible is usually more valuable than a long argument about a single element.

How D8 can help

D8 reviews certificates, compares them against previous assessments and the evidence you hold, identifies apparent discrepancies and explains the appropriate next step. We do not promise to change another assessor's certificate and we never promise a rating. 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)
• Buying or selling your home: EPCs (GOV.UK)
• The Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) Regulations 2012