Can I challenge an EPC rating?
Yes. Raise concerns with the assessor first; if the issue is unresolved, contact their accreditation scheme using the details on the EPC. An unexpected rating or a different energy bill alone does not establish an error.
By EPC Benchmark · Last reviewed
A practical process
- Confirm the current official certificate and assessment date using the certificate finder guide.
- Identify the exact feature or entry you believe is wrong.
- Ask the assessor what evidence is relevant and whether the record reflected the home on the assessment date.
- Complain directly to the assessor and retain the correspondence.
- If the issue remains unresolved, contact the accreditation scheme shown on the certificate and follow its process.
Prepare the relevant information
- The exact entry being disputed and why it appears wrong.
- Available installation or product evidence and the relevant dates.
- Copies of relevant correspondence with the assessor.
These are preparation suggestions, not a formal legal checklist or a guarantee that evidence will be accepted. Share information directly through the assessor or scheme’s channels; this site has no complaint form or uploads.
Separate an error from a later change
| Situation | Next step |
|---|---|
| Installation happened before assessment but the description seems wrong | Discuss the exact entry and supporting evidence with the assessor. |
| Improvement was completed after assessment | Discuss whether a fresh assessment is appropriate; this is not automatically an error in the original record. |
| Meter bills or a peer score differ | These are model context, not proof of an error. Check evidence for the actual recorded feature first. |
In a fictional example, a homeowner notices that glazing fitted before the assessment appears to be described differently and asks the assessor which dated documents are relevant.
Possible outcomes
Ask the assessor or scheme whether a correction, cancellation or replacement of the lodged record, or a reassessment, is appropriate. A lodged record is not edited by the homeowner. No outcome, free remedy, timescale, higher rating or compensation is guaranteed, and a new paid assessment is not always the first remedy.
EPC Benchmark cannot adjudicate a complaint or amend an official certificate. Read how EPC accuracy and assumptions should be interpreted before relying on bills or peer comparisons.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Get a new energy certificate — Official assessor search and complaints route: assessor first, then their accreditation scheme if unresolved.
- GOV.UK: Energy performance certificates technical notes — Accreditation, quality assurance, known data limitations and treatment of lodged records; updated 30 July 2026.
Related guides
Find the current certificate first
Confirm the current official record and its assessment date before raising a specific concern.
Find the current certificate first