EPC rating and sold prices in B71 (Sandwell)
In postcode district B71 (Sandwell), homes rated EPC C or better sold for 16% more per square metre than D–G homes (median £2,324 vs £2,012, 3,262 sales). Like for like — same size, type, build period and year — homes rated C or better sold for 4.7% more (95% range +2.5% to +6.9%). 1 of 4 sectors with enough sales show a difference distinguishable from zero. Data: HM Land Registry to 30 September 2026, EPC register.
From the raw gap to like-for-like
The homes are not alike: C+ homes here have a median floor area of 81 m² against 82 m² for D–G; the most common build period is 1950–1966 for C+ and 1930–1949 for D–G; 60% of C+ and 67% of D–G sales are detached or semi-detached houses.
| Comparing C+ with D–G homes… | Difference | 95% range |
|---|---|---|
| Raw gap per m² (medians) | +16% | — |
| Whole price, nothing held equal | +13.8% | +10.0% to +17.7% |
| Same floor area | +17.1% | +14.1% to +20.2% |
| + same property type | +21.8% | +19.1% to +24.5% |
| + same build period | +12.6% | +9.6% to +15.7% |
| + same year of sale | +4.7% | +2.5% to +6.9% |
The first row compares median prices per m²; the second compares whole prices; each later row adds one more thing that must be equal, ending with the like-for-like premium (regression of log price; build period from the certificate, 12 bands). The raw gap per m² and the whole-price gap differ because C+ and D–G homes differ in size.
Postcode sectors in B71
| Sector | Sales | Raw gap | Like-for-like | 95% range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B71 1 | 650 | +14% | +3.7% | −1.3% to +8.8% |
| B71 2 | 876 | +11% | −0.1% | −3.0% to +2.8% |
| B71 3 | 1,272 | +16% | +8.7% ▲ | +5.1% to +12.3% |
| B71 4 | 464 | +19% | +4.9% | −1.9% to +12.2% |
▲ green: premium distinguishable from zero; ▼ red: discount; plain: no measurable difference. Small areas have fewer sales, so their 95% ranges are wider.
Sold prices by EPC band in B71
| EPC band (last certificate before sale) | Sales | Median £ per m² |
|---|---|---|
| A | 3 | too few |
| B | 287 | £3,218 |
| C | 888 | £2,132 |
| D | 1,515 | £2,101 |
| E | 461 | £1,806 |
| F | 90 | £1,813 |
| G | 18 | £1,538 |
A median is shown when a band has at least 10 sales.
How this is calculated
- Every standard sale (HM Land Registry Price Paid, category A) since January 2015 is matched to the latest energy certificate of the same address (postcode + house number or name + flat) lodged from 10 years before to 3 months after the sale; sales with no certificate or an ambiguous match are left out. Across England and Wales 92% of sales match.
- Price per m² uses the certificate's total floor area (15–1,000 m²).
- Like-for-like premium: regression of the log of price on “C or better”, log floor area, property type, the certificate's build period and the year of sale. The 95% range shows how precise the estimate is; when it includes zero, the data cannot tell the premium apart from none.
Caveats
- The band is the one on the certificate before the sale; certificates are a median 0.8 years old at the sale, but a quarter are over 4 years old and some homes were improved since.
- Condition, garden, parking, views and the exact position within the sector are not known; a premium could hide in them, or they could hide one.
- Individual sales and addresses are not shown.