EPC rating and sold prices in BH21 (Dorset)
In postcode district BH21 (Dorset), homes rated EPC C or better sold for 4% more per square metre than D–G homes (median £4,042 vs £3,885, 7,336 sales). Like for like — same size, type, build period and year — homes rated C or better sold for 2.6% less (95% range −3.7% to −1.5%). 3 of 6 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 94 m² against 96 m² for D–G; the most common build period is 2012 onwards for C+ and 1967–1975 for D–G; 67% of C+ and 80% of D–G sales are detached or semi-detached houses.
| Comparing C+ with D–G homes… | Difference | 95% range |
|---|---|---|
| Raw gap per m² (medians) | +4% | — |
| Whole price, nothing held equal | −2.2% | −4.2% to −0.2% |
| Same floor area | +0.2% | −0.9% to +1.4% |
| + same property type | +5.2% | +4.2% to +6.3% |
| + same build period | +0.3% | −1.0% to +1.6% |
| + same year of sale | −2.6% | −3.7% to −1.5% |
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 BH21
| Sector | Sales | Raw gap | Like-for-like | 95% range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BH21 1 | 1,933 | 0% | −4.0% ▼ | −6.1% to −1.8% |
| BH21 2 | 2,061 | +6% | +2.0% ▲ | 0.0% to +4.1% |
| BH21 3 | 1,694 | 0% | −2.0% ▼ | −3.7% to −0.4% |
| BH21 4 | 739 | +13% | −1.4% | −5.7% to +3.1% |
| BH21 5 | 176 | +18% | too few | — |
| BH21 6 | 273 | +1% | +1.3% | −3.1% to +5.8% |
| BH21 7 | 405 | +1% | −3.0% | −8.1% to +2.5% |
▲ 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 BH21
| EPC band (last certificate before sale) | Sales | Median £ per m² |
|---|---|---|
| A | 110 | £5,063 |
| B | 1,443 | £4,355 |
| C | 1,670 | £3,703 |
| D | 3,041 | £3,889 |
| E | 831 | £3,887 |
| F | 194 | £3,780 |
| G | 47 | £3,920 |
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.