EPC rating and sold prices in BL3 (Bolton)
In postcode district BL3 (Bolton), homes rated EPC C or better sold for 14% more per square metre than D–G homes (median £1,831 vs £1,604, 6,508 sales). Like for like — same size, type, build period and year — the difference is +0.8% (95% range −0.5% to +2.2%): the EPC band itself is not reflected in sale prices here. 1 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 76 m² against 80 m² for D–G; both groups are most often built in 1900–1929; 48% of C+ and 52% of D–G sales are detached or semi-detached houses.
| Comparing C+ with D–G homes… | Difference | 95% range |
|---|---|---|
| Raw gap per m² (medians) | +14% | — |
| Whole price, nothing held equal | +9.7% | +7.0% to +12.5% |
| Same floor area | +13.9% | +11.6% to +16.4% |
| + same property type | +13.4% | +11.5% to +15.4% |
| + same build period | +7.5% | +5.6% to +9.4% |
| + same year of sale | +0.8% | −0.5% to +2.2% |
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 BL3
| Sector | Sales | Raw gap | Like-for-like | 95% range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BL3 1 | 1,610 | +11% | +2.4% ▲ | +0.2% to +4.6% |
| BL3 2 | 968 | +15% | +1.0% | −3.1% to +5.2% |
| BL3 3 | 1,553 | +29% | +1.6% | −1.3% to +4.6% |
| BL3 4 | 1,733 | +1% | −1.7% | −4.3% to +0.9% |
| BL3 5 | 403 | +8% | +1.2% | −4.5% to +7.2% |
| BL3 6 | 241 | +23% | +2.4% | −4.6% to +9.9% |
▲ 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 BL3
| EPC band (last certificate before sale) | Sales | Median £ per m² |
|---|---|---|
| A | 23 | £3,167 |
| B | 200 | £2,152 |
| C | 2,176 | £1,813 |
| D | 3,175 | £1,682 |
| E | 771 | £1,488 |
| F | 122 | £1,107 |
| G | 41 | £918 |
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.