EPC rating and sold prices in BL4 (Bolton)
In postcode district BL4 (Bolton), homes rated EPC C or better sold for 17% more per square metre than D–G homes (median £1,778 vs £1,522, 4,225 sales). Like for like — same size, type, build period and year — the difference is +1.2% (95% range −0.6% to +3.1%): the EPC band itself is not reflected in sale prices here. 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 75 m² against 81 m² for D–G; both groups are most often built in 1930–1949; 53% of C+ and 55% of D–G sales are detached or semi-detached houses.
| Comparing C+ with D–G homes… | Difference | 95% range |
|---|---|---|
| Raw gap per m² (medians) | +17% | — |
| Whole price, nothing held equal | +8.5% | +5.7% to +11.4% |
| Same floor area | +14.8% | +12.1% to +17.5% |
| + same property type | +15.0% | +12.6% to +17.5% |
| + same build period | +12.2% | +9.5% to +14.9% |
| + same year of sale | +1.2% | −0.6% to +3.1% |
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 BL4
| Sector | Sales | Raw gap | Like-for-like | 95% range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BL4 0 | 1,235 | +14% | +0.5% | −2.3% to +3.3% |
| BL4 7 | 998 | +33% | +6.0% ▲ | +2.5% to +9.7% |
| BL4 8 | 1,065 | +15% | −0.7% | −4.9% to +3.7% |
| BL4 9 | 927 | +26% | +1.8% | −2.2% to +5.9% |
▲ 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 BL4
| EPC band (last certificate before sale) | Sales | Median £ per m² |
|---|---|---|
| A | 2 | too few |
| B | 259 | £1,789 |
| C | 1,346 | £1,776 |
| D | 1,990 | £1,598 |
| E | 506 | £1,311 |
| F | 92 | £1,176 |
| G | 30 | £989 |
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.