EPC rating and sold prices in CH1 (Cheshire West and Chester)
In postcode district CH1 (Cheshire West and Chester), homes rated EPC C or better sold for 13% more per square metre than D–G homes (median £2,648 vs £2,333, 4,947 sales). Like for like — same size, type, build period and year — homes rated C or better sold for 3.9% less (95% range −5.7% to −2.0%). 2 of 5 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 72 m² against 84 m² for D–G; the most common build period is 2012 onwards for C+ and 1900–1929 for D–G; 27% of C+ and 50% of D–G sales are detached or semi-detached houses.
| Comparing C+ with D–G homes… | Difference | 95% range |
|---|---|---|
| Raw gap per m² (medians) | +13% | — |
| Whole price, nothing held equal | −12.9% | −15.4% to −10.4% |
| Same floor area | +6.8% | +4.9% to +8.8% |
| + same property type | +4.1% | +2.1% to +6.2% |
| + same build period | −0.7% | −2.7% to +1.4% |
| + same year of sale | −3.9% | −5.7% to −2.0% |
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 CH1
| Sector | Sales | Raw gap | Like-for-like | 95% range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CH1 1 | 216 | −12% | too few | — |
| CH1 2 | 247 | −10% | −7.6% ▼ | −13.5% to −1.2% |
| CH1 3 | 1,037 | +23% | +5.9% ▲ | +1.9% to +10.1% |
| CH1 4 | 1,271 | +18% | −0.2% | −4.4% to +4.1% |
| CH1 5 | 1,296 | +4% | −1.4% | −3.4% to +0.6% |
| CH1 6 | 880 | +9% | +1.6% | −2.5% to +6.0% |
▲ 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 CH1
| EPC band (last certificate before sale) | Sales | Median £ per m² |
|---|---|---|
| A | 13 | £3,233 |
| B | 816 | £2,944 |
| C | 1,751 | £2,476 |
| D | 1,760 | £2,364 |
| E | 454 | £2,283 |
| F | 118 | £2,002 |
| G | 35 | £1,809 |
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.