EPC rating and sold prices in CM3 (Chelmsford)
In postcode district CM3 (Chelmsford), homes rated EPC C or better sold for 4% more per square metre than D–G homes (median £4,141 vs £3,973, 9,603 sales). Like for like — same size, type, build period and year — homes rated C or better sold for 1.0% less (95% range −1.9% to 0.0%). 4 of 8 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 99 m² against 98 m² for D–G; the most common build period is 2012 onwards for C+ and 1983–1990 for D–G; 72% of C+ and 78% 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 | +4.4% | +2.4% to +6.5% |
| Same floor area | +1.5% | +0.6% to +2.5% |
| + same property type | +4.4% | +3.5% to +5.3% |
| + same build period | +1.9% | +0.7% to +3.0% |
| + same year of sale | −1.0% | −1.9% to 0.0% |
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 CM3
| Sector | Sales | Raw gap | Like-for-like | 95% range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CM3 1 | 769 | −8% | −7.7% ▼ | −13.9% to −1.0% |
| CM3 2 | 979 | +12% | −0.3% | −3.3% to +2.9% |
| CM3 3 | 1,434 | +3% | −2.5% ▼ | −4.9% to 0.0% |
| CM3 4 | 1,353 | +2% | −2.3% | −4.9% to +0.4% |
| CM3 5 | 2,814 | 0% | +1.3% ▲ | +0.3% to +2.3% |
| CM3 6 | 1,623 | +3% | −4.1% ▼ | −6.7% to −1.4% |
| CM3 7 | 237 | −1% | −0.4% | −4.8% to +4.2% |
| CM3 8 | 394 | +4% | −1.2% | −6.6% to +4.4% |
▲ 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 CM3
| EPC band (last certificate before sale) | Sales | Median £ per m² |
|---|---|---|
| A | 38 | £4,702 |
| B | 1,483 | £4,384 |
| C | 2,483 | £3,947 |
| D | 3,673 | £3,972 |
| E | 1,371 | £3,950 |
| F | 459 | £4,047 |
| G | 96 | £4,222 |
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.