EPC rating and sold prices in DH1 (County Durham)
In postcode district DH1 (County Durham), homes rated EPC C or better sold for 17% more per square metre than D–G homes (median £2,419 vs £2,070, 6,919 sales). Like for like — same size, type, build period and year — homes rated C or better sold for 2.8% less (95% range −4.5% to −1.0%). 0 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 97 m² against 90 m² for D–G; the most common build period is 2012 onwards for C+ and 1967–1975 for D–G; 65% of C+ and 73% 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 | +18.4% | +15.4% to +21.5% |
| Same floor area | +12.7% | +10.9% to +14.5% |
| + same property type | +11.3% | +9.5% to +13.0% |
| + same build period | −1.1% | −2.9% to +0.8% |
| + same year of sale | −2.8% | −4.5% to −1.0% |
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 DH1
| Sector | Sales | Raw gap | Like-for-like | 95% range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DH1 1 | 1,435 | +12% | 0.0% | −3.4% to +3.6% |
| DH1 2 | 1,179 | +6% | +0.3% | −3.5% to +4.4% |
| DH1 3 | 837 | +16% | −1.4% | −6.8% to +4.3% |
| DH1 4 | 867 | −2% | +3.1% | −1.1% to +7.4% |
| DH1 5 | 2,601 | +16% | −1.1% | −3.6% to +1.4% |
▲ 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 DH1
| EPC band (last certificate before sale) | Sales | Median £ per m² |
|---|---|---|
| A | 65 | £2,698 |
| B | 1,462 | £2,779 |
| C | 1,999 | £2,095 |
| D | 2,709 | £2,081 |
| E | 608 | £1,992 |
| F | 69 | £2,078 |
| G | 7 | too few |
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.