EPC rating and sold prices in DL5 (County Durham)
In postcode district DL5 (County Durham), homes rated EPC C or better sold for 11% more per square metre than D–G homes (median £1,737 vs £1,560, 4,569 sales). Like for like — same size, type, build period and year — homes rated C or better sold for 4.3% less (95% range −6.1% to −2.3%). 2 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 89 m² against 88 m² for D–G; the most common build period is 2012 onwards for C+ and 1950–1966 for D–G; 68% of C+ and 64% of D–G sales are detached or semi-detached houses.
| Comparing C+ with D–G homes… | Difference | 95% range |
|---|---|---|
| Raw gap per m² (medians) | +11% | — |
| Whole price, nothing held equal | +12.5% | +9.2% to +15.9% |
| Same floor area | +10.8% | +8.2% to +13.4% |
| + same property type | +9.2% | +7.3% to +11.2% |
| + same build period | −0.5% | −2.5% to +1.7% |
| + same year of sale | −4.3% | −6.1% to −2.3% |
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 DL5
| Sector | Sales | Raw gap | Like-for-like | 95% range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DL5 4 | 1,765 | 0% | −5.5% ▼ | −8.1% to −2.9% |
| DL5 5 | 761 | +26% | +4.0% ▲ | +0.6% to +7.6% |
| DL5 6 | 856 | +8% | +0.4% | −4.6% to +5.7% |
| DL5 7 | 1,187 | +20% | −2.2% | −6.0% to +1.9% |
▲ 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 DL5
| EPC band (last certificate before sale) | Sales | Median £ per m² |
|---|---|---|
| A | 49 | £1,732 |
| B | 973 | £1,951 |
| C | 1,528 | £1,566 |
| D | 1,748 | £1,592 |
| E | 248 | £1,436 |
| F | 20 | £1,326 |
| G | 3 | 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.