EPC rating and sold prices in L39 (West Lancashire)
In postcode district L39 (West Lancashire), homes rated EPC C or better sold for 5% more per square metre than D–G homes (median £2,495 vs £2,384, 4,344 sales). Like for like — same size, type, build period and year — the difference is −1.0% (95% range −2.6% to +0.6%): the EPC band itself is not reflected in sale prices here. 1 of 6 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 95 m² against 96 m² for D–G; the most common build period is 2012 onwards for C+ and 1950–1966 for D–G; 67% of C+ and 81% of D–G sales are detached or semi-detached houses.
| Comparing C+ with D–G homes… | Difference | 95% range |
|---|---|---|
| Raw gap per m² (medians) | +5% | — |
| Whole price, nothing held equal | +0.2% | −3.2% to +3.7% |
| Same floor area | +1.2% | −0.6% to +3.1% |
| + same property type | +5.2% | +3.5% to +6.9% |
| + same build period | +2.6% | +0.7% to +4.6% |
| + same year of sale | −1.0% | −2.6% to +0.6% |
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 L39
| Sector | Sales | Raw gap | Like-for-like | 95% range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| L39 0 | 131 | −10% | too few | — |
| L39 1 | 771 | −5% | +1.0% | −2.2% to +4.3% |
| L39 2 | 502 | +12% | +4.5% ▲ | +0.6% to +8.7% |
| L39 3 | 525 | +6% | −0.1% | −4.0% to +4.0% |
| L39 4 | 840 | 0% | −2.0% | −5.6% to +1.7% |
| L39 5 | 822 | +7% | −1.5% | −5.1% to +2.3% |
| L39 6 | 318 | −3% | −1.2% | −6.6% to +4.4% |
| L39 7 | 207 | +17% | too few | — |
| L39 8 | 212 | −9% | too few | — |
▲ 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 L39
| EPC band (last certificate before sale) | Sales | Median £ per m² |
|---|---|---|
| A | 2 | too few |
| B | 277 | £2,736 |
| C | 1,190 | £2,417 |
| D | 2,096 | £2,419 |
| E | 603 | £2,319 |
| F | 133 | £2,238 |
| G | 43 | £2,122 |
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.