EPC rating and sold prices in ME12 (Swale)
In postcode district ME12 (Swale), homes rated EPC C or better sold for 15% more per square metre than D–G homes (median £3,024 vs £2,620, 6,382 sales). Like for like — same size, type, build period and year — homes rated C or better sold for 4.1% more (95% range +2.8% to +5.5%). 3 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 85 m² against 85 m² for D–G; the most common build period is 2012 onwards for C+ and 1900–1929 for D–G; 61% of C+ and 60% of D–G sales are detached or semi-detached houses.
| Comparing C+ with D–G homes… | Difference | 95% range |
|---|---|---|
| Raw gap per m² (medians) | +15% | — |
| Whole price, nothing held equal | +19.8% | +17.5% to +22.1% |
| Same floor area | +16.7% | +15.0% to +18.4% |
| + same property type | +19.4% | +18.0% to +20.8% |
| + same build period | +9.0% | +7.2% to +10.9% |
| + same year of sale | +4.1% | +2.8% to +5.5% |
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 ME12
| Sector | Sales | Raw gap | Like-for-like | 95% range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ME12 1 | 604 | +14% | +3.3% ▲ | 0.0% to +6.7% |
| ME12 2 | 1,896 | +24% | +5.3% ▲ | +2.9% to +7.7% |
| ME12 3 | 2,933 | +4% | +1.8% | −0.2% to +3.8% |
| ME12 4 | 948 | +15% | +4.9% ▲ | +1.4% to +8.6% |
▲ 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 ME12
| EPC band (last certificate before sale) | Sales | Median £ per m² |
|---|---|---|
| A | 69 | £3,768 |
| B | 1,122 | £2,973 |
| C | 1,635 | £3,006 |
| D | 2,552 | £2,737 |
| E | 780 | £2,369 |
| F | 177 | £2,216 |
| G | 47 | £1,959 |
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.