EPC rating and sold prices in OL4 (Oldham)
In postcode district OL4 (Oldham), homes rated EPC C or better sold for 25% more per square metre than D–G homes (median £2,256 vs £1,801, 5,569 sales). Like for like — same size, type, build period and year — homes rated C or better sold for 2.7% more (95% range +0.6% to +4.8%). 1 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 82 m² against 80 m² for D–G; the most common build period is 2012 onwards for C+ and 1900–1929 for D–G; 55% of C+ and 42% of D–G sales are detached or semi-detached houses.
| Comparing C+ with D–G homes… | Difference | 95% range |
|---|---|---|
| Raw gap per m² (medians) | +25% | — |
| Whole price, nothing held equal | +30.5% | +26.4% to +34.7% |
| Same floor area | +25.4% | +22.4% to +28.5% |
| + same property type | +15.8% | +13.4% to +18.3% |
| + same build period | +11.4% | +8.7% to +14.1% |
| + same year of sale | +2.7% | +0.6% to +4.8% |
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 OL4
| Sector | Sales | Raw gap | Like-for-like | 95% range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OL4 1 | 566 | +25% | +2.7% | −3.0% to +8.9% |
| OL4 2 | 1,321 | +42% | +2.5% | −0.7% to +5.9% |
| OL4 3 | 1,097 | +20% | +0.2% | −3.5% to +4.0% |
| OL4 4 | 1,305 | +13% | +2.2% | −1.2% to +5.8% |
| OL4 5 | 1,280 | +20% | +5.1% ▲ | +0.5% to +9.9% |
▲ 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 OL4
| EPC band (last certificate before sale) | Sales | Median £ per m² |
|---|---|---|
| A | 3 | too few |
| B | 315 | £2,521 |
| C | 1,480 | £2,173 |
| D | 2,765 | £1,875 |
| E | 844 | £1,626 |
| F | 135 | £1,392 |
| G | 27 | £833 |
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.