EPC rating and sold prices in PL4 (Plymouth)
In postcode district PL4 (Plymouth), homes rated EPC C or better sold for 27% more per square metre than D–G homes (median £2,171 vs £1,711, 4,703 sales). Like for like — same size, type, build period and year — homes rated C or better sold for 2.5% more (95% range +0.7% to +4.4%). 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 72 m² against 100 m² for D–G; both groups are most often built in 1900–1929; 4% of C+ and 7% of D–G sales are detached or semi-detached houses.
| Comparing C+ with D–G homes… | Difference | 95% range |
|---|---|---|
| Raw gap per m² (medians) | +27% | — |
| Whole price, nothing held equal | −8.7% | −11.2% to −6.0% |
| Same floor area | +13.1% | +10.7% to +15.5% |
| + same property type | +16.0% | +13.7% to +18.3% |
| + same build period | +7.4% | +5.3% to +9.5% |
| + same year of sale | +2.5% | +0.7% to +4.4% |
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 PL4
| Sector | Sales | Raw gap | Like-for-like | 95% range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PL4 0 | 556 | +50% | +2.6% | −3.8% to +9.5% |
| PL4 6 | 611 | +18% | −1.0% | −5.3% to +3.6% |
| PL4 7 | 1,289 | +20% | −0.5% | −3.2% to +2.3% |
| PL4 8 | 1,095 | +20% | +7.6% ▲ | +4.3% to +11.0% |
| PL4 9 | 1,152 | +27% | +2.7% | −0.3% to +5.8% |
▲ 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 PL4
| EPC band (last certificate before sale) | Sales | Median £ per m² |
|---|---|---|
| B | 199 | £2,375 |
| C | 1,076 | £2,141 |
| D | 2,436 | £1,779 |
| E | 839 | £1,607 |
| F | 105 | £1,471 |
| G | 48 | £1,300 |
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.