EPC rating and sold prices in PR2 (Preston)
In postcode district PR2 (Preston), homes rated EPC C or better sold for 14% more per square metre than D–G homes (median £2,097 vs £1,831, 12,459 sales). Like for like — same size, type, build period and year — homes rated C or better sold for 1.5% more (95% range +0.4% to +2.5%). 5 of 8 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 86 m² against 86 m² for D–G; the most common build period is 2012 onwards for C+ and 1930–1949 for D–G; 62% of C+ and 69% of D–G sales are detached or semi-detached houses.
| Comparing C+ with D–G homes… | Difference | 95% range |
|---|---|---|
| Raw gap per m² (medians) | +14% | — |
| Whole price, nothing held equal | +13.7% | +11.6% to +15.9% |
| Same floor area | +12.2% | +10.9% to +13.6% |
| + same property type | +13.5% | +12.3% to +14.6% |
| + same build period | +5.1% | +3.8% to +6.3% |
| + same year of sale | +1.5% | +0.4% to +2.5% |
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 PR2
| Sector | Sales | Raw gap | Like-for-like | 95% range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PR2 1 | 2,181 | +3% | +0.7% | −1.2% to +2.5% |
| PR2 2 | 1,562 | +17% | +4.5% ▲ | +2.3% to +6.7% |
| PR2 3 | 2,508 | +10% | +1.8% | −0.3% to +4.0% |
| PR2 5 | 810 | +21% | +3.8% ▲ | +0.1% to +7.7% |
| PR2 6 | 1,416 | +5% | −0.6% | −3.4% to +2.1% |
| PR2 7 | 669 | +28% | −3.8% ▼ | −7.5% to 0.0% |
| PR2 8 | 981 | +7% | +4.9% ▲ | +0.3% to +9.7% |
| PR2 9 | 2,332 | +7% | +2.0% ▲ | +0.3% to +3.7% |
▲ 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 PR2
| EPC band (last certificate before sale) | Sales | Median £ per m² |
|---|---|---|
| A | 120 | £2,824 |
| B | 1,170 | £2,582 |
| C | 3,883 | £1,905 |
| D | 5,638 | £1,871 |
| E | 1,368 | £1,713 |
| F | 220 | £1,645 |
| G | 60 | £1,190 |
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.