EPC rating and sold prices in SG4 (North Hertfordshire)
In postcode district SG4 (North Hertfordshire), homes rated EPC C or better sold for 2% less per square metre than D–G homes (median £4,815 vs £4,915, 5,114 sales). Like for like — same size, type, build period and year — the difference is +0.7% (95% range −0.8% to +2.1%): the EPC band itself is not reflected in sale prices here. 1 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 81 m² against 87 m² for D–G; the most common build period is 2012 onwards for C+ and 1950–1966 for D–G; 45% 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) | −2% | — |
| Whole price, nothing held equal | −10.8% | −13.5% to −8.1% |
| Same floor area | −4.9% | −6.4% to −3.4% |
| + same property type | +3.3% | +1.9% to +4.7% |
| + same build period | +4.0% | +2.4% to +5.6% |
| + same year of sale | +0.7% | −0.8% to +2.1% |
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 SG4
| Sector | Sales | Raw gap | Like-for-like | 95% range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SG4 0 | 1,695 | −2% | +1.7% | −0.9% to +4.3% |
| SG4 7 | 611 | +10% | +1.8% | −2.0% to +5.8% |
| SG4 8 | 1,144 | +5% | −3.0% ▼ | −5.8% to −0.2% |
| SG4 9 | 1,664 | −11% | +0.9% | −1.4% to +3.2% |
▲ 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 SG4
| EPC band (last certificate before sale) | Sales | Median £ per m² |
|---|---|---|
| A | 48 | £5,312 |
| B | 731 | £4,970 |
| C | 1,568 | £4,683 |
| D | 2,018 | £4,932 |
| E | 615 | £4,934 |
| F | 115 | £4,511 |
| G | 19 | £5,047 |
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.