EPC rating and sold prices in SO20 (Test Valley)
In postcode district SO20 (Test Valley), homes rated EPC C or better sold for 5% more per square metre than D–G homes (median £4,373 vs £4,183, 991 sales). Like for like — same size, type, build period and year — the difference is +0.8% (95% range −4.8% to +6.7%): the EPC band itself is not reflected in sale prices here. 0 of 1 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 152 m² against 121 m² for D–G; the most common build period is 2012 onwards for C+ and before 1900 for D–G; 90% of C+ and 74% of D–G sales are detached or semi-detached houses.
| Comparing C+ with D–G homes… | Difference | 95% range |
|---|---|---|
| Raw gap per m² (medians) | +5% | — |
| Whole price, nothing held equal | +22.1% | +11.7% to +33.4% |
| Same floor area | +3.3% | −0.5% to +7.3% |
| + same property type | +3.3% | −0.6% to +7.3% |
| + same build period | +0.5% | −6.0% to +7.4% |
| + same year of sale | +0.8% | −4.8% to +6.7% |
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 SO20
▲ 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 SO20
| EPC band (last certificate before sale) | Sales | Median £ per m² |
|---|---|---|
| A | 6 | too few |
| B | 49 | £4,693 |
| C | 137 | £4,214 |
| D | 333 | £4,123 |
| E | 329 | £4,203 |
| F | 110 | £4,305 |
| G | 27 | £3,939 |
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.