EPC rating and sold prices in TQ1 (Torbay)
In postcode district TQ1 (Torbay), homes rated EPC C or better sold for 13% more per square metre than D–G homes (median £2,500 vs £2,209, 6,690 sales). Like for like — same size, type, build period and year — homes rated C or better sold for 3.0% more (95% range +1.3% to +4.7%). 2 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 75 m² against 91 m² for D–G; the most common build period is 1983–1990 for C+ and before 1900 for D–G; 14% of C+ and 28% of D–G sales are detached or semi-detached houses.
| Comparing C+ with D–G homes… | Difference | 95% range |
|---|---|---|
| Raw gap per m² (medians) | +13% | — |
| Whole price, nothing held equal | −6.8% | −9.5% to −4.1% |
| Same floor area | +11.1% | +9.2% to +13.0% |
| + same property type | +12.8% | +11.0% to +14.7% |
| + same build period | +6.0% | +4.2% to +7.9% |
| + same year of sale | +3.0% | +1.3% to +4.7% |
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 TQ1
| Sector | Sales | Raw gap | Like-for-like | 95% range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TQ1 1 | 1,752 | +20% | +5.0% ▲ | +1.9% to +8.1% |
| TQ1 2 | 1,242 | +6% | +5.3% ▲ | +1.4% to +9.3% |
| TQ1 3 | 1,857 | +11% | +1.5% | −1.3% to +4.5% |
| TQ1 4 | 1,839 | +12% | 0.0% | −3.1% to +3.1% |
▲ 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 TQ1
| EPC band (last certificate before sale) | Sales | Median £ per m² |
|---|---|---|
| B | 547 | £2,750 |
| C | 1,993 | £2,463 |
| D | 2,746 | £2,260 |
| E | 1,085 | £2,155 |
| F | 247 | £1,987 |
| G | 72 | £1,806 |
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.