EPC rating and sold prices in WA12 (St. Helens)
In postcode district WA12 (St. Helens), homes rated EPC C or better sold for 20% more per square metre than D–G homes (median £2,212 vs £1,844, 4,563 sales). Like for like — same size, type, build period and year — the difference is −1.6% (95% range −3.8% to +0.8%): the EPC band itself is not reflected in sale prices here. 0 of 3 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 80 m² against 84 m² for D–G; the most common build period is 2012 onwards for C+ and 1900–1929 for D–G; 64% of C+ and 59% of D–G sales are detached or semi-detached houses.
| Comparing C+ with D–G homes… | Difference | 95% range |
|---|---|---|
| Raw gap per m² (medians) | +20% | — |
| Whole price, nothing held equal | +17.5% | +14.5% to +20.6% |
| Same floor area | +21.3% | +18.7% to +23.9% |
| + same property type | +16.9% | +14.7% to +19.1% |
| + same build period | +5.4% | +2.3% to +8.6% |
| + same year of sale | −1.6% | −3.8% to +0.8% |
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 WA12
| Sector | Sales | Raw gap | Like-for-like | 95% range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WA12 0 | 635 | +3% | +1.6% | −4.5% to +8.1% |
| WA12 8 | 1,639 | +22% | −3.6% | −7.8% to +0.8% |
| WA12 9 | 2,289 | +24% | −1.7% | −4.6% to +1.3% |
▲ 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 WA12
| EPC band (last certificate before sale) | Sales | Median £ per m² |
|---|---|---|
| A | 5 | too few |
| B | 1,137 | £2,261 |
| C | 1,421 | £2,145 |
| D | 1,541 | £1,881 |
| E | 388 | £1,637 |
| F | 45 | £1,477 |
| G | 26 | £1,332 |
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.