EPC rating and sold prices in WR5 (Worcester)
In postcode district WR5 (Worcester), homes rated EPC C or better sold for 12% more per square metre than D–G homes (median £3,021 vs £2,692, 6,786 sales). Like for like — same size, type, build period and year — homes rated C or better sold for 1.6% more (95% range +0.3% to +2.8%). 1 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 86 m² against 87 m² for D–G; the most common build period is 2012 onwards for C+ and 1900–1929 for D–G; 68% of C+ and 66% of D–G sales are detached or semi-detached houses.
| Comparing C+ with D–G homes… | Difference | 95% range |
|---|---|---|
| Raw gap per m² (medians) | +12% | — |
| Whole price, nothing held equal | +12.4% | +10.3% to +14.6% |
| Same floor area | +12.5% | +11.1% to +13.8% |
| + same property type | +11.3% | +10.1% to +12.6% |
| + same build period | +6.6% | +5.0% to +8.2% |
| + same year of sale | +1.6% | +0.3% to +2.8% |
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 WR5
| Sector | Sales | Raw gap | Like-for-like | 95% range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WR5 1 | 1,792 | +30% | +5.1% ▲ | +2.2% to +8.0% |
| WR5 2 | 2,156 | +14% | +0.1% | −2.3% to +2.6% |
| WR5 3 | 2,838 | +3% | +1.4% | −0.1% to +2.9% |
▲ 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 WR5
| EPC band (last certificate before sale) | Sales | Median £ per m² |
|---|---|---|
| A | 106 | £3,527 |
| B | 1,911 | £3,036 |
| C | 1,548 | £2,938 |
| D | 2,309 | £2,782 |
| E | 714 | £2,466 |
| F | 149 | £2,351 |
| G | 49 | £2,154 |
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.