Live 2026 £ per BU by band
The Feb 2026 Biodiversity Units UK off-site market report places medium distinctiveness commodity units at £20,000 to £29,000 nationally, with high distinctiveness clearing at £45,000 to £110,000, and very high at £90,000 to £250,000 depending on habitat type and region.[S8] Watercourse units trade in a separate module and price closer to the statutory schedule.
Why the 30x spread is structural
Distinctiveness multiplies through the formula at 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 against condition (1, 2, 3) and area; a one-band uplift roughly doubles the unit yield per hectare, so equivalent absolute volume can be delivered from much smaller land area at higher bands. Combine that with longer time-to-target-condition for woodland and fen (the temporal risk multiplier discounts heavily), and supply is tight by design.[S1]
Price movement Feb to June 2026
Commodity grassland mid-rate held flat at £24,000 to £28,000; high-distinctiveness chalk and meadow rose modestly on supply tightness in South East NCAs. The statutory credit price schedule was updated 2 June 2026 with no tier change.[S3]
Where the published prices come from
Three sources triangulate: the Biodiversity Units UK quarterly market report (broker transaction data), public marketplace listings on Gaia and BNG Finder, and the Defra gain sites register for registered units delivered.[S13]