The past 18 months have been good ones for the UK’s transition to net zero. Record levels of renewable power generation were achieved, and innovations in the energy market are providing more opportunities for people to be rewarded for adapting when and how they use electricity.

Yet little of this has made much difference to those struggling with rising bills. Energy debt continues to grow. And although the government, Ofgem and the energy industry are making the right noises about fairness in the clean power transition, there’s not much evidence of this in practice.

This is where CSE makes a difference. Our 2025-26 Impact Report (PDF) shows how our unique focus on fairness has found practical solutions that benefit the people and communities most at risk of being left behind.

Greater benefit for clients

Overall CSE’s impact has grown in the year 2025-26 compared to the year before.

The total financial benefit we secured for clients rose from £25m to £33.9m. This includes the total cash value our support provides: the benefits we helped our clients claim, the savings from energy efficiency measures we installed, fuel vouchers and so on. Remember this figure is for one year only, so doesn’t include the savings that energy efficiency measures will go on to make in subsequent years.

The average saving per household went from £1,106 to £1,685. We installed more energy efficiency measures, 6,969 against 5,849 last year, and we reached far more young people through our education and youth work, 1,850 against 755. Grants to community organisations were up too, from £1.9m to £2.3m.

This was the first year in which we measured the impact of our work on carbon savings. Our retrofit work saved 2,610 tonnes of carbon emissions.

The year in numbers 2025-26

20,143
Households supported through our energy advice service.

41,460
Survey responses received in our research to understand how we design flexibility services that are both functional and fair.

£33.9 million
Total financial benefit secured for people through our energy advice service. (Financial benefits are based on recorded data of the real financial savings achieved for each of our advice clients in one year (2025-26 alone). They include benefits claimed, energy efficiency measures installed, fuel vouchers and much more. They exclude future years impacts e.g. savings made over the lifetime of the energy efficiency measures installed.)

1,850
Young people reached through our high-quality education and youth leadership programmes.

£2.3 million
Value of grants distributed to community organisations to run community-focused energy projects. They supported 26,557 households.

6,969
Number of energy efficiency measures installed as a result of our projects, and 2,610 tonnes of avoided CO₂ emissions.

9,266
Users of our Impact Community Carbon Calculator, generating 328 reports on local carbon footprints.

£1,685
Average financial benefit for households helped through our advice service.

871
Community organisations supported to take action on climate change or tackling fuel poverty.

31
Local authorities used our services.