The Smart & Fair programme was established with funding from Scottish & Southern Electricity Networks and National Grid Electricity Distribution in 2019. It began by researching the capabilities consumers need to participate in and benefit from the smart flexibility energy system.

This page contains links to reports from phases 1 and 2 of the programme, the Offer Profiling Tool, the summary of our market review webinar and our Energy Choices Tool.

Energy Choices Tool
October 2025

The free Energy Choices Tool (ECT), developed by the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) and funded by National Grid Electricity Distribution and Northern Powergrid, provides independent advice on smart energy options tailored to individual circumstances.

From simple timer plugs to solar panels, the tool guides users through practical solutions based on their home, lifestyle and budget – with no sales pressure or specific brand recommendations.

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ECT is designed to support individual households along with energy advisors, local authorities and community organisations working with households struggling with energy costs or looking to reduce their environmental impact.

The tool has been co-created with consumers and energy experts, drawing on CSE’s 45 years of experience as an independent national energy advice charity and a trusted software provider of tools that support action on climate change.

Smart energy market review
April 2025

CSE’s biannual webinar series provides a regular heartbeat of key consumer fairness developments across the smart energy market. These reports summarise the key findings.

Phase 2 Report: working with the smart energy capabilities lens
February 2024

The Phase 2 report (February 2024) details how we have been using our smart energy capabilities lens to understand how different types of households can participate in and benefit from the low carbon transition.

Phase 1 Report
September 2020

The Phase 1 report sets out the results of the earlier stages of Smart & Fair and describes the analytical framework and associated tools developed to examine how the transition to a net zero energy system can be done in ways which are both ‘smart’ and ‘fair’. In includes a proposed set of guidelines for smart energy practitioners to adopt and apply. The report concludes with recommendations for initial actions by Ofgem, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), energy practitioners and consumer advocates and an outline of our plans for Phase Two of the programme.

Offer Profiling Tool
September 2019

The Smart & Fair Offer Profiling Tool is an spreadsheet (MS Excel) aimed to support anyone involved in designing, regulating or researching smart energy offers.