Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP)

The Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP) ran from 1 October 2009 to 31 December 2012. CESP was created as part of the government's Home Energy Saving Programme.

Government set an overall carbon emissions reduction target of 19.25 Mt CO2. This was to be met by requiring gas and electricity suppliers and electricity generators to deliver energy saving measures to domestic consumers in specific low income areas of Britain. This obligation was placed on all licensed gas and electricity suppliers that had at least 50,000 domestic customers and all licensed electricity generators that had generated on average 10 TWh/yr or more in a specified three-year period.

CESP was designed to promote a 'whole house' approach and to treat as many properties as possible in defined geographical areas selected using the Income Domain of the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) in England, Scotland and Wales.

Energy companies were required to achieve an overall target of 19.25 Mt CO2 saving by 31 December 2012. Energy companies achieved a saving 16.31 Mt CO2, almost 85% of the overall target.

Ofgem’s role was to monitor compliance with the scheme requirements including the level of savings and the way in which these were achieved.