To achieve this, the redeveloped MCS will be taking a more active role in monitoring compliance, assessing installations, and ultimately driving up standards across the industry. Ian Rippin, CEO at MCS, explains:
“To meet the growing and changing demands of the small-scale renewables sector, and following an extensive consultation with industry, MCS is changing. Set to launch in January 2025, it is a significant change that will impact installers and consumers alike.
“At its core, the redevelopment is designed to raise standards, to ensure that consumers can be confident when investing in renewable technologies such as heat pumps and solar panels. To achieve this, it is crucial that MCS has better oversight of the installations that are being delivered under its Scheme, and where necessary, has the power to act should they be deemed to not meet standards or to have caused consumer detriment. This is in everyone’s interest, because it will allow good installers to stand out and prevent poor installers from taking advantage.”
Boots on the ground
“First and foremost, we are expanding our technical assessment team, and we aren’t waiting for the new Scheme to implement this. It is already underway, with the team having doubled in size over the last 12 months. More assessors out on the road means more installations being checked for compliance, as well as more signposting and support for MCS installers, and this has to be seen as a positive for the industry.
“The assessments that our technical assessors carry out is in addition to the assessments being undertaken by Certification Bodies. Here, MCS will be providing Certification Bodies with prescribed Assessment Criteria, which will improve consistency across assessments and make it even clearer how to ensure compliance. Certification Bodies will also be working to a new Quality Risk Model to determine their frequency of assessments. We’ll reward good contractors with fewer assessments, and identify poor workmanship by carrying out more assessments on installers that present an increased risk.”
A direct line to consumers
“We have already announced that MCS will become a single point of contact for consumers who wish to escalate their complaints. This level of clarity is important, as we know the current system can often leave consumers feeling confused and without recourse.
“Crucially, our contact with customers is also going to be proactive. We won’t just wait for consumers to reach out to us, we will be getting in touch with each and every person who has an MCS certified installation. We’ll be asking them about their experience, their installer, and how they are getting on with their new technology.
“This is important – not least because it means we aren’t just hearing about where things have gone wrong. It will give us better oversight of all the installations that are being delivered under the MCS name, providing greater confidence in what it means to be certified and an overview of the quality of new installations across the UK.”
A direct relationship
“These measures are designed to provide MCS with a clearer picture, but we also want to make sure we are working with installers to continue driving up standards. They are the lifeblood of our industry and have perhaps the most important role to play in the journey to net zero.
“The redeveloped Scheme will therefore establish a new, direct relationship between MCS and installers, thanks to an Installer Agreement that will be in place. On the one hand, this enables a closer working relationship – for example, if a consumer makes a complaint to MCS, we’ll work with the installer to understand the nature of the complaint and how best to resolve it. But it will also provide MCS with greater power to suspend, or even withdraw, installers who are falling short of expectations, especially when it comes to consumer detriment.”
Greater oversight
“We know that the vast majority of installers pride themselves on doing a good job, and they want those who consistently deliver bad installs and bring a bad name to this industry to be penalised. That’s precisely what these changes to MCS will enable us to do a better job of.
“With greater oversight, the new MCS will play a pivotal role in raising standards across the industry and increasing consumer confidence. It means good installers will flourish and leave the cowboys with nowhere to hide.”
For more information on what the new Scheme means for installers, visit: https://mcscertified.com/mcs-scheme-redevelopment/
Image credit: MCS
