How to check an installer is MCS certified

What MCS certification means

MCS is the UK’s quality mark for renewable energy systems like solar panels and heat pumps. It sets the standards you should expect from an installer and the products they use. An MCS certified installer has met those standards.

This matters for your money, not just your roof, because some funding and export payments depend on it. We are an independent information site. Use this guide as a starting point, and confirm details on the official pages.

Why MCS matters for payments and grants

Several routes ask for MCS. If you miss it, you could lose out on money that you would otherwise get. For example, the main cases are in the list below.

• Smart Export Guarantee: GOV.UK says you must show that your installation and installer are certified through MCS, or a scheme accredited as equivalent.
• Warm Homes: Local Grant in England: solar panels must use an MCS approved product and an MCS certified installer.
• ECO4: Ofgem guidance says solar panels need an installer accredited under MCS or an alternative certification scheme.
• Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan: MCS says your installer must be MCS certified and use MCS certified products.

Read our guides to the Smart Export Guarantee, Home Energy Scotland and the Warm Homes: Local Grant for the full rules. The Smart Export Guarantee covers Great Britain only. In Northern Ireland, MCS still shows an installer has met a recognised standard, although a different export system applies there. See solar funding routes in Northern Ireland.

Step 1: Ask for the certificate number

Ask any installer for their MCS details before you discuss price. A genuine firm will be happy to share them, because it has nothing to hide. If they dodge the question, treat that as a warning.

Write down the business name exactly as they give it. Then ask for the name of the person who will lead the job. You will need both for the next step, since scammers often use names that sound close to real firms.

Step 2: Check the MCS website yourself

MCS offers a tool to find an MCS certified installer and to check whether a business is certified. Use that tool, and do not rely on a logo on a leaflet or van. Logos are easy to copy, whereas the search result comes from the register.

Type the business name into the search. Compare the name and address with your quote. If the business does not appear, ask the installer to explain before you go any further, because a missing entry is a real problem.

Step 3: Look for a consumer code

A consumer code adds a second layer of protection. The Renewable Energy Consumer Code advises you to deal with a company that belongs to the code and holds MCS certification. The code covers high-pressure selling, and it sets a maximum deposit of 25%.

Another body, HIES, says its accredited installers operate under an approved consumer code. It also acts as an MCS approved financial protection provider. However, installers in the redeveloped MCS scheme do not always have to join a consumer code. Therefore, ask each firm directly which code it follows.

Step 4: Check how they sell

Good installers explain, quote in writing and give you time, while poor ones push you to decide on the spot. Compare how the firm behaves with this short list.

• Does the firm give you a written quote with the system size and parts?
• Do they let you take time and compare other quotes?
• Is the deposit 25% or less of the final price?
• Do they explain your right to cancel?

The Renewable Energy Consumer Code recommends at least three quotes before you sign. That gives you a fair view of the market. It also helps you spot an offer that looks too good to be true, since you can see the usual range.

Step 5: Match the paperwork to the funding

Funding schemes have their own checks, so match them up. In England, the council running the grant arranges the work with you. In Scotland, Home Energy Scotland gives advice on its grant and loan. See solar funding routes in England and solar funding routes in Scotland for where to start.

Never let an installer apply for funding for you without explaining what they are doing. The official body decides who qualifies, not the installer. Therefore, if someone says they can guarantee a grant, walk away.

Red flags that should stop you

Some signs suggest a firm is not what it claims, although one alone may not prove it. A genuine, certified installer rarely does these things. If you spot more than one, stop and check again.

• They turn up or phone without being asked.
• They say the panels are free, or that a grant covers everything.
• They refuse to share MCS details or give them only as a logo.
• They demand a large payment today.
• They claim to be from the government, your council or your energy supplier.

Our guide on free solar panels explains what public money really covers. Our piece on solar doorstep and cold-call scams lists more tricks. Older homeowners may also want to read about solar panel grants for pensioners and solar funding if you get benefits.

What to do after your checks

Keep a copy of the MCS certificate and your contract. You may need them later to claim export payments or to back up a complaint. If you have already paid and feel unsure, contact your bank or card company straight away, because speed helps.

While you compare installers, remember that you can ask for more quotes. Our optional quote request page lets you ask for installer quotes, which is a separate step from checking funding.