MCS Prepares for Warm Homes Plan Solar Demand

Industry collaboration and performance monitoring is more crucial than ever, MCS says, as it looks ahead to the government’s £15 billion Warm Homes Plan.

It follows a record-breaking year for small-scale renewables – which saw 369,000 certified installations in 2025 – including rooftop solar.

MCS, the UK’s quality mark for small-scale renewables like solar panels, will be rolling out its redeveloped installer Scheme over the next 12 months.

The revamped scheme aims to make certification simpler and more rewarding for installers, while reforming consumer protection in the industry.

Redeveloped Scheme

As more MCS certification bodies achieve UKAS accreditation to offer the redeveloped Scheme, the transition phase for installers will begin soon, MCS adds.

Supporting the MCS Scheme across onboarding, certification, compliance, monitoring, and maintaining strong long-lasting stakeholder partnerships, the organisation intends to continue growing as the industry evolves, while maintaining consumer confidence.

A Defining Year

Ian Rippin, CEO at MCS, said: “2026 is set to be a defining year for MCS and the small-scale renewables industry, building on the momentum of a record-breaking 2025. It has been great to welcome so many new people to the team, and I look forward to working with them to deliver a redeveloped Scheme that works for everyone.

“The redeveloped installer Scheme has been designed to adapt to the accelerating demand we are seeing in the UK, putting consumer protection and quality first to give people the confidence they need to invest in home-grown energy.

“As the sole certification scheme for clean heat measures and as the sector prepares for the Warm Homes Plan, this confidence is more important than ever.”

Preparing for the Warm Homes Plan

Over the past two years, MCS has strengthened consumer protection, enhanced installer oversight, and improved support for UK households investing in renewable technologies.

Its expanded Customer Experience function now brings together five specialist teams:

• Complaints – a new MCS complaints system will provide a clear, accessible route for resolving and managing complaints through a structured and transparent process.

• Quality –13 new Quality Verifiers joined MCS in 2025 to provide independent oversight and strengthen consumer protection by conducting on-site compliance checks across the UK. On average, they deliver 500 site visits per month.

• Customer Relations – acting as both onboarding specialists for new installers and dedicated Account Managers – managing application, certification, ongoing compliance, and beyond. Their robust Scheme checks minimise consumer detriment, while focusing on building close working relationships with the MCS installer base.

• Outreach – this team will contact every household with a certified installation to ensure consumers understand their documents and protections and to identify issues early. Their ongoing outreach programme to BUS customers on behalf of Ofgem has found an overwhelming satisfaction rate of 95%.

• Customer Support Helpdesk – supports a range of stakeholders with queries, providing clear, timely guidance.

As well as this, MCS welcomed Jim Johnson as Certification Body Partnership Manager in February, who brings experience from a renewable energy installer and the Electrical Contractors Association (ECA). His role was created to strengthen how MCS works with and supports its installer certification bodies (CBs).

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