The Microgeneration Certification Scheme consulted on significant reforms aimed at improving quality and consumer protection in June 2023, according to the government's Boiler Upgrade Scheme and Certification Requirements Consultation, issued on 30th April 20251. The reforms would restructure MCS's relationship with consumers, installers and certification bodies, including removing the requirement for contractors to be members of a consumer code approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute1.
The 2025 consultation, which closes on 11th June 2025, sets out proposals to require MCS as the sole certification scheme for UK government clean heat schemes, describing this as the government's preferred option1. It states that all installers under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme are currently required to be members of MCS or an "equivalent" certification scheme, and members of a consumer code approved by the Secretary of State1. The second part of the consultation covers the Energy Company Obligation 4, Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund and Warm Homes: Local Grant, and applies to England, Wales and Scotland, while the first part on the Boiler Upgrade Scheme applies to England and Wales1.
The consultation also seeks views on enhancing consumer protections under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, including adopting the MCS reforms and requiring installers to deduct the grant value upfront rather than reimburse property owners after the grant value has been received from Ofgem1. It asks whether to allow property owners access to third-party ownership finance products alongside the scheme, and whether to amend eligibility so that BUS-funded heat pumps can be installed alongside other low carbon technologies, potentially extending support to air-to-air heat pumps and heat batteries1.
"In June 2023, MCS consulted on significant reforms aimed at improving quality and consumer protection."
The consultation reports that the scheme has supported the installation of over 49,000 heat pumps and biomass boilers, amounting to £328 million in grants1. It states that the Clean Heat Market Mechanism launched on 1 April 2025, and that on 21 November the government announced the almost doubling of the budget to £295 million for 2025/261. It also records that on 21 November the government announced over £5 million of investment in Ideal Heating as the first award from the Heat Pump Investment Accelerator Competition, and that in March 2025 it launched the "Warm and Fuzzy" heat pump marketing campaign1.
Why it matters for households
Certification and consumer code membership are the mechanisms behind the quality and deposit protections a household relies on when a heat pump or other clean heat measure is installed. MCS certification is the route by which an installation qualifies for government support, and the MCS certification requirements determine what is checked and by whom. The proposal to make MCS the sole certification scheme for clean heat schemes would remove the alternative of an "equivalent" scheme, which the consultation says is intended to give clear, consistent quality and consumer protections1. The separate proposal for installers to deduct the grant upfront would change when money changes hands, rather than requiring a household to pay in full and be reimbursed later1.
For a household weighing up a heat pump, the practical questions are which certification a given installer holds, what consumer code protection sits behind the work, and how any grant is applied to the bill. The MCS certified installers page sets out what certification covers and how to check a business, and the HIES consumer code page explains deposit and guarantee protection under one approved code. Wider context on who writes the standards sits under standards bodies, and the regulation and policy section covers the framework around these schemes.
What happens next
The consultation was issued on 30th April 2025 and responses were due by 11th June 20251. The government says it will summarise all responses and publish the summary on GOV.UK, listing the names of organisations that responded but not personal names, addresses or other contact details1. It states that further amendments to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme Regulations, designed to streamline Ofgem's administration of the scheme, will be set out in the government response to the consultation1. No date for that response has been reported.
Sources1 cited
- Boiler Upgrade Scheme and Certification Requirements Consultation, assets.publishing.service.gov.uk