MCS has launched a Scheme Redevelopment Consultation proposing to end mandatory membership of a Consumer Code as part of its certification, according to the government's Boiler Upgrade Scheme Regulations consultation published in August 2023. The proposal affects all contractors working under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS), which requires installers to be certified by MCS or an equivalent body1.
The government consultation states that MCS proposes to replace mandatory Consumer Code membership with a new approach to customer service, support and protections. In its own words:
"MCS propose no longer mandating membership of a Consumer Code as part of their scheme as they plan a new approach to customer service, support and protections"
The BUS consultation, issued on 31 August 2023 and closing on 12 October 2023, sets out proposed amendments to the scheme's regulations. It confirms that contractors installing heat pumps within government schemes must be certified by MCS or equivalent, and that MCS ensures installers are technically competent and offer appropriate guarantees to consumers. There are currently over 1,500 businesses in the UK certified with MCS to install heat pumps, estimated to employ over 4,500 installers1.
The consultation also notes that the government is reviewing consumer protection in the low carbon heat market, which may have implications for the scheme. It states that it will not be consulting on consumer codes or the extension of the scheme within this consultation, and will provide further detail on its intentions in due course1.
The BUS was launched in May 2022 with £450 million of funding, providing grants of up to £6,000 for heat pumps and, in limited circumstances, biomass boilers. The scheme's budget originally ran until 2025, but the government has announced an extension to 2028 with additional funding for each of the years following 2025. Since its launch, the scheme has delivered £65 million in grants, with 1,098 installers registered1.
Why it matters for households
Consumer Code membership currently sits alongside MCS certification as a condition for installers taking part in government-backed schemes. For a household, that membership is one of the routes to redress if a heat pump installation goes wrong, covering things such as deposit protection, complaints procedures and dispute resolution. If MCS stops mandating it, the protection a household can rely on will depend on whatever replaces it. The consultation says MCS plans a new approach to customer service, support and protections, but does not set out what that will contain1.
The change would apply to all BUS contractors, so any household using the scheme to part-fund a heat pump would be affected by how the new arrangements work in practice. The government has said it is reviewing consumer protection in the low carbon heat market and will give further detail later, so the final shape of installer obligations is not yet settled1.
What happens next
The BUS regulations consultation closed on 12 October 2023. The government said it would 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. No date has been reported for the outcome of the MCS Scheme Redevelopment Consultation or for the government's further detail on consumer protection.
Sources1 cited
- Boiler Upgrade Scheme Regulations: consultation, assets.publishing.service.gov.uk