MCS to exhibit at Everything Electric UK events for the first time

MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme) announced on 29 January 2024 that it will exhibit at all three Everything Electric UK events in 2024, the first year it has done so. The scheme described the show as "the world's number one home energy and electric vehicle show"¹. MCS will appear alongside OVO on the OVO sponsored Energy Advice Stand, having been invited by the supplier, which MCS states is an MCS certified contractor¹.

The three events run across England:

MCS said its team will discuss installing small-scale renewables in the home and the technologies available, and will give insight into government incentive schemes that MCS certified products and installers allow access to, such as the Smart Export Guarantee¹. It also cited the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, "which has recently been increased to an allowance of £7,500 per air source and ground/water source heat pump installation across England and Wales"¹.

MCS also used the announcement to set out its new responsibilities under its redeveloped installer scheme, stating it is taking a major role in complaints management for the sector:

"We are putting consumer protection at the heart of our Scheme and taking a major role in complaints management for the sector."

OVO said it was "really pleased to have MCS as part of our OVO sponsored Energy Advice Stand at this year's Everything Electric show", adding that it has chosen to be MCS accredited across all of its products including solar PV, battery storage and air source heat pump installations¹. MCS describes itself as "an industry-led quality assurance Scheme" that certifies low-carbon products and installations producing electricity and heat from renewable sources¹.

The announcement also carries a retrospective account of Everything Electric London, which MCS says it attended. Its Technical Manager, Lucy McKenzie, delivered speaker sessions over the three days on why consumers should use a quality-assured installer, and Market Development Manager Dan White joined a panel on heat pump rollout alongside Baxa, Octopus Energy and Tepeo heat¹. The page does not state how many households MCS spoke to, nor any outcome from the stand.

Why it matters for households

For a household weighing up solar panels, battery storage or a heat pump, the practical question is who installs it and what protection exists if something goes wrong. MCS certification is the route through which a home can access government incentive schemes such as the Smart Export Guarantee, and the scheme's stated move into complaints management means it presents itself as a single point of contact for consumers with current MCS certified installations as well as those considering one¹. The events give householders a chance to question the certification body and a certified contractor directly, rather than through a sales visit. The £7,500 heat pump allowance figure cited by MCS applies to air source and ground or water source heat pump installations across England and Wales¹. No detail has been reported on what the stand will cover beyond the topics MCS lists.

What happens next

Everything Electric London runs from Thursday 28 to Saturday 30 March at ExCeL London, followed by Everything Electric North from Friday 24 to Sunday 26 May at the Yorkshire Event Centre, and Everything Electric South from Friday 11 to Sunday 13 October at Farnborough International¹. MCS said further details on its events and networking opportunities will be shared across its social media channels in the coming weeks¹. Anyone wanting to check a contractor's certification status can read the site's installers and retailers hub.

Sources1 cited

1. Join MCS at Everything Electric for the first time - MCS, mcscertified.com