Which? published a policy paper on 29 May 2024 calling for mandatory certification of installers working on low carbon heating, micro generation and insulation. The consumer body said the government should set a date by which all such tradespeople are certified by MCS, for low carbon heating and micro generation, or TrustMark, for insulation1.
The paper, "Building trust: improving the reliability of installers in sustainable home heating", argues that households paying for work themselves lack the protections that apply to funded schemes. Since 2020, insulation installers working under the Energy Company Obligation or a government funded scheme must belong to TrustMark, and installers of clean heating and micro generation must belong to MCS1. Which? said the government "has implemented these changes for work that is funded by the ECO scheme or a government funded scheme, but has failed to address these issues for households that are funding work themselves"1.
"This report calls for the government to introduce mandatory certification of installers in these markets to make the process of choosing an installer easier, improve the quality of installations and protect consumers from harm"
Which? also wants government oversight of both schemes, to maintain standards and keep certification costs reasonable, and a fundamental review of Trading Standards Services. It said Trading Standards bodies in England, Wales and Scotland enforce against rogue traders, with the NI Trading Standards Service responsible in Northern Ireland, but that "a combination of local prioritisation decisions, a lack of relevant skills within Trading Standards Services and poor resourcing of local authorities constitutes a major risk to this area of work"1. Trading Standards cannot order traders to provide redress or take court action on a consumer's behalf, though courts can order compensation after successful prosecutions1.
The paper sets out earlier reviews and campaigns in this area:
| Year | Development |
|---|---|
| 2016 | "Every Home Counts" report from an independent review commissioned by government, recommending a Quality Mark with a Consumer Chapter, Code of Conduct and Code of Practice1 |
| 2019 | Cross industry licensing task force led by the Federation of Master Builders, calling for mandatory licensing covering sole traders and micro enterprises1 |
| 2020 | Government consultation on mandatory Alternative Dispute Resolution in home improvements, including heating and insulation1 |
| 2023 | Competition and Markets Authority Call for Information on the Green Heating and Insulation sectors; Trading Standards Scotland's "Turn Down Energy Scams" campaign1 |
Which? cited its own research in the wider home improvements sector finding that 42% of consumers find it hard to know what experience or qualifications to look for in a trader, and 55% find it hard to trust trader information1. It said the home improvement sector ranked second only to real estate in the problems identified1.
Why it matters for households
The certification question decides how easily a household can check an installer before work starts. Under current rules, a homeowner using a grant or an obligated scheme can rely on installer requirements for grants and funded schemes; a household paying in full has to navigate a wider set of installer schemes and consumer codes with no single mandatory route. Which? describes that landscape as "a bewildering variety of different certification schemes, accreditation schemes, certification bodies, review sites, consumer codes, trade associations and directories"1.
For a home's energy independence, the practical effect is on the quality of the installation itself. Which? said it is often choosing the right products and installing them correctly, rather than the products, that determines whether a home ends up with an efficient heating system1. Poorly installed insulation or heating can mean work put right at the householder's cost, and can affect a property's sale1. The paper also notes the government target of 600,000 heat pump installations a year by 2028, and a shortfall in qualified installers that would need to be addressed1.
What happens next
The paper sets out no timetable of its own. It notes that the government has said it intends to review the conditions of authorisation that a scheme provider must meet to be authorised as a competent person scheme1. It also notes the 2020 consultation on mandatory Alternative Dispute Resolution in home improvements, and the CMA's call for a review of the current landscape1. Whether mandatory certification is adopted has not been reported.