MCS, the certification body for small-scale renewable installations in the UK, reported on 5 March 2025 that it now has over 5,250 contractors certified under the scheme, the highest number since it began in 20081. The figure follows a record year for certified installations in 2024, in which heat pump installations reached 60,000, a 43% increase on 20231.
The growth in contractor numbers reverses an earlier decline. MCS contractor numbers fell from nearly 5,000 in 2012 to just 1,700 in 2019 after the Feed-in Tariff closed, and the scheme has since certified around 700 new businesses each year1. In 2024, 1,443 installers gained certification across renewable technologies1. Solar PV accounted for the largest share, with 718 contractors certified during the year, bringing the total to over 4,0001.
Heat pump contractor numbers also rose, with 387 certified in 2024 and a total now above 2,0001. Battery storage added 332 certified contractors in 2024, taking that total to over 2,000, and MCS recorded January 2025 as a record month for the technology with more than 2,600 installations, a 176% increase on January 20241. Three contractors gained small wind certification in 2024, and Ryse Energy's G-11 turbine became the first MCS certified wind product on the scheme in three years1.
"The year-on-year growth in MCS certified contractors reflects the continued expansion of the UK's small-scale renewables sector and the increasing confidence in MCS certification. With over 5,250 contractors now certified and more contractors than ever active within a single year, we are ensuring that households across the UK have access to high-quality renewable energy installations."
The figures cover certified contractor numbers and installation volumes recorded through the MCS Data Dashboard1. The UK heat pump installation statistics and the wider MCS installation statistics set out how these counts are compiled. Comparable figures for other European markets are held in the European heat pump market statistics.
Why it matters for households
MCS certification is the quality mark that determines whether an installation is eligible for certain government support and consumer protections, so the number of certified contractors is a practical measure of how much choice a household has when seeking an installer. A larger certified base across heat pumps, solar PV and battery storage means more businesses able to work to recognised standards, and more contractors certified in more than one technology, which MCS links to multi-technology installations1.
For a home's energy independence, the significance lies in the breadth of the contractor base rather than the headline installation total. Heat pumps, solar PV and battery storage each reduce reliance on imported gas and grid electricity to different degrees, and each depends on a certified installer being available locally. The 2024 figures show growth in all three categories, though the source does not report how that capacity is distributed by region or nation, so any local picture has not been reported.
What happens next
MCS is transitioning to the Redeveloped Installer Scheme over the next 18 months, which it says will make certification more accessible and help more installers meet industry standards1. No further dates for that transition have been reported.
Sources1 cited
- MCS Hits Record Number of Certified Contractors - MCS, mcscertified.com