The Electrical Contractors' Association (ECA) has announced that the provider behind its MCS Warranty is no longer offering the ECA MCS Warranty, and that the withdrawal came without notice to the ECA1. The association dated the change 9 January 2025 on its Markel MCS Warranty page1.
The ECA said it is working to establish whether the withdrawal is permanent or temporary, and that it will update members in due course1. It described the ECA MCS Warranty as "an accepted product through over many years"1. No reason for the provider's decision has been reported1.
"9th January 2025: ECA's MCS Warranty provider is, without notice to ECA, no longer offering the ECA MCS Warranty."
The ECA said that, in liaison with MCS, it can redirect ECA members to MCS's list of insurance-backed guarantee products, where it says alternative providers with similar terms to those offered through the ECA MCS Warranty can be found1. The association has not said how many warranties are affected, what happens to policies already issued, or whether claims already in progress are affected; none of this has been reported1.
The MCS Warranty sits alongside the regulation-policy framework that governs certified renewable installations, including the standards installers must meet and the consumer protections that apply when something goes wrong. For households, an insurance-backed guarantee is the backstop behind a certified installation: it is the route to redress if an installer ceases trading and a fault is not put right under the original workmanship warranty. The ECA's notice concerns the warranty product it offered to its members, not the certification of any installer or the validity of any installation1.
Why it matters for households
An insurance-backed guarantee is one of the things that gives a home's renewable heating or generation system its value beyond the hardware. If the installer is no longer around, the guarantee is what stands behind the work. A provider stepping away from a long-standing product means the pool of guarantees available to installers shrinks, and households considering work that relies on an MCS-backed warranty may find the paperwork, the provider named on it, or the terms differ from what was offered before1.
The ECA has not said that existing guarantees are void, and it has not said they are unaffected. That question has not been reported1. Until the ECA confirms whether the change is permanent, the practical position for a household is that the identity of the provider behind a guarantee is worth checking at the point it is issued, because the provider named on a certificate is the party that would be called on if a claim is made.
What happens next
The ECA said it will update members in due course once it establishes whether the withdrawal is permanent or temporary1. In the meantime it is directing members to MCS's insurance-backed guarantee products list for alternative providers1. No date has been given for a further announcement1.
Sources1 cited
- Markel MCS Warranty, eca.co.uk