Why MCS certification matters
Fitting solar panels does not legally require MCS certification, but buying from an uncertified firm costs you in three ways. Most suppliers want an MCS certificate before they pay you under the Smart Export Guarantee (the Energy Saving Trust notes this is why self-installed plug-in kits usually cannot earn export payments). The 0% VAT relief on home installations, which runs until 31 March 2027, needs an installer who both supplies and installs. And the certificate is the record that the system was designed and commissioned to the scheme’s standards.
The five-step check
- Get the details in writing. Ask for the company’s full legal name and MCS certification number. A certified firm can give both immediately and usually prints them on quotes.
- Search the register. Open the MCS “find an installer” tool and search by name or number.
- Match the technology. Make sure solar PV is listed. A firm certified for heat pumps is not necessarily certified for solar.
- Find the consumer code. Ask which code the firm belongs to (RECC or HIES), then look it up in that code’s own directory rather than trusting a logo.
- Match the paperwork. The name on the register, the quote and Companies House should be the same business.
Reading the register result
| Field on the result | What to confirm | If it does not match |
|---|---|---|
| Name and certification number | Same as on the quote and contract | Ask for an explanation in writing |
| Technologies | Includes solar PV | Do not proceed with that firm for solar |
| Regions covered | Your area is covered | Ask who would actually do the work |
| Certification body | Note it for your records | Useful if you raise a standards concern later |
What certification does not tell you
- How good the design will be. The register says a firm is certified, not how carefully it will survey your roof.
- The price. Compare quotes with the quotes checklist.
- Who turns up. Ask whether any of the work is subcontracted.
- Plug-in kits. Self-installed plug-in solar (800W maximum) is outside this route; see plug-in solar panels.
When you have certified firms that pass, compare them on the survey, the named equipment, the warranties and deposit protection: see choosing a solar installer.
Keep the MCS certificate safe: you will need it to sign up for an export tariff, at a rate each supplier sets.