The body responsible for certifying the plumbers and heating engineers who installed your heat pump (and for issuing the documentation you need to claim a government grant) has had its accreditation formally suspended.
The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) placed APHC Certification Ltd under an imposed suspension on 28 May 2026, citing significant quality issues across all the schemes it operates. The suspension covers ISO/IEC 17065, the standard under which APHC Certification Ltd runs both its Competent Persons Scheme and its Microgeneration Certification Scheme. There has been no public announcement from APHC. No letter to registered installers. No communication to homeowners. Nothing!
Here is what those two schemes actually do and why their suspension is important.
The Competent Persons Scheme: your building regulations certificate
When a plumber or heating engineer installs a heat pump, that work is notifiable under building regulations. APHC-registered installers are able to issue compliance certificates confirming that work is compliant with building regulations, eliminating the need for notification through a local authority. That certificate is not administrative paperwork. It is a legal document. You need it if you sell your home. A conveyancing solicitor will ask for it. Without it, or with one whose validity is in question, a property sale can stall or collapse.
If your heat pump, solar thermal system or biomass boiler was installed by an APHC-registered engineer and a compliance certificate was issued during or after the suspension period, the legal standing of that document is now unclear.
The Microgeneration Certification Scheme: your BUS grant
Under the MCS scheme operated by APHC Certification Ltd, installers are certified to install air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps, solar thermal hot water systems and biomass boilers, and it is this certification that allows consumers to access BUS funding. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme currently pays £7,500 toward the cost of a heat pump installation. That payment is contingent on the installation being carried out by a valid MCS-certified installer. If you are currently awaiting a BUS grant payment for an installation handled through an APHC-registered company, you need to know whether that certification remains valid under suspension.
Neither Ofgem, which administers the BUS, nor MCS has made any public statement. Renewable Heating Hub has contacted APHC, MCS and UKAS for clarification and is awaiting responses.
What should you do right now?
If your installation was handled by an APHC-registered company, contact your installer directly and ask them to confirm their current certification status. You can also check whether your installer appears on the live MCS register at mcscertified.com. If your BUS grant application is pending, contact Ofgem directly.
The UKAS imposed suspension can be verified on the official sanctions register at ukas.com.
This story is developing. We will update as responses from APHC, MCS and UKAS are received. If you are an installer or homeowner directly affected, contact us at editor@renewableheatinghub.co.uk.
