Help Stop the MCS Heat Pump Monopoly
Something’s happening behind the scenes that could have massive consequences for the renewable heating sector… and not in a good way.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has launched a consultation proposing that MCS becomes the only certification scheme allowed for government-backed schemes like the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS). That means no competition, no alternatives, no choice for homeowners or installers.
This move would effectively shut out Flexi-Orb, a legitimate, UKAS-accredited scheme that has been working hard to provide installers with an alternative and that I’ve been very impressed with based on off record conversations I’ve had with them. Both MCS and Flexi-Orb are recognised by UKAS as operating equivalent schemes under ISO standards, yet the government is now pushing for a single, protected monopoly.
Let’s be clear: MCS has had years to raise the bar. Installer quality? Still wildly inconsistent. Consumer protection? Patchy at best, with scores of homeowner horror stories on these forums.
Rather than fixing these issues or welcoming healthy competition, they’re closing ranks and DESNZ seems happy to go along with it.
This isn’t about which scheme you personally prefer, it’s about making sure the industry doesn’t get locked into a single provider, with no recourse, no innovation and no incentive to improve.
How you can help.
DESNZ is running a public consultation and your voice matters. If we don’t push back now, this will become policy.
Fill in the BUS consultation form here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/boiler-upgrade-scheme-and-certification-requirements-for-clean-heat-schemes/boiler-upgrade-scheme-and-certification-requirements-consultation-accessible-webpage
Deadline is 11 June 2025.
Pre-order: The Ultimate Guide to Heat Pumps
Subscribe and follow our Homeowners’ Q&A heat pump podcast
Response done, thanks for flagging this.
4kW peak of solar PV since 2011; EV and a 1930s house which has been partially renovated to improve its efficiency. 7kW Vaillant heat pump.
Yup, done.
105 m2 bungalow in South East England
Mitsubishi Ecodan 8.5 kW air source heat pump
18 x 360W solar panels
1 x 6 kW GroWatt battery and SPH5000 inverter
1 x Myenergi Zappi
1 x VW ID3
Raised beds for home-grown veg and chickens for eggs
"Semper in excretia; sumus solum profundum variat"
Response sent yesterday
2kW + Growatt & 4kW +Sunnyboy PV on south-facing roof Solar thermal. 9.5kWh Givenergy battery with AC3. MVHR. Vaillant 7kW ASHP (very pleased with it) open system operating on WC
- 26 Forums
- 2,136 Topics
- 46.8 K Posts
- 56 Online
- 5,662 Members
Join Us!
Podcast Picks
Latest Posts
-
The problem is bigger than rented properties, it applie...
By JamesPa , 38 minutes ago
-
RE: A Customer's Lessons Learnt from a Heat Pump Installation in a Large House
We got lucky and hit gold with our installer. Rather th...
By Old_Scientist , 48 minutes ago
-
RE: Mitsu Wireless Controller and MelCloud
@robs Hi Rob, I really appreciate your information, a...
By DavidAlgarve , 1 hour ago
-
RE: What crazy nonsense are inverter limits and why are they imposed?
What limit are you speaking of. So far I was aware dno...
By JamesPa , 3 hours ago
-
RE: Why so many sigenergi installer recommendations?
@adamk Tesla is a great option, it’s also one we instal...
By SAEnergy , 5 hours ago
-
RE: Rodents! A word of warning for heat pump owners
Hradline in Telegraph: Brace for plague of rats after s...
By Tim441 , 9 hours ago
-
RE: Flexi-Orb Heat Pump Scheme: A Game-Changer for the UK's Heat Pump Industry
As a potential heat pump customer, it would be good to ...
By Temperature_Gradient , 12 hours ago
-
RE: Octopus replacing the fixed 15p/kWh export rate with a market tracking one
@trbob I have just extracted the details for Agile Expo...
By Toodles , 19 hours ago
-
RE: Heat Pump Books For Beginners – Bodge Buster & From Zero To Heat Pump Hero
The Ultimate Guide to Heat Pumps is less than a month a...
By Mars , 20 hours ago
-
RE: Air source heat pump roll call – what heat pump brand and model do you have?
@editor Hi Mars, We have just installed a Grant Aerona...
By GrahamF , 2 days ago
-
RE: Sanity check please. Battery storage and inverter sizing.
There are MCS guidelines about how close to the edge/ri...
By Old_Scientist , 2 days ago
-
RE: Balancing financial efficiency and comfort using the Octopus Cosy tariff
I estimated our usage on the following basis. The mos...
By Old_Scientist , 2 days ago
-
@editor Something changed in this last 12 months, they ...
By ASHP-BOBBA , 3 days ago
-
RE: Ecodan & MelCloud scheduling
I put the above question to Mitsu UK at the sme time as...
By DavidAlgarve , 3 days ago
-
Thanks for the heat geek info. I've fitted my own heat ...
By bontwoody , 4 days ago
-
RE: Does anyone have experience of a smart water meter?
Just to give a sense of scale, I've used the CCW water ...
By Majordennisbloodnok , 4 days ago
-
RE: Powerwall 3 or Myenergi or something else?
We have a Tesla Powerwall 3, recently installed, so I m...
By Old_Scientist , 5 days ago
-
RE: Mitsubishi PAR-WT60R-E Wireless Controller installation
@morgan They have been paired once but it was thought b...
By DavidAlgarve , 6 days ago
-
RE: Isolating the system for a planned power cut
A great many ground-mounted local substation transforme...
By Transparent , 6 days ago
-
RE: Heat Pump Servicing & Maintenance – Good Value or Rip-Off?
Having bit the bullet and paid £250 for a service, our ...
By Old_Scientist , 7 days ago