In April 2025, MCS launched a four-week consultation on proposed changes to financial protection as a core element of our redeveloped Scheme and ongoing commitment to close partnerships with consumers, installers, and the wider industry.
This consultation invited feedback on the ‘Requirements for Appropriate Financial Protection’ document, which will establish MCS requirements for consumer financial protection in the small-scale renewables sector.
We received over 30 detailed responses, including submissions from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).
Consultation outcome
The consultation provided valuable feedback that will support the development of clear requirements for appropriate financial protection, aligned with the launch of the redeveloped MCS. This supports our vision of giving everyone confidence in home-grown energy.
Some key themes of the consultation were:
- The level of financial protection given to consumers
- The period of time for which an installation is covered
- Timeline for implementation.
However, a few areas still need further clarification before we can finalise and publish the requirements, such as:
- Considerations of a failure in the design of an installation
- More precise definitions of key terms e.g. ‘wear and tear’
- The process for approving Financial Protection Products
The Consultation Response document provides a summary of the responses received, including analysis of each proposal based on the feedback we received. It also outlines whether or not we will be proceeding with it, and how it might be amended before implementation.
It also highlights the areas requiring further clarity and how MCS will address these moving forward.
Thank you
We’d like to thank everyone who engaged with the consultation. Your feedback is important to helping us develop financial protection that can offer consumers confidence when investing in small-scale renewables for their homes.
Next steps
We will continue to provide updates on developments relating to financial protection.