Consumer Scotland has published its report investigating consumer protections in the insulation and low-carbon home heating sector. MCS worked closely with Consumer Scotland, providing information and evidence as part of the investigation, in particular on strengthening consumer protections for those investing in home-grown technologies.
You can read the full report here, which has identified some key areas of reform:
- Enabling households to engage confidently in the low-carbon heat transition.
- Strengthening consumer confidence through clear standards, protections, and robust enforcement.
- Establishing straightforward and accessible systems for remediation and redress when things go wrong.
Ian Rippin, CEO at MCS, said: “We welcome Consumer Scotland’s report into the challenges that consumers are facing in the adoption of low-carbon technologies.
“At MCS, our mission is to give people confidence in home-grown energy. This comprehensive report shines a light on just how important this will be as Scotland makes the transition to low-carbon technologies in the push towards net-zero.
“As the UK’s quality mark for small-scale renewables such as heat pumps and solar panels, we know that robust standards across the sector are crucial in driving uptake – a view which is supported by the findings of Consumer Scotland’s report.
“In particular, we welcome the report’s findings on the importance of increasing consumer confidence in low-carbon heating through simplifying the consumer journey and providing robust protections. This includes the recommendation of a single standards body that covers technical compliance, consumer protections, and a clear route to a single Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) – something that has also been proposed as part of the UK Government’s recent consultation on the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS).
“MCS is well-placed to deliver on these requirements.”
Read Consumer Scotland’s report here.