You will gain ‘grandfather rights’ meaning that you will be certified for both heat pump design and heat pump installation. Then, at your next surveillance visit with your CB you can either:

• remain certified for design and installation but against both MIS 3005-D and MIS 3005-I or,
• change to being only a certified designer (against MIS 3005-D) or,
• change to being only a certified installer (against MIS 3005-I).

MCS does not formally define ‘grandfather rights’ in any of its Standards. However, ‘grandfather rights’ are typically where historic certification, qualification and competency can be considered as meeting current or future requirements. In the case of the split of MIS 3005, you will have to meet the competency requirements of whichever Standard you are being assessed against during the assessment – either at first assessment or annual surveillance. Therefore, ‘grandfather rights’ for existing contractors certified against MIS 3005 (Issue 5.0) will last until your next surveillance assessment.

You have a choice depending on the competencies within your company. You could choose either to:

• Get certified against both MIS 3005-D and MIS 3005-I if you can demonstrate competencies for both.
• Get certified only as a heat pump designer (against MIS 3005-D). You can then sub-contract to an installer certified against MIS 3005-I.
• Get certified only as a heat pump installer (against MIS 3005-I). You can then sub-contract to a designer certified against MIS 3005-D.

If you hold the contract with the customer directly, you can undertake the design work, but you would need to sub-contract the installation to an installer that is certified against MIS 3005-I. The responsibility for raising the MCS certificate and overall responsibility for the system would sit with you as the designer as you hold the contract. You must also ensure that the MIS 3005-I sub-contractor’s installation is complaint with the Standard.

If you hold the contract with the customer directly, you can undertake the installation work, but you would need to sub-contract the design to an installer that is certified against MIS 3005-D. The responsibility for raising the MCS certificate and overall responsibility for the system would sit with you as the installer as you hold the contract.  You must also ensure that the MIS 3005-D sub-contractor’s design is complaint with the Standard and appropriate for the property.

• Certification assessment for design would be against MCS 001-1 and MIS 3005-D so including assessment of designs.
• Certification assessment for installation would be against MCS 001-1 and MIS 3005-I so including assessment of installations and workmanship.
• If a contractor is being assessed for both design and installation, they’d only be assessed the once against MCS 001-1. Then their designs would be assessed against MIS 3005-D and their installation work assessed against MIS 3005-I.

There are many clauses duplicated across both standards so a combined assessment will not require twice the time/resource of a single assessment.

NB. By splitting of the standard, there are no additional technical or competency requirements – the levels of competence in MIS 3005-D and MIS 3005-I haven't increased, they have simply been separated.

This depends:

• Contractors certified against both MIS 3005-D and MIS 3005-I can sub-contract as normal, if they meet the requirements in MCS 001-1 clause 4.11 relating to subcontracting for the appointment and supervision of any subcontractor.
• Contractors certified for heat pump design (MIS 3005-D) will only be able to sub-contract the installation to certified installers (MIS 3005-I). This is because they won’t have demonstrated the competencies required to install (or supervise those installing).
• Contractors certified for heat pump installation (MIS 3005-I) will only be able to sub-contract the design to certified designers (MIS 3005-D). This is because they won’t have demonstrated the competencies required to design (or supervise those designing).

Yes, but only if you are certified against both MIS 3005-D and MIS 3005-I as this demonstrates that you have the competencies to train and supervise your sub-contracted designers and installers (as stipulated in MCS 001-1 clause 4.11).

No – neither of the above would be permitted to raise an MCS certificate as neither would be contractually responsible to the consumer for BOTH design and installation (i.e. a fully working system). The only way that they could get an MCS certificate is if they were to contract with either the designer or the installer, who then sub-contracts to the other. That way, there is only one contract for a fully functioning system.

Yes, but only if they are certified against both MCS 001-1 and MIS 3005-D and MIS 3005-I.  This is because an MCS certificate can only be generated by an MCS certified contractor who holds the contract directly with the customer. Neither of their preferred sub-contractors (designer or installer) can raise a certificate as they would not have the contract with the customer given they are their sub-contractors.

Yes, they will as this is a requirement in MCS001-1 (clause 4.4).

Whichever contractor (designer or installer) has the contract with the customer can register the system on the MID (as stipulated in clause 4.10.1 of MCS 001-1).

Yes, they can but they will have to comply with the requirements in MCS 001-1 clause 4.11 for sub-contracting and, most importantly, demonstrate that their company has the necessary in-house competencies to train and supervise any subcontractors they use.

Yes, you can design against the new Standard MIS 3005-D straightaway. This was published on the MCS website on 1^st December 2021. An installation compliant with the old Standards will be considered compliant with the new.

At the point at which the installation is commissioned and handed over to the customer, it must be compliant with the version of the Standard in force at that time. This is why we published the new versions several months in advance of their implementation. That way, if an MCS certified contractor has installations likely to be commissioned on or after 1 April 2022, they can design and install them to be compliant with the new version of the Standard.

If the installation is commissioned before the end of 31 March 2022 (i.e. before the old version is withdrawn), and designed and installed according to the new version, then it will be compliant with the old (because the new requirements are no less than in the old).

We’d therefore recommend contractors start working to the new versions as soon as they can.

Both the new and old Standards are closely linked to government legislation, which needs to be clear in terms of precisely which standards apply and when. Having both old and new versions applicable at the same time could have caused confusion both with certified contractors, the applicable legislation and consumers.

Compliance Certificates are a separate Excel spreadsheet document that had to be completed and uploaded to the MID when an installation was being registered. They were introduced at the request of government to help with the administration of the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme. As that scheme will cease to new applications from 31 March 2022, Compliance Certificates will no longer be required.

All the CBs are aware of the new Standards and are in the process of developing their own internal procedures to certify against the new Standards as soon as they are implemented from 1 April 2022.

NAPIT is offering certification against D&I combined, D only and/or I only.

OFTEC is offering certification against D&I combined, D only and/or I only.

NICEIC is offering certification against D&I combined only.

APHC is offering certification against D&I combined only.

No. Under MCS 001-1 clause 4.10.1 a contractor would need to have the contract with the customer for the technology type(s) they are certified for. So, in this scenario they would need to add heat pumps to their certification scope with MCS. 

Both new Standards are now available on the MCS website; you should read them and familiarise themselves with the new clauses.

We are also accepting feedback in relation to the new Standards. In October 2022, we will review all feedback and share with the Heat Pump Working Group to help shape updates to the Standards.

You can email any comments or feedback to: meetings@mcscertified.com.