Leading Consumer Protections champion supports MCS on future plans
12 October 2023
MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme), the standards organisation for small-scale domestic renewable energy and technology across the UK, has engaged the consultancy services of international Consumer Protections advocate Amanda Long, to support on its scheme redevelopment.
Amanda is supporting the senior leadership of MCS on their plans to redevelop their contractor scheme for the first time. The redevelopment will represent a fundamental and critical change in how MCS and certified contractors operate and how they work with consumers.
As part of the changes to the scheme, MCS will take a more active, centralised role in dealing with contractors, consumers, and complaints. MCS will take ownership of complaints and dispute management for the sector. Importantly, it will move to place safeguarding consumers at the heart of the scheme. MCS will launch an industry first, proactive programme contacting every consumer with an MCS certified installation to measure satisfaction.
In her consultancy capacity, Amanda brings a wealth of expertise driving ethical business practice, raising standards in various industry sectors and championing consumer protection. With over 25 years of experience working in senior executive roles for a range of national and international organisations in the commercial, not-for-profit and charitable sectors, Amanda offers unique insight into prioritising consumer protection. MCS is also benefiting from Amanda’s experience working in the built environment as she also currently leads on work to raise standards in the construction product manufacturing sector.
Amanda has received recognition as a champion for ethical and responsible business and consumer protection. As former Director-General of global NGO Consumers International, Amanda worked for five years as a global consumer protection champion, during that time representing 200+ consumer protection organisations from 100 countries. She worked at the highest levels as consumer protection representative and negotiator on behalf of consumer protection NGOs in international decision-making arenas including the UN, OECD, G20, EU and with global businesses in the World Economic Forum. Prior to this Amanda also played a central role in the development of the Marine Stewardship Council initiative which led to the establishment of a global certification scheme for sustainable fisheries and a consumer eco-label.
The insight that Amanda is providing to MCS will be vital in helping to shape the complaint handling and dispute resolution services that the organisation will offer to consumers, as well as how MCS colleagues will directly support consumers across the low-carbon energy and heating sector.
Amanda Long said: “I am delighted to support MCS in its aim to put consumer protection at the heart of its work. As we move forward with net zero and addressing climate change, the work of MCS will become increasingly important. Therefore focussing on consumer protection and prevention of consumer detriment through the scheme is critical.”
Ian Rippin, CEO of MCS, added: “We are incredibly grateful to Amanda for the support she has provided during our work to redevelop the MCS scheme and make our offering more efficient and supportive than consumer protections in any other equivalent sector.”
“When I became MCS CEO, I pledged to make the scheme stronger, simpler, and fairer, and our changes to the scheme now are the first steps to putting consumers at the heart of everything we do.”