MCS certificates: why data matters
11 March 2025
Dan White, Market Development Director at MCS, explains why the information that goes into an MCS certificate really matters.
As an installer, your role in creating MCS certificates and building an accurate record in the MCS Installation Database (MID) is a critical part of certifying an installation and helping to raise standards across the sector.
As the transition to net zero accelerates, this data also helps drive industry progress, informs government and policy development, strengthens consumer confidence, and can unlock future opportunities for certified installers.
So, what does creating that certificate really do?
Ultimately, by creating a certificate you are creating a certification record, so it’s important to understand how the data that you input is used.
DRIVING POLICY
The most visible is the MCS Data Dashboard, which pulls data from the MID to give a real-time snapshot of MCS certified installations and installers. It’s a tool that is used across the industry to track growth, identify trends, and stay up-to-date on how renewable systems are being delivered across the UK. It’s something we have made freely available to use because we don’t view it as ‘our data’ – it is for the benefit of the whole sector.
Crucially, the data we collect also has a direct impact on government policy. All of the information that you enter is used by governments to inform the very policy that shapes our industry, such as the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS), Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan (HES), Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), and many more. Whether it’s the type of system being installed, the number of installations that are delivered under a government scheme, or even the cost of renewable technology – this is all vital in deciding how the government can best support installers and consumers in the low-carbon transition.
AN INSTALLER’S ROLE
This is where it all comes back to the critical work that installers are doing every time they fill out details for an installation to raise an MCS certificate. This information is feeding directly into decisions that will grow our industry. When entering installation details to create an MCS certificate, you are making a declaration that the information is accurate, true, and adheres to MCS standards. In short, it’s a record of certification.
Details such as the contract price or total installed capacity, for example, are used to justify policy and levels of funding across the UK. Accurately entering details therefore helps to ensure consumers have access to grants and incentives because there is greater confidence in the delivery of installations under government schemes.
IMPROVING CERTIFICATE CREATION
With that in mind and to help installers ensure that the information they are entering is accurate, we’ve highlighted some of the most common data entry errors that we see and the issues it can cause. Over the next few months, we’ll also be sharing more information on some of the key data fields within the MID, including why they matter and how they should be answered.
Common data errors on the MID
Overall Cost of the Installation
In this section (which is in Step 1 of the certificate journey), you are required enter the full cost of the installation, including VAT. This helps to keep track of the cost of renewable installations to consumers.
A common error we see is that installers deduct the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant from the cost they enter. Where a government grant or incentive has been used to subsidise the installation cost, you should enter the full cost of the installation without deducting the value of any grant or incentive.
It’s important this information is entered accurately as you will not be able to edit this information once this certificate has been created. An incorrect cost can skew the overall data, which could ultimately impact the level of funding made available in the future.
Heat pump system type – Is this installation an air-to-air heat pump or air to water heat pump?
Another field in Step 1 is heat pump system type. If you are filling out an installation certificate for an air source heat pump, you will be asked: ‘Is this installation an air-to-air heat pump or air-to-water heat pump?’ This is to help determine what type of systems are going into properties, as air-to-air systems are currently excluded from some government funding (such as BUS).
It is crucial that the system type is entered correctly to avoid issues down the line when claiming government funding.
Address / MPAN – Where was this installed?
In the ‘Where was this installed’ section (Step 4 of the certificate journey), installers are required to enter address and MPAN details. This helps to provide information on the geographical deployment of renewables, as well as providing important information to local authorities and energy providers.
We often see minor errors in how this information has been entered – often due to a typo or simple mistake – but it’s really important that you ensure accuracy in this section. Incorrect data can prevent an incentive from being issued, as Ofgem will often check this information as part of the BUS application process and SEG providers will do the same.
Total Installed Capacity/Estimated Annual Generation
When filling out details for your installation in Step 5 of the certificate journey, you will be required to input the installed capacity and estimated annual generation details. This helps to monitor the total capacity of small-scale renewables being installed into homes and small businesses and is also important for consumers who are accessing government grants or funding (such as SEG).
The way in which you fill out the details for these sections will depend on the technology being installed. For solar PV, you must ensure that you provide the total possible generation across all panels that are part of that installation – not just one. For heat pumps, you’ll enter the total installed capacity of the unit(s). So, if you have installed 1 x 5kW heat pump, then the figure is 5kW. If you have installed 2 x 5kW heat pumps, the total installed capacity is 10kW.
This is a field that we often see mistakes in, which are identified when there are discrepancies with in-situ readings that a provider may find during quality checks. However, it is crucial that you enter these correctly, because if either of these are wrong, your customers may experience issues with SEG payments.
Heating system – Is the MCS certified technology installed as part of a hybrid heat pump system with another heat source?
If you are filling out an installation certificate for an air source heat pump, you will be asked the above question about hybrid heat pump systems (Step 7 of the certificate journey). As with air-to-air, this is important because hybrid systems are excluded from some government incentives. If hybrid is selected as ‘yes’, installers are then asked three follow-up questions that are linked to the other system in situ.
These are:
- ‘What is the other system’
- ‘How long ago was the other system installed’
- ‘What fuel does the other system use’
We see a lot of inaccurate or missed information for this section of the certificate. The key problem we see is installers either stating a system is a hybrid when it isn’t, or vice versa. It’s really important that installers take their time on this section to avoid providing the wrong data.
As a reminder, a hybrid heat pump system is a heat pump that operates with supplementary heat sources which are controlled by a single master controller.
A system comprising of only heat pumps is not considered a hybrid heat pump system (see MIS 3005-D for definitions). For example, a heat pump supplying the property’s space heating and a gas boiler providing the domestic hot water is not considered a hybrid heat pump system as they are not controlled by a single master controller.
GET IN TOUCH
Our Customer Support Helpdesk can offer support and guidance with entering out details in your certificate. If you would like any support – including training sessions for your admin teams – please get in touch here.
There is also further guidance on MID support here.