A new report by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has exposed difficulties for homeowners looking to invest in green home heating solutions.
Ian Rippin, CEO of MCS, said: “We recognise many of the issues that the CMA highlight. In particular the conclusion that ‘without consumer confidence in this developing sector, there is a risk that people are put off from buying green heating’. This was a feature of our own report, published in 2022, on consumer protection in small-scale renewables.”
Last week’s CMA report highlighted that people looking to buy ‘green home’ heating technologies – such as solar panels and heat pumps can face difficulties and are not always treated fairly by businesses.
While evidence collected by the CMA highlighted that people could have a positive experience buying green heating and insulation products, it also raised concerns about its complexity and a lack of information, government noted.
The CMA’s report also highlighted examples of potentially misleading sales claims by some businesses leading people to purchase heating products which may not be as green as advertised or might put people off green alternatives altogether. The CMA also found that quality assurance schemes – which play an important role in the sector – could do more in some areas to protect consumers better, a statement added.
Ian added: “Our upcoming consultation, which we will publish next week, outlines proposed changes to MCS which not only improve the robustness of our scheme as a recognised quality mark, but bolster safeguards for consumers. Our proposals address many of the challenges described in the CMA report in relation to small-scale renewables, including what the CMA refer to as ‘green heating’.
“MCS will have a central role in giving consumers confidence as they embrace the benefits of decarbonising their home heating and generating their own electricity. That’s why we strive to deliver our mission “to give people confidence in low-carbon energy technology by defining, maintaining and improving quality.”