How to verify MCS, RECC and NICEIC claims
What to check when an installer mentions certification, consumer codes or electrical registration.
Reviewed 2026-09-24 · 6 min read
These names are not interchangeable
MCS is a certification scheme covering eligible technologies, products and installers under its current rules. Check the installer’s live record and technology scope, rather than relying on a logo. MCS status does not remove the need to read the proposal and workmanship arrangements.
RECC is a consumer code organisation. NICEIC operates electrical assessment and certification services, with scope depending on the contractor and scheme. A label is not a substitute for a contract identifying who designs, installs, commissions and remedies the system.
Ask what the claim is intended to establish. An installer certification may concern competence and an audited process; a consumer code may concern sales conduct, complaints and customer protections; an electrical registration may concern particular electrical work. The scope and current status matter more than the size of a logo.
A business can trade under a brand while the certificate belongs to another legal entity. Match the registration to the company that will take your deposit and sign the installation contract. If subcontractors will carry out work, ask how their competence and responsibility are documented.
Do the check yourself
Ask for the legal trading name, registration number and contracting entity. Use the scheme’s own directory, record the date and ensure address, status, technology and scope match the proposal. If a salesperson says a certificate is pending, ask what may legally be claimed before it is active.
For electrical work, ask what certificate will be issued and who notifies the relevant parties. Read the consumer code’s complaint process. Logos can be out of date or refer to a different company; treat them as prompts for verification.
Check the result immediately before signing rather than months before. Save the directory address, date checked, legal name and scope. If the directory is unavailable, contact the scheme using details on its own website; do not rely on a phone number printed only in a sales document.
Ask what documentation you will receive after commissioning and whether the proposed system falls within the installer’s declared scope. A membership check cannot validate the roof design, generation estimate, suitability of a battery or the fairness of every contract term.
Keep evidence
Save directory results and promised certificates with your contract. Ask who owns the warranty and what happens if the installer changes name or stops trading. No scheme logo proves a specific panel, battery, saving or endorsement.
Independent checks are especially important where a proposal mentions export payments, building regulations, insurance or planning. Ask the installer to identify the relevant authority and document rather than presenting a general logo as proof.
If the installer uses a subcontractor, ask which company is responsible for the completed work and which party handles a complaint. Keep the quote, contract, photographs, certificates and directory checks together. This record is useful if you need to explain what was promised or request a correction later.
Certification can support confidence, but it cannot tell you whether the quoted price is appropriate or whether the system is right for your roof. Use verification as one part of a wider decision that includes design, contract, finance and aftercare.
Common questions
Does MCS guarantee an installation?
No. Verify current membership and scope, then read the contract and independently assess the installer.
Is NICEIC the same as MCS?
No. They relate to different assessments and scopes. Ask what each registration covers.
Where should a certificate be checked?
Use the scheme’s official directory, reached from its official website, and match it to the legal entity in the quote.