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Before you sign

How to check a solar installer

Simple checks you can do yourself before you sign with any installer, whoever you're considering.

Please note: Telford Solar Panels is not an installer and holds no MCS certification or consumer code membership. This page is general advice on checking whichever installer you choose.

1. Look them up on the MCS register

  1. Go to MCS: Find an installer.
  2. Search by the company name or your postcode, and filter for solar PV (and battery storage, if you want one).
  3. Check the company name and address match the quote, and that the certification covers the technology you're buying.

Why it matters: under Ofgem's SEG rules, export payments normally require an MCS-certified installation.

2. Check their consumer code

MCS installers must belong to a consumer code approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute. For solar that's usually RECC or HIES. Both have member search tools and set rules on sales, contracts, deposits and complaints.

3. Ask about deposits and guarantees

  • How is my deposit protected, and with whom?
  • Is there an insurance-backed guarantee for workmanship if the company stops trading?
  • What warranties come with the panels, inverter and battery, and who honours them?

4. Compare quotes like for like

Check panel and inverter models, system size (kWp), estimated yearly output, battery usable capacity, scaffolding, VAT at 0% for homes until 31 March 2027 (HMRC 708/6), and timescales.

Red flags

  • Pressure to sign on the day, or "today only" prices
  • Offers of "free" panels from cold callers
  • Savings promised without showing assumptions
  • Large up-front payments with no deposit protection
  • Not on the MCS register, or certified for a different technology

Questions

What is MCS?
MCS is a standards organisation that certifies small-scale renewable installations and installers in the UK. An MCS certificate is normally needed to receive Smart Export Guarantee payments.
Is Telford Solar Panels MCS certified?
No. We're not an installer, so we don't hold MCS certification. The installer who does your work should be MCS certified for solar PV, and you can check this yourself on the MCS website.

Sources

  1. MCS: Find an installer (checked 25 Oct 2026)
  2. Ofgem: Smart Export Guarantee for generators (checked 25 Oct 2026)
  3. RECC: Renewable Energy Consumer Code (checked 25 Oct 2026)
  4. HIES: Home Insulation & Energy Systems scheme (checked 25 Oct 2026)
  5. HMRC VAT Notice 708/6: energy-saving materials (checked 25 Oct 2026)

Figures change. We review this page regularly; if you spot something out of date, tell us through the form.

Free quotes

Ready for real numbers on your roof?

Online estimates only go so far. Tell us about your roof, shading and energy use and we'll get back to you about next steps.

  • Tell us about your property in three short steps
  • We read your enquiry ourselves and reply by email (or phone, if you give a number)
  • Your details aren't passed to installers or sold
  • Before you sign with anyone, check the installer on the MCS register before you sign
  • No cost to you and no obligation to go ahead

Honest note: this is an independent enquiry website, not an installer. See our privacy notice.

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