You will find articles on the success of RECC’s monitoring in 2024, the positive survey results from consumers taking part in the Electrification of Heat Demonstration Project and information about. MCS’ update to MCS 031: The heat pump pre-sale information and performance calculation.

You will also find information about a RECC membership milestone and the upcoming shows we will be attending. We hope to see you soon!

In this newsletter, you will find news including:

• 85% of consumers recommend heat pumps heat pumps
• MCS advises against using SCOPS to estimate performance
• RECC members shine in 2024 monitoring review
• Come and meet us – Upcoming events at ExCel, London
• RECC proud to reach over 5,000 members!

We trust you will enjoy reading this winter edition.

RECC Team

There have been several developments in consumer protection and the renewables sector, including RECC's move to adjudication, a new website to provide consumers with impartial and reliable information about heat pumps and draft guidance for Trader Recommendation Platform operators.

Other news include:

• RECC hosts series of free webinars for members
• Citizens Advice calls for stronger consumer protection
• RECC explains importance of Code membership at Solar & Storage Live

We trust you will enjoy reading this Autumn edition.

RECC Team

In Summer 2023, RECC made a significant change to its Dispute Resolution Process, transitioning the final stage from arbitration to adjudication. Now, more than a year on, we are delighted with the results.

Since going live, over 70 disputes have gone to adjudication and the results clearly indicate that the shift has proven beneficial for RECC members and their consumers. Importantly, the enhanced transparency and efficiency of the adjudication process has fostered greater satisfaction and trust.

In 83% of cases, the adjudicator upheld the consumer’s complaint in full or in part, setting out clearly where the code and/or MCS standards had not been met. In 2024, Consumers have been awarded over £90,000, though successful cases have also included decisions with non-financial remedies, e.g. requiring an apology to be issued or providing missing handover documentation.

In 17% of cases, the adjudicator did not uphold the consumer’s complaint, clearly setting out how the member had met its contractual expectations.

Decisions have generally been published within 45 working days providing both parties with a timely resolution to the dispute. This efficiency has helped prevent protracted court proceedings and contributed to the overall effectiveness of the Dispute Resolution Process.

What our members say…

It is clear from our members’ feedback that the adjudication process is viewed as an effective and engaging alternative to arbitration.

Members have welcomed having the opportunity to express their views throughout the process, increasing their sense of involvement and empowerment. A proposed decision is issued before a final decision is made, giving both parties an opportunity to make comment and, if required, submit additional supporting evidence. Generally, members have felt more engaged in this process than with arbitration, and felt that it was a simpler process to understand and participate in. Though a fee is payable for the service, it has been recognised that paying a fixed one-off fee can protect members from unexpected costs.  Additionally, the possibility of recovering some costs if the consumer's claim is not upheld adds an extra layer of reassurance.

Overall, this combination of efficiency, engagement, and cost-effectiveness has made the adjudication process a preferred option for our members. You can find more information here: www.recc.org.uk/consumers/how-to-complain/independent-arbitration

The Annual Report breaks down our activities into Code membership, Monitoring Compliance with the Code, Enforcing Compliance with the Code, and Consumer Complaints. 

Highlights for 2023 

• RECC received over 2012 new applications to join the Code.
• RECC monitored the compliance of 561 members by way of a compliance check
• RECC resolved 152 disputes
• RECC recovered over £280,000 for consumers through our Dispute Resolution Process
• RECC required 282 members to respond to suspected breaches

Other high points of the year are: 

A record increase in small-scale renewable installations registered on the MCS Installations Database (MID), 183000 of these were solar PV installations and 35,00 were heat pump installations. 

The Introduction of Government schemes to encourage consumers to invest in renewable energy systems in their homes. The Smart Export Guarantee and Boiler Upgrade Scheme are among the incentives offered.

The mission of this major event is to “accelerate the adoption of solar energy propelling us towards a global landscape powered by clean, renewable energy sources”.

The show is on 24 – 26 September, and will take place at The NEC, Birmingham. It promises to bring together 30,000 + attendees including 450 + exhibitors, 250 + industry leading speakers and more.

Lorraine Haskell, Head of Membership said:

“RECC and EVCC are very happy to exhibit at Solar & Storage Live in September. It provides an opportunity to share our achievements and information with other participants and visitors, including the Consumer Codes and high consumer standards guiding the installation of renewable energy systems. This event also enables us to network and obtain information from other exhibitors and speakers. We have a great opportunity to demonstrate the value of RECC and EVCC in promoting sustainability and innovation. Come, say hi and learn more about us.”

Our Chief Executive Officer, Virginia Graham, may speak at this event.

For more information and to register for free tickets visit here.

We look forward to seeing you.

RECC has welcomed the CMA's guidance. In its response, RECC has urged CMA to make it clearer that platforms that may regard themselves as lead generators rather than TRPs are included in the scope if they implicitly make recommendations. For example, they are likely to be implicitly recommending a trader who provides a quote for a job a consumer has entered on the platform. 

RECC has also urged the CMA to make it clear that those platform operators who only publish reviews and testimonials still have a duty to ensure that they are genuine. RECC has suggested that they can take steps to do this by following best practice guidelines and checking that reviews have not been generated by AI or by other ‘review farms’.

RECC has also pointed out that, in the domestic renewable sector, the installer who contracts with the consumer is responsible for all claims made and marketing information provided. It is incumbent on the installer to ensure that any claims about the product or service they provide that are being made by a TRP operator they are associated with are accurate and comply with the law. RECC  has suggested that the CMA's guidance should also remind TRP operators that they have a duty to ensure that any advertisign claims or marking materials comply with the law.

You can read RECC's response below.

There have been several developments in consumer protection and the renewables sector, including important changes to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) to boost demand for heat pumps, Government signalling its commitment to renewable energy and the recognition of installers at the REA awards.

Other news include:

• RECC highlights year of achievement in 2024
• RECC welcomes CMA's guidance on marketing
• Record six months for small-scale renewable installations

We trust you will enjoy reading this Summer edition.

RECC Team

RECC welcomes the advice and recognises that it will make an important contribution to helping all businesses understand their obligations under the law, and in building a competitive market within which consumers can make informed decisions. The advice is clear and comprehensive, and RECC supports the approach used by CMA where poor practice has been illustrated using realistic examples of marketing. 

RECC also welcomes the CMA’s recognition of the important role Consumer Codes have played, and continue to play, in raising standards in this area. RECC has substantial expertise in assessing, monitoring and regulating the marketing activities of businesses offering green heating products and, crucially, the performance claims they make. 

RECC has worked tirelessly to help its members understand their legal obligations regarding marketing, and to take swift action where there is evidence of misleading information in marketing materials. RECC members have access to clear, sector specific advice and training about marketing and advertising. Such information has not been more widely available to any businesses that are not RECC members. 

It is important that installers and industry appreciate that this advice, and the legal obligations it covers, applies to all information provided to consumers, both in advertising and in any bespoke written or verbal claims made at the point of sale. In RECC’s experience, a poor understanding of the law in this area means it is more likely that, while installers may deploy marketing strategies that use generic and compliant claims in advertising, they will provide misleading bespoke claims directly to a consumer. For this reason, although RECC considers the CMA advice to be an important tool for business in relation to advertising, the fact that it fails to address bespoke claims is a significant omission. 

RECC welcomes the CMA’s plans to look at this in more detail in the future and looks forward to working within them in the development of any similar advice. 

There have been several developments in consumer protection and the renewables sector, including changes to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) to boost demand for heat pumps, Government signalling the possible end of domestic hydrogen heating and delaying of the heat market mechanism.

Other news include:

• Launching of RECC webinar series
• Judging underway for British Renewable Energy Awards 2024
• RECC to exhibit at InstallerShow 24

We trust you will enjoy reading this Spring edition.

RECC Team

The InstallerSHOW provides an opportunity for up to 20,000 installers, specifiers and decision makers from the heat, water, air and energy sectors to gather under one roof. At this event participants will be able to network, find new products, connect with manufacturers, discover new and innovative approaches and learn from live sessions. There is expected to be over 600 exhibitors, a comprehensive speaker programme and live discussions. 

At the InstallerShow, innovations will be on display to promote developments within the renewables sector. 

Lorraine Haskell, Head of Membership said: 

“RECC is very happy to exhibit at InstallerShow. It enables us to share our achievements and information with other participants, including the RECC Consumer Code and high consumer standards which guide the installation of renewable energy systems. This event also allows us to network and form valuable partnerships with other exhibitors and meet with current and future members. We have a great opportunity to demonstrate the value of RECC in promoting sustainability and innovation. Come, say hi and learn more about RECC.” 

The event will take place at NEC, Birmingham from June 25 to 27. 

For more information on InstallerSHOW and how to register, you may visit the website here. 

RECC looks forward to seeing you there. Come and say hi at stand 5B138b! 

•   median and mean Seasonal Performance Factors (SPFs);

•   SPFs for installations carried out in specific years from 2017 to 2022; and

•   results broken down by GB country and English region.

The report builds on a similar exercise carried out in 2019 using a previous dataset provided by Ofgem. At that time, a methodology was developed to process the data and calculate the in-situ system efficiencies. The new research, with a much larger dataset, compares the in-situ efficiencies calculated versus the ‘as designed’ performance using the installer-provided Seasonal Coefficient of Performance (SCOP) forecasts included in the dataset. The results are also compared with the Renewable Heat Premium Payment (RHPP) field trial published in 2017 and the 2024 results from the Electrification of Heat Demonstration Project (expected to be published in June 2024).

The results provide good evidence of heat pumps performing well. For example, the average GSHP SPF has improved significantly from just over 3.0 in 2017 to 3.31 in 2022. 67% of all GSHPs and nearly 30% of all ASHPs performed at SPF 3.0 or above. Exactly one third of GSHPs and 8% of ASHPs were performing at SPF 3.5 or above.

However, those and other positive results are tempered by findings showing that ASHP performance has not improved since 2017; and that a disappointing proportion of installations - ASHPs in particular - are performing with low or very low SPFs. A significant performance gap between the design SCOPs and the in-situ efficiencies remains for both ASHPs and GSHPs. This research shows that average design SCOPs have jumped. For the ASHPs installed in 2022, the gap between the mean design SCOP and the mean SPF has grown to 1.04.

Overall, consumption and generation data from 1,400 ASHP and nearly 300 GSHP installations subject to ‘Metering for Payment’ rules was analysed. The research was carried out by rb&m (r-b-m.com) in March and April 2024. You can read the full report below:   

Solar and Storage Live is the UK's largest renewable energy exhibition, offering solar & storage solutions for residential, commercial and large scale utility projects.

The show is on 29 -30 April, 2024 and will take place at The Excel, London, Hall S8. It promises to bring together 8,000 + attendees, 150 + exhibitors, 250 + industry leading speakers and more. The exhibition provides an opportunity for participants to explore innovations and engage with experts in the renewable energy industry in the UK and across the globe. There is also a great opportunity for networking and to connect with potential employers.

Virginia Graham, CEO of REAL, will also be speaking on day 1 (April 29th) at 14.50 on “What can we do to help consumers navigate the Solar PV Market.”

To register for free tickets visit here.

And make sure you come say hi, we will be on stand E1.

We look forward to seeing you there.

There have been several developments in consumer protection and the renewables sector, including an extension of VAT relief on energy savings materials to include electrical battery storage and water source heat pumps. Consumers can expect further support with an increase in government allocation of an extra £1.5 billion for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and the hosting of long awaited consultations on technical standards for new future homes and buildings standards.

In this newsletter, you will find news including:

• CMA issues draft guidance on green heating claims
• REA attends COP 28 Meeting in Dubai
• Meet RECC at Futurebuild Live

We trust you will enjoy reading this winter edition.

RECC Team

Futurebuild is a premier event which provides an opportunity for organisations, companies and various brands in the built environment to exhibit their products and services. There is expected to be over 400 + innovative brands and a leading knowledge programme of 500+ industry-leading speakers across 2 conferences and 6 seminar stages. Our very own Virginia Graham, CEO at REAL, will be one of the speakers.

At Futurebuild, innovative solutions will be on display to promote developments within the sustainable construction sector. These innovations are expected to move us closer to reaching our goal of net zero.

Lorraine Haskell, Head of Membership said:

“RECC is very happy to exhibit at Futurebuild. It provides us with an opportunity to share our achievements and information with other participants and visitors, including the RECC Consumer Code and high consumer standards which guide the installation of renewable energy systems. This event also enables us to network and obtain information from other exhibitors and speakers. We have a great opportunity to demonstrate the value of RECC in promoting sustainability and innovation. Come, say hi and learn more about RECC.”

The event will take place at ExCel, London from 5 to 7 March 2024.

For more information on Futurebuild and how to register for free, you may visit the website here.

RECC looks forward to seeing you there. Come and say hi!

• electrical battery storage
• water-source heat pumps; and
• diverters retrofitted to ESMs such as solar panels and wind turbines.

The expansion of VAT relief also extends to the installation of ESMs in buildings used only for relevant charitable purposes, while remaining in place for residential buildings. The Government is expected to publish a list of ground-works required for installation of ground source and water source heat pumps to benefit from VAT relief. 

This important policy update will enable more households to install energy saving technologies, improve efficiency and reduce energy bills. This initiative is also aimed at meeting the commitment to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. 

Commenting on this recent expansion of the VAT relief, Virginia Graham, Chief Executive of REAL, said: 

“At RECC and EVCC, we welcome this extension of VAT to additional technologies. This gives consumers further opportunity to install energy saving materials, particularly water source heat pumps and electricity battery storage, which will provide consumers with greater incentive to adopt renewable energy technologies. We encourage consumers to take advantage of this relief and implore Government to continue exploring policy initiatives to encourage domestic and business consumers to invest in critical energy saving materials.” 

In the Spring Budget of 2023, Government launched a Call for Evidence seeking views from relevant stakeholders on further reforming this VAT relief, particularly extending relief to additional technologies. The temporary zero VAT rate has a 5-year span from its introduction in 2023 and is due to expire on 31 March 2027.

More information on this policy initiative can be found here. 

There have been several developments in consumer protection and the renewables sector, including an increase in the boiler upgrade scheme grants. There are also new consumer guidance documents including guidance on consumers in vulnerable circumstances and a guide to solar panels.

In this newsletter, you will find news including:

• RECC team members attend Solar & Storage Live 2023
• Government delays ban on new gas boilers by 10 years
• MCS confirms plan for scheme development

We trust you will enjoy reading this autumn edition.

RECC Team

RECC welcomes the added incentive the increased grants will provide for homeowners who wish to replace their existing boilers with heat pumps. 

However, RECC regrets that grants available for biomass boilers, available for off-grid properties for which heat pumps are unsuited, will remain at £5,000. RECC considers that they should have been increased in line with those for heat pumps. 

RECC also considers that Government should have announced stricter conditions for energy efficiency measures in homes at the same time. Currently homeowners are obliged to install cavity wall and loft insulation, if these are specified on the Energy Performance Certificate, but they are not obliged to install solid wall insulation. This means that heat pumps will not operate optimally in older, less insulated properties. 

Virginia Graham, RECC Chief Executive, said today:

"Homeowners tell us that they find the cost of installing a heat pump daunting, even with a grant. If Government is serious about making the change from gas boilers to heat pumps it is essential that they make it as easy as possible for homeowners. We welcome the increased level of grants availlable. But we call on Government to ensure that properties are also fully insulated so that heat pumps are as effective as possible. 

“RECC calls on Government to ensure that consumer protection standards are as robust as possible in the sector. It is essential that homeowners are not pressurised into making an unsuitable purchase or misled as to the likely running costs and performance of the heat pump or biomass boiler they wish to install. Only by ensuring that installers are members of an approved Consumer Code will this protection for homeowners be effective.”

RECC and EVCC are exhibiting at Solar & Storage Live 2023.

Solar and Storage Live is the UK's largest renewable energy exhibition. Visitors are buyers and installers of solar systems.

The show is on 17 - 19 October, and will take place at The NEC, Birmingham. It promises to bring together 15,000 + attendees including 400 + exhibitors, 300 + industry leading speakers and more.

Virginia Graham, CEO of REAL, will also be speaking on day 1 (October 17th) at 14:50 on Raising Consumer Protection Standards for Solar, Storage and Alternative Renewable Technologies - alongside HIES, iChoosr and TrustMark.

To register for free tickets visit here.

And make sure you come say hi, we will be on stand U22. 

We look forward to seeing you there.

• a definition of vulnerable circumstances and the types of circumstances or additional needs that members may come across when selling products and providing services in a consumer’s home;
• a range of factors to take into consideration to assist with identifying vulnerable circumstances; and
• an outline of comprehensive measures which members can take to provide tailored support to consumers including a list of specific examples.

The guidance also highlights that members should communicate with consumers effectively from the outset and careful consideration of their needs is demonstrated throughout the contractual journey. Furthermore, the guidance emphasizes that members must have a process in place and appropriate training for all employees and includes useful links for further information.

The guidance is available in the Members’ area of the website here.

There have been several developments in consumer protection and the renewables sector, including changes in the Renewable Adjudication Service. There have also been consumer reports on the green heating sector and small-scale renewable energy systems from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

In this newsletter, you will find news including:

• RECC calls on MCS to reverse tick box consumer plan
• RECC report reveals significant rise in renewable energy systems
• Consumers signal bright future for heat pumps

We trust you will enjoy reading this summer edition.