MCS Accreditation

[markfxy]

There used to be half a dozen estates agents on every street now they're training centers!!

 

[Iocchipinti]

I have heard very recently that there is a proposal to raise the 'amount per install' for an MCS installation from £5 to around £15, what would people's view be on this?

Would it make much difference in the greater scheme of things or would it be seen as another barrier to becoming registered and fitting these technologies?

 

[MickW]

I have been following this thread with a great deal of frustration, because I know that what most of you are saying is true. MCS accreditation is too expensive and too complicated for smaller installers!

Some of you may remember that I'm the guy that started the petition and campaign for the Boiler Scrappage scheme. Once the scheme was announced, I spent an incredible amount of time talking to the media and the main message that I gave to the public then was to make sure they get more than one quote for their boiler change. This was to ensure that the utility companies, with their massive marketing budgets, did not get the lion's share of the work. (Remember that within hours of the scheme being announced, BG & Npower matched the £400 grant with £400 of their own)

The message seems to have hit home! The utility companies were, on average, 30% more expensive than independent installers (60% in some places), BUT of all the boiler replacement jobs, only 17% were fitted by the utility companies and 83% were fitted by independent installers.

My fear is that those pleasant reading figures will be reversed when renewables take off unless something is done to remove the MCS barrier for small installers.

I don't really have any good news for you at the moment, except to say that I am in campaigning mode again!

I am currently working to unite the industry in order to get the message across to the government that they will not reach their renewables target without getting smaller installers on board and to get them on board, MCS MUST be less expensive and less complicated - my own belief is that the QMS side of accreditation should be scrapped entirely and should be competency based only.

I will keep you informed on here as the campaign progresses.

 

[dontknowitall]

Some of us here might be willing to assist in one way or another as many of us want to:

Get started in renewables without massive expense and time consuming admin
Help our customers become more environmentally friendly
Provide a good, safe and workable installation
Keep some of the payment for our wages instead of spending it all in administration
etc, etc, etc

If we can help (just one example would be to write to our MP with a list of facts on how difficult the QMS is and how to phrase the letter) please feel free to shout and/or start a thread where we can set out some arguments.

 

[unguided1]

I have been following this thread with a great deal of frustration, because I know that what most of you are saying is true. MCS accreditation is too expensive and too complicated for smaller installers!

Some of you may remember that I'm the guy that started the petition and campaign for the Boiler Scrappage scheme. Once the scheme was announced, I spent an incredible amount of time talking to the media and the main message that I gave to the public then was to make sure they get more than one quote for their boiler change. This was to ensure that the utility companies, with their massive marketing budgets, did not get the lion's share of the work. (Remember that within hours of the scheme being announced, BG & Npower matched the £400 grant with £400 of their own)

The message seems to have hit home! The utility companies were, on average, 30% more expensive than independent installers (60% in some places), BUT of all the boiler replacement jobs, only 17% were fitted by the utility companies and 83% were fitted by independent installers.

My fear is that those pleasant reading figures will be reversed when renewables take off unless something is done to remove the MCS barrier for small installers.

I don't really have any good news for you at the moment, except to say that I am in campaigning mode again!

I am currently working to unite the industry in order to get the message across to the government that they will not reach their renewables target without getting smaller installers on board and to get them on board, MCS MUST be less expensive and less complicated - my own belief is that the QMS side of accreditation should be scrapped entirely and should be competency based only.

I will keep you informed on here as the campaign progresses.

Hi Mickw

The fact that you have form in executing this type of campaign and also have the contacts as well is extremely encouraging, I would be more than willing to assist you. I can honestly say that I do not envy the task Having tried to deal with government departments and MP,s on other issues before, ( complete bunch of brainless muppets) I am much happier and more comfortable with a lump hammer in me hand than I am with putting a pen to paper so with this in mind I would be more than happy to throw me lump hammer at an MP or two, given half the chance.

I also Like the words you use about uniting the industry and I realise that it can only be done one step at a time but one thing I would like to see that would assist one man bands is some way of merging all technologies under a one off payment system, but as I say one step at a time.
Regards
Mike

 

[kay-jay]

Blimey eco I only smoke after sex and I is already on forty a day!

crikey, perhaps you can register your knob as a renewable heat source!

 

[unguided1]

crikey, perhaps you can register your knob as a renewable heat source!

its how I really light me ****

 

[MickW]

It was good to meet Toddyplumb at the BDR training centre today, where we were discussing the hoops required to be jumped through to fulfil the requirements of the MCS Management system.

It made me even more certain that MCS has been designed for bigger firms and is totally disproportionate for small businesses!!!

 

[Toddyplumb]

Nice to meet you Mick .
I agree it is designed for bigger firms. I am lucky in one respect as I have dealt with similar systems in the past, and it is different/strange/a pain etc.
If the entire plumbing industry was properly regulated / licenced there should be no need for any of this extra crap we have to do and have to repeat every few years.
I would add it was us (a few installers) who initially asked BDR for help with this as we could, like you ,see it as being a problem for the small installer and I appreciate their time in using us as guinea pigs for the course.
I think am going to pusue the MCS (not that I agree with it !) I will keep you all informed of my trials and tribulations.

 

[SimonG]

Hi All,

I am sorry to sound like teachers pet but I cant help but think some of the meaning behind the QMS is being missed in this thread. I was of the same opinion as most in this thread when i first started looking at the QMS requirements but i soon and thank fully understood the requirement when i had my first customer complaint who tried to tell me i had said i would do somthing on the job that i had never quoted nor priced for. I had followed the procedures within my QMS to the letter and could pull out my Quotation and order confirmation along with the T&C's set out in my contract of sale leaving the customer without a leg to stand on and preventing them from holding money back on the job i had completed. I have also started to use sub contractors following the procedures outlined by MCS and i have now a record of the contractors qualifications and when they need to be reviewed to ensure they maintain compliant.

I hold a quaterly meeting (internal review) with my business partner where we get the chance to address any issues and record them to ensure they are rectified resulting in my business operating in a professional and correct manner which my customer deserve with when hadning over the money that these systems cost.

I have to say i am a big fan of my QMS and i think this will stop the "quote on the back of a *** packet " installers from entering the renewable sector, which i am extremely in favor of!

Each to their own but I don't need a QMS to show a customer what I included and excluded in an estimate.