Octopus Energy Takes Step Away From MCS

Energy company Octopus Energy, whose operations span across 14 countries and supports approximately 30 million customer accounts worldwide has made a small but significant change to its terms for the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) that means customers do not have to use MCS accredited installers for their solar.

Until now, Octopus Energy customers could only claim SEG payments if the installer was registered with MCS. However, now under clause 5.8 of their agreement (below), it states installations can be self-declared as being compliant by an installer or the consumer, meaning there are options other than an MCS certificate to allow consumers to access Octopuses SEG payments scheme.

Clause 5.8 from Octopus Energy regarding MCS certification.

There is no legal requirement for installers to be MCS registered and with solar companies offering customers peace of mind using assurances such as insurance backed warranties, maintenance plans, manufacturer warranties and other SEG qualifying accreditations such as Flexi-Orb it’s a move that will further open up the UK solar market, which has experienced a turbulent 12 months.

ESE Group, one of the leading players in the solar sector are voluntarily not MCS accredited, preferring to offer customers their established maintenance package alongside a host of other perks such as insurance backed warranties and Flexi-Orb accreditation, all bolstered by their +3,000 Trustpilot reviews. In another attempt to differentiate themselves from the competition, they have recently launched their carbon offset monitor, a unique mechanism that allows customers to earn a minimum of 10p per kWh for everything they generate. The groundbreaking technology is in partnership with Rowan Energy, with ESE Group securing exclusive distribution rights across the UK.