Our Impact
At the MCS Foundation, we’re working toward a future where every UK home benefits from being carbon free.
01 Introduction
Electric, energy-efficient homes can reduce household bills, be more comfortable to live in, and be less vulnerable to volatile fossil fuel markets.
Everything we do is focused on transforming the way we heat, power and cool our homes and making home-grown energy the obvious, desirable choice for households and those shaping policy alike.
02 Funding
Funding innovation, research and solutions to drive the transition to electric homes
The MCS Foundation offers grants to innovators, researchers, and those working on practical solutions to scale up the transition to electric homes.
Since 2018, we’ve provided over £4 million to organisations of many shapes and sizes, from academic institutions to local community partnerships.
Supporting the transition to clean heating in Scottish tenements
Under One Roof
The MCS Foundation funded research by Under One Roof to explore how building reserve funds could support the transition to clean heating for flats in Scotland. The unique challenges of decision-making in multi-ownership Scottish tenements pose a barrier to moving these 900,000 homes away from fossil fuel heating.
Our funding enabled analysis of how mandatory building reserve funds could enable both essential maintenance and decarbonisation, with evidence-based policy recommendations for the Scottish Government.
The funding provided by the MCS Foundation has allowed our charity to move the debate in Scotland forward on the issue of maintenance, repairs, and decarbonisation of tenement flats.
03 Local action
Building local strategies for decarbonisation
Local areas are at the forefront of the transition to home-grown energy. Our Local Area Retrofit Accelerator (LARA) programme helps local areas develop and deliver tailored retrofit strategies, bringing together local authorities, landlords, supply chains, community organisations and investors.
Decarbonising homes in the East Midlands
Unlocking £10 million for home energy efficiency upgrades
Through the LARA programme, the MCS Foundation supported the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) to bring together 19 local authorities and 58 organisations, and design a comprehensive regional strategy that aligns partners and focuses resources where they matter most.
A co-owned strategy has enabled £10 million of previously unused funding to be unlocked and invested in upgrading more than 800 homes across the East Midlands.
The LARA Retrofit Strategy has helped position the East Midlands as a region ready to deliver retrofit at scale. By providing a clear, co-designed strategic direction, it has given partners greater confidence to invest their time and resources in the East Midlands.
04 Policy
Shaping policies to improve affordability, clarity and confidence in renewables
Government policy has a critical role to play in the transition to home-grown energy. Through our campaigns, supported by robust research, we’re proud to have helped shape ambitious policies that are transforming how people across the UK heat, cool and power their homes.
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£1,000+
cut from bills for the average new-build home, by making solar panels and heat pumps mandatory in new homes
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0% VAT
on renewable energy installations, making renewables more affordable and driving installations to record levels
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£7,500
extending the Boiler Upgrade scheme to 2030 takes at least £7,500 off the cost of a heat pump for tens of thousands of households a year
Cutting the cost of electricity
Lower electricity prices to incentivise clean heat
We are campaigning to cut the cost of electricity by moving social and environmental levies off electricity bills and into general taxation. In 2025, the first phase of our campaign led to the Government part-funding one of these levies from the Treasury instead of via bills, cutting their share of a bill from 17% to 8% and saving households over £100 a year.
Now we’re pushing the Government to go all the way. Our research shows that fully moving levies into general taxation could save the average household a further £120 a year, with low-income households benefitting most. This would also help ensure that households with heat pumps unlock their full potential to lower bills.
05 Standards
Supporting record growth in MCS certified installations
The MCS Foundation was established to oversee MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme). While our work now goes further, this remains a critical part of what we do. We’re proud that since MCS became independent in 2018 and the MCS Foundation was established, the number of certified businesses has tripled, and annual installations increased by more than 500%.
There’s now one MCS certified installation every 74 seconds, with 2026 set to be the sixth consecutive record-breaking year, as more households than ever put their trust in MCS certified installers.
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74seconds
One MCS certified installation every 74 seconds, with 2026 set to be the sixth consecutive record-breaking year.
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3×
the number of certified businesses since MCS became independent in 2018
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500%
increase in annual installations since 2018
Now, MCS is undergoing a radical transformation, evolving from a standard setter to a consumer protection body. This will drive a fundamental shift in quality and consumer protection, giving more households the confidence to invest in home-grown energy.
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