16 April 2026
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A question and answer with Scott Riley, Baxi’s Head of Technical Solutions – Residential.
How have recent policy changes such as the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) and Warm Homes Plan (WHP) influenced installer demand for MCS support? They’ve both caused increases in demand for MCS support in two ways. First, government-funded grants such as the BUS turn into immediate homeowner enquiries, so installers are seeing more opportunities to win work. Second, the conditions attached, like MCS-accredited installations, specific evidence and compliant designs add an extra layer of admin to jobs. This can be a speedbump for many installers as they’re either unfamiliar with the process, or simply don’t have the time available to complete it.
The administrative burden covers heat-loss calculations, creating compliant designs, filling in MCS forms, collating evidence for grant claims and checking parts compatibility — tasks that are office based and not a day-to-day role for many installers. As a result, they can either seek targeted training on sizing and grant paperwork, or use umbrella partners to remove the administrative load while they build practical experience on site. The net effect is more appetite for short, practical courses and for umbrella support that guarantees compliant submission.
Do you think government incentives adequately support installers in upskilling? What still needs to change? There is useful support out there, but the detail and scale of incentives matter. The BUS was initially set at £5,000 and was later raised to £7,500 because many installs require additional fabric or system upgrades beyond the heat pump itself. That tweak recognises the real costs of secondary works — insulation, pipework, cylinder swaps — which can otherwise stall a sale.
Schemes in Ireland and current trials in France illustrate how larger or more specific grants clarify the need for homeowners to fund upgrades themselves, which can make the sale a lot easier as there are no nasty surprises. Beyond grant size, more transparent homeowner messaging would help. When customers understand long-term savings and do not face surprise upgrade bills, installers find it easier to justify the time spent gaining qualifications.
How do MCS umbrella services help installers on their first few Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) installations, and how is that different for installers who have been working with ASHPs for a few years? For installers taking on their first ASHP job, a comprehensive umbrella scheme should support them at every step. The umbrella partner can handle heat-loss calculations, system design, parts lists, MCS paperwork and grant submissions, and sometimes offers at least one pre-install and one post-install visit. Removing that office load usually saves around one to two days of work per job and lets engineers learn the physical sequence on site rather than getting bogged down in forms. Good umbrella services also provide phone and email support throughout a project, so installers have rapid access to design or compliance answers.
For more experienced installers the technical learning curve is smaller and their priority shifts: they want to avoid admin, reduce compliance risks and protect cashflow. For that group, an umbrella that takes on the paperwork while leaving the installer in control of pricing and on-site execution is especially valuable.
With Baxi’s MCS umbrella service, for example, as a first step, our team will provide an estimation of the size of the heat pump needed to deliver comfort to the homeowner in readiness for the installer to build their quote. Once the homeowner is happy to progress further, our engineers then carry out an in-person site survey leading to a comprehensive heat loss report and detailed system design. This includes everything from radiator sizes to pipework calculations, so that the installer can provide a final project proposal for the customer. We will also provide a complete parts list for installers to source from their preferred merchant. If accepted, we then administer the MCS paperwork on the installer’s behalf, freeing them up to move forward with the installation work itself. As part of the service, we also check the property’s eligibility for the BUS, taking care of the compliance and MCS paperwork needed to access the grant funding.
When we look at the ASHP process from start to finish, what are some common hurdles installers come up against, and how does Baxi’s umbrella service address these? Three main hurdles stand out to me: accurate sizing and component selection, handling grant claims, and the sheer volume of admin that eats into working hours.
Incorrect sizing or incompatible part choices lead to under-performing systems, on-site changes and costly callbacks. Incomplete or misfiled paperwork delays grant approval or risks rejection. Baxi’s umbrella service addresses these directly by producing a parts list and quotation to speed up procurement. It undertakes design and heat-loss calculations to reduce sizing errors and prepares the compliance documentation. It also manages grant submissions to lower rejection risk. Phone and email support is always at hand, plus at least two site visits to keep projects on track. That combination reduces surprises and cuts the time from enquiry to completion.
What makes Baxi’s MCS umbrella service stand out from others available? The difference is the mix of human expertise and digitised processes. Our technical team is formed of specialist engineers who understand on-site realities like fault-finding, practical parts choices and how designs behave in real properties. This reduces unexpected site changes. The digitised element produces consistent, prepopulated compliance forms and speeds up quotation generation, so paperwork is quicker and free from errors that can slow things down and eat away at earnings. Ultimately, having expert input lowers the risk of errors, speeds up the admin process, and helps ensure the installation itself is completed to a high standard.
Installers have told us they wanted a single, low-friction route into AHSPs in a market that has rapidly become fragmented with more suppliers, more product variants and more grant-driven enquiries. So we launched the scheme to provide that route: clear parts lists, pre-populated documentation, technical backup from experienced engineers and on-site support so installers can win work without needing to be drowned in paperwork. The timing reflects the pace of market change and the practical need to remove early barriers so installers can capture emerging volumes quickly and with confidence.
How can installers make the most of umbrella services while building their own competence?
Treat the umbrella as a support system. Offload compliance and admin on early projects while observing the design logic, parts choices and documentation workflow. Take supervised visits seriously, replicate the verified parts lists and methods on similar subsequent jobs where appropriate, and gradually assume more of the design and submission tasks. Over time, you can reduce reliance on umbrella services for routine work while still calling on them for more complex or high-risk installations.
What advice do you have for installers trying to choose between training and outsourcing admin to an umbrella service? It’s not an either/or decision but rather a combination of the two. Where installers see a commercial potential, they should upskill, and Baxi has a raft of training opportunities1 available to support that.
If admin has become a pain point, that’s when Baxi’s MCS umbrella service can relieve the burden. That combination helps small teams win heat pump work, protect margins and scale without being overwhelmed with compliance requirements. The umbrella acts as a safety net while competence, confidence and capacity are built.
Baxi.co.uk
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