Intelligent Buyers
Certification Charter
The Standard for Trusted Home Energy Installers
Our Promise to Customers
What the badge means for you
The Intelligent Buyers Certification badge is awarded to home energy installers who have passed an independent, evidence-based assessment across seven distinct areas. It is not a listing, a paid endorsement, or a membership. No commercial relationship influences the decision.
When you see the badge, it means a company has demonstrated verifiable technical accreditation, financial stability, robust customer service processes, qualified and trained workforce, quality installation standards, ethical sales practices, and a track record of positive customer outcomes.
Certification is monitored continuously and renewed annually. The badge can be suspended or revoked. If a certified installer no longer meets the standard, the badge is removed.
Our Promise to Installers
What certification means for your business
We built this certification to reward the companies who are already doing things right. Our assessment is rigorous — but it is designed to be achievable by any serious, well-run installer who meets the standard. We do not set the bar high to be exclusive. We set it high because homeowners deserve reliable guidance.
Certified installers receive the Intelligent Buyers badge, preferential placement in our homeowner recommendation network, and a clear, credible differentiator in a crowded market. We will always be transparent about what passes, what fails, and why.
If your application is unsuccessful, you will receive written feedback. If your circumstances change, you may reapply.
The Standard
The Seven Certification Pillars
Every applicant is assessed against all seven pillars. A failure on any single pillar results in a conditional pass (with required actions) or a declined application, depending on severity.
| # | Pillar | What We Assess |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technical Accreditation | Valid MCS certification for all technologies in scope. All relevant qualified personnel named on the certificate. No lapses, suspensions, or conditions attached. |
| 2 | Business Stability | Active Companies House registration with no dissolved or dormant status. Certificate of incorporation date. Filed accounts. No adverse County Court Judgements or compulsory winding-up notices. Director history and any prior dissolved companies. |
| 3 | Customer Service Infrastructure | Accessible complaints process. Named point of contact for escalations. Documented response time commitments. Signed-off remediation process for installation problems. |
| 4 | Workforce Standards | Employment contracts or verified subcontractor agreements for all installation staff. Evidence of ongoing training and competency updates. Disclosed use of labour-only subcontractors. |
| 5 | Installation Quality | Systematic site survey process prior to installation. Post-installation checks and commissioning documentation. Internal quality sign-off procedure. Evidence of MCS certification of completed installations. |
| 6 | Ethical Sales Practices | No doorstep-selling model. Written quotations provided before contract. Accurate representation of savings projections, export tariff eligibility, and product specifications. Compliance with Consumer Contracts Regulations cooling-off periods. |
| 7 | Customer Outcomes | Verified third-party review scores. MCS complaint-to-install ratio. Response to negative reviews. Volume-to-complaint proportion. Customer satisfaction evidenced in post-installation surveys where available. |
The Process
How certification works
Application
Complete the online application form. Provide your MCS number, company registration number, and a short declaration. This takes under ten minutes.
Assessment
We conduct an independent review of your public and submitted documentation across all seven pillars. We verify MCS status, Companies House records, third-party review platforms, financial indicators, and complaint history. We do most of this without needing additional documentation from you.
Decision
You receive a written decision: Certified, Conditional Pass (with specific required actions and a timeline), or Declined (with written feedback explaining which pillars were not met and why). There is no ambiguity.
Ongoing Monitoring
Certified status is not static. We monitor changes in MCS accreditation, review scores, Companies House filings, and publicly reported complaints. Material changes may trigger a review outside the annual renewal cycle.
Annual Renewal
Certification is valid for twelve months. Renewal requires updated evidence submission and fresh assessment against the current standard. Renewal is not rubber-stamped — companies must re-demonstrate compliance.
Assessment Methodology
A proprietary scoring framework
Each pillar is scored on a structured internal rubric. The weighting of individual components is proprietary to maintain the integrity of the process and prevent gaming. We do not publish the full scoring matrix.
What we do publish: the seven pillars, the pass criteria at a pillar level, and the conditions under which certification can be suspended or revoked. Applicants receive full pillar-level feedback regardless of outcome.
The assessment methodology is reviewed and updated annually by the Intelligent Buyers certification team. Version 1.0 applies from March 2026.
Boundaries
What Certification Is Not
A guarantee of workmanship
Certification evidences a company's systems, accreditations, and track record. It is not a warranty on any specific installation. Homeowners should still use their statutory consumer rights and review MCS installation certificates.
A paid endorsement
No company pays for the certification badge. Commercial relationships with Intelligent Buyers (such as lead generation) do not influence or confer certification status. The two are entirely separate.
A permanent status
Certification can be suspended or revoked at any time. Ongoing monitoring means the badge reflects current performance, not a one-time snapshot. A badge on a historical review or brochure does not confirm current status.
A substitute for due diligence
We encourage homeowners to use Intelligent Buyers certification as one input among several. Read reviews independently, ask for references, and verify MCS status at mcscertified.com before committing to any installer.
Enforcement
Suspension and Revocation
Certification will be suspended or revoked in the following circumstances:
- Loss or lapse of MCS certification for any technology in scope.
- An upheld complaint filed with a recognised ombudsman, trading standards body, or regulatory authority.
- Sustained and significant deterioration in third-party customer review scores without demonstrated remediation.
- Evidence of misleading or high-pressure sales practices reported by customers or verified by our assessment team.
- Material adverse changes in business status — dissolution notice, appointment of administrator, or disqualification of a director.
- Refusal to cooperate with the annual renewal process or with an ad-hoc review triggered by a monitoring flag.
- Misrepresentation of certification status in marketing, advertising, or direct customer communications.
Notification and appeal
An installer subject to suspension will be notified in writing with the specific reason and, where possible, an opportunity to respond within 14 days before a final decision is made. Revocation decisions are final, but installers may reapply after 12 months if the underlying issue has been resolved.
Suspended or revoked status is reflected on the Intelligent Buyers verification page within 24 hours of a decision being made. We do not remove historic certified status from public pages retroactively — instead, we mark it clearly as no longer current.
For Homeowners
What the badge means for you
The Intelligent Buyers badge is a meaningful signal — not a logo you can buy. It means an installer has been independently assessed, has passed a seven-pillar review, and is being actively monitored. We maintain a live verification directory that reflects current certified status.
Before choosing any certified installer, we still recommend reading recent reviews on independent platforms, asking for a written quotation before committing, and verifying MCS status directly at mcscertified.com. Certification is designed to narrow your shortlist — not to replace your judgement.
Find a certified installerVerify a badge
To verify that a specific installer holds current Intelligent Buyers certification, check the live verification directory. The directory reflects current status — suspended and revoked installers are marked clearly.
Alternatively, ask the installer to show their certification number and cross-reference it on the directory. A genuine certified installer will always be listed.
For Installers
Applying for certification
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. The process is designed to be straightforward for companies already operating to a high standard.
Register your interest
Complete the short registration form with your company name, MCS number, and email address. This takes under two minutes.
Submit your evidence pack
Download and complete the evidence pack template. It covers the items we cannot assess from public data alone — primarily workforce standards, customer service infrastructure, and installation quality processes.
We conduct our assessment
We review all publicly available information alongside your submitted documentation. Most applicants receive a written decision within 10 working days.
Receive your decision
Certified, Conditional Pass (with specific required actions), or Declined (with written feedback). If conditional, we set a clear timeline and the specific actions required for full certification.
A note on fees
Initial assessment is currently free of charge for all applicants. There is no cost to apply and no payment required to receive a decision. Certified installers are offered an optional paid placement in the homeowner recommendation network — this is entirely separate from certification and does not influence the assessment outcome.
Governance
Governance and Independence
The Intelligent Buyers Certification standard is owned and operated by Green Funnel Ltd, trading as Intelligent Buyers. We are not affiliated with MCS, Ofgem, or any government body. Certification is a private, commercial standard maintained in the public interest.
The standard is reviewed annually. Version changes are published at least 90 days before taking effect, giving certified installers adequate notice of any changes to assessment criteria. Significant changes will be communicated directly to all current certified installers. Historical versions of this Charter are archived and available on request.
Independence of assessment
All certification decisions are made by the Intelligent Buyers certification team. No individual with a commercial interest in a specific applicant may participate in reviewing that application. Commercial relationships (lead generation, partnerships) are managed by a separate team and are not visible to assessment reviewers at the point of decision.
Registered details
Green Funnel Ltd is registered in England and Wales. Registered office and company number available at Companies House. The Intelligent Buyers trademark is an unregistered mark used in trade. This Charter constitutes a public statement of the standard applied.
Get in touch
Contact
Certification enquiries
certification@intelligentbuyers.co.uk
Questions about the standard, assessment process, or an application in progress.
Badge verification
intelligentbuyers.co.uk/verify
Verify current certified status of any installer in our directory.
Apply for certification
intelligentbuyers.co.uk/for-installers
Start the application process for MCS-certified installation companies.
General enquiries
hello@intelligentbuyers.co.uk
All other enquiries, including media, partnerships, and governance queries.