You are here: / / Company News

Simply Certification becomes the newest MCS certification body

The Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) has welcomed Simply Certification, its newest contractor certification body (CB), for the installation of small-scale renewables. Simply Certification is now recognised as an MCS certification body, which plays a crucial role in the industry.

The Importance of Selecting an MCS Certification Body

Simply Certification is the second CB appointed by MCS since 2022. It now offers MCS certification alongside APHC, NICEIC, HETAS, OFTEC, NAPIT and the IAA.

As an MCS certification body, Simply Certification contributes to raising industry standards.

As a prominent MCS certification body, Simply Certification ensures that all installations meet high standards and maintains its reputation as an MCS certification body.

As an MCS certification body, Simply Certification plays a vital role in promoting the installation of renewable technologies and upholding industry standards.

Since becoming UKAS (UK Accreditation Service) accredited in April to assess contractors to MCS standards, Simply’s client base of over 200 construction organisations and any new clients it attracts can now gain MCS certification to install low-carbon technologies to the highest standards, supported by an MCS certification body.

It is now licensed under MCS to deliver assessments for air source heat pumps (ASHP) ground/water source heat pumps (G/WSHP), solar PV and solar heating technologies.

Simply Certification is recognised for its ethos around quality and supportive approaches to certification, MCS accreditation complements its existing offering which benefits from its industry partnerships.

Ian Rippin, CEO of MCS, says, “We are pleased to broaden our selection of certification bodies and increase choice for contractors who want to gain MCS certification by welcoming Simply Certification to the scheme.

“Simply Certification join us at an exciting and pivotal time in MCS’s history as we launch our Scheme Redevelopment Consultation. This is inviting views on proposals to transform the way that the scheme operates. Simply Certification will allow MCS to expand our industry reach, and help us to champion quality and grow the number of MCS certified contractors.”

Alexandra Gates, Managing Director at Simply Certification, says, “We’re delighted to gain UKAS accreditation to certify contractors against the MCS standards. We’ve worked exceptionally hard to put in place an MCS assessor infrastructure that ensures the highest degrees of responsiveness and have a wide-reaching base of assessors stretching from Scotland down to the Isle of Wight. This latest achievement is a testament to the amazing team we have at Simply Certification.

“Our mission is to be the certification body of choice for businesses that operate within the built environment sector, and we continue to make progress towards that ambition. Over the last few months, we’ve been working closely with a range of stakeholders to help grow the UK retrofit supply chain and a number of our projects are coming to fruition making the pathway to certification and compliance a much smoother process.”

Richard Wiffen, Scheme Manager at Simply Certification, adds, “We’re uniquely positioned in that our focus and expertise is within the built environment – particularly around sustainability – delivering a range of ISO standards as well as PAS 2030 and now MCS Certification. This latest accreditation will add enormous value for our customers.”

Simply Certification becomes the newest MCS certification body

,

Kier Places chose Simply for PAS 2030

NATIONAL HOUSING & FACILITIES MANAGEMENT PROVIDER

Kier Places is part of Kier Group and provides a full range of property management services to clients in and around homes and workplaces across the UK. Clients include local authorities, social housing providers and blue light organisations.

SCOPE OF THE PROJECT

Kier Places engaged Simply Certification to support with their PAS 2030 certification and Trustmark registration.

PAS 2030 is recognised energy efficiency installation standard for residential homes, ensuring that all energy efficiency measures such as insulation, heating controls and electric storage heating are compliant.

Trustmark, which can be certified at the same time, is the government-recognised quality standard of installation, giving residents peace of mind that the installation is of high-quality and is backed by quality assurances.

THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS

The certification process required a full assessment which included Kier Places demonstrating that all installers were trained and qualified, that they had a good understanding of the PAS 2030 standard and there were procedures and processes in place to meet that standard.

In addition to the initial assessment, Kier Places will be re-assessed continually on a percentage of their installations.

TIMELINE

The timeline for certification is on average 4-6 weeks for most organisations.

From the date of the first head office inspection, Kier Places were certified within six days.

This was due a well-planned and smooth assessment programme as Kier had all the relevant documentation and competencies in place.

BENEFITS TO KIER PLACES

  • Accessing work: the Government and the larger energy providers are working towards an objective to ensure all existing properties are energy efficient by 2030.
  • Future-proofing: contracts and funding schemes around the retrofit of energy efficiency measures in buildings are starting to stipulate that installers need to work to PAS 2030 certification.
  • Commitment to sustainability: Kier Places was able to further consolidate its position as a sustainability-focused and quality installer to the residential market.
  • Quality standards: the certification ensures that all installations are carried out to the same standards by any Kier Places representative and that ultimately, the installation reduces carbon.
  • Environmental impact: the installations reduce carbon, meaning lower environmental impact and warmer residents

 

“Because Simply Certification offer both PAS 2030 certification and Trustmark registration at the same time, we were able to streamline the certification process, saving time and ultimately resource. These certifications increase our ability to bid for work and in turn they facilitate the installation of energy efficiency measures which contribute to carbon reduction across the country.

Certification proves that we have the competence and internal skills to deliver these measures and ensures that anyone who works for us in retrofit, energy efficiency or carbon reduction within our residential team will be trained to an exceptional standard.

The Team at Simply Certification were excellent. They were really responsive and helpful, ensuring that we were fully prepared, making for a smooth assessment process. The team have exceeded our expectations and because of that, we are working with them to ensure our whole supply chain is compliant.”

David Rowe, Technical Director at Kier Places

Simply gain UKAS accreditation to deliver MCS

Another UKAS accreditation for Simply Certification

After launching during the turbulence of a world wide pandemic, Simply Certification continue to break the mould and go from strength to strength.

The latest achievement is successfully gaining accreditation to deliver MCS assessments covering the technologies:

  • Heat Pumps (Ground and Air)
  • Solar Panels
  • Solar Thermal

with Battery Storage coming soon.

“Offering certification across the built environment lifecycle, which is ideal for contractors operating in this environment.”

Richard Wiffen, Simply’s Green Scheme Manager explains:

“It’s such an exciting time for Simply Certification. Having joined the business only in June 2022 I’ve first hand experience of seeing the customer base growing substantially across all standards that the business offers.

We’re uniquely positioned in that our focus and expertise is within the built environment – particularly around sustainability – delivering a range of ISO standards as well as PAS 2030 and now MCS – which is a particular strong combination adding huge value to our customers.

On top of this, due to us being recognised for our ethos around quality and supportive approach, we are forming strong partnerships within industry that will also compliment our schemes which all will be announced soon.”

“… enabling the pathway to certification and compliance to be a much smoother process and remove perceived barriers”

Alex Gates, Simply’s MD goes on to state:

“We’re delighted to gain yet another accreditation from UKAS. We’ve worked exceptionally hard and this latest achievement is a testament to the amazing team we have at Simply.

Our mission was to be the certification body of choice for businesses that operate within the Built Environment sector, and we’re certainly making waves!

Over the last few months I’ve been working closely with a range of stakeholders to help grow the UK supply chain within retrofit and we have a number of projects coming to fruition enabling the pathway to certification and compliance to be a much smoother process and remove perceived barriers.”

You can apply today for any of our Energy Efficiency and Retrofit Certifications or contact our team for more information.

,

Valley Group gain PAS 2030 and TrustMark

SCOTTISH BUILDING COMPLIANCE & FACILITIES MANAGEMENT PROVIDER

Valley Group are a building compliance and facilities management company headquartered in Glasgow, with 6 divisions including a specialist energy-efficiency arm dedicated to warmer homes.

As the business has grown across Scotland, there has been a need to ensure that the quality of installation standards remains high, which is why they engaged Simply Certification to gain PAS2030 certification.

SCOPE OF THE PROJECT

Valley Group engaged Simply Certification to support with their PAS2030 certification and Trustmark registration as a high percentage of their work comes through public sector housing schemes and has to be Trustmark registered.

Valley Group is dedicated to its own sustainability initiatives and is committed to training and developing its people as a way to future-proof its business. The business places huge emphasis on training and keeping people safe, which is why PAS 2030 was such an important business strategy for them.

Valley Group recognise that safe operating procedures and efficient installations reduce waste and ensure consistency of service, increasing client and end-user satisfaction and saving everyone time and money.

THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS

Valley Group had worked with Simply Certification previously, but the relationship was continued with a new contact in the business.

The certification process included a head office assessment which was focused around checking that processes and procedures were meeting the standard. This was followed by multiple technical inspections to ensure that the processes and procedures were being met in a live environment.

BENEFITS TO VALLEY GROUP

  • Business development: the certifications allow Valley Group to compete for public sector contracts.
  • Training and development: the next generation of operatives are all trained to the quality standards set out by PAS 2030 and Trustmark.
  • Recruitment and talent attraction: holding the certification ensures that Valley Group attract, train and retain people who have pride in what they do and work to a high standard.
  • Reputation: the standards that Valley Group work to ensure that clients and their end users are happy.

 

“Simply Certification really offered me peace of mind. I have over 20 accreditations and memberships to uphold and Simply got that – everything was communicated well. It’s important to me to pick up the phone and be able to achieve something, not just get passed around or having to repeat myself.

Having one point of contact at Simply really meant I could get things done and keep the business moving. This was a new standard to me and the team were supportive- they understood my business and its stakeholders.

This certification is not just about continuous improvement, it helps us secure grants, work with energy providers and build relationships that we simply couldn’t without it.”

Frazer Lowrie, HSQE Manager at Valley Group

Six mighty good reasons to gain MCS, PAS 2030 and TrustMark

The need for more PAS 2030 certified and TrustMark registered contractors is growing rapidly.

With a target for the UK to reach Net Zero by 2050 one of the key requirements is to address the issue of poor energy efficiency performance in homes.

The link to soaring energy prices, unhealthy homes due to damp and mould and a cost of living crisis is also driving more landlords and home owners to invest into the retrofit of their properties with insulation measures and renewable technologies.

24 Million Homes and Six Funding Schemes

There is an estimated 24 million domestic properties and currently six funding schemes that need contractors that have the relevant certification and proven competency.

So the opportunity is HUGE.

What are the funding schemes?

  1. Green Rewards – Brand new initiatives have been launched and there is likely to be more. This is non-government funding, aimed at the able to pay market; banks and building societies are releasing loans and cash back rewards to encourage home owners to retrofit their homes from TrustMark registered businesses.
  2. Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund – We have established relationships with primary contractors who have been successful in securing funding for SHDF. They have asked Simply Certification to introduce our clients once certified, as they are extending their supply chains to deliver larger schemes.
  3. ECO4 – Currently under the fourth wave The Energy Company Obligation is aimed at lower income homes that need multiple energy efficiency measures installed to help combat fuel poverty.
  4. ECO Plus – Get ready for the complementary scheme to ECO4 which is currently under consultation and due to start in the Spring.
  5. Home Upgrade Grant (HUG) – The HUG scheme is designed for the improvement of energy performance and heating systems for off gas grid homes in England.
  6. Local Authority Delivery (LAD) – Currently under the third phase LAD schemes are managed by local authorities to target low income homes in their area.

To qualify to deliver under these you will need to be a TrustMark registered business and hold the relevant certification for the measures or technologies that you install.

The future

We know the wider importance to stop homes damaging the planet.

We also know that homeowners and tenants are trying to reduce their spend on energy costs.

We know that properties that are poorly ventilated are causing damage to the health of the occupiers.

All of these reasons are forcing a serious and committed drive for change and a significant increase in the UK supply chain of certified installers.

If you are a contractor that delivers home improvements, then being part of this supply chain will not only future proof your business and open up opportunities but you will also be supporting a cause that will protect the most vulnerable as well as helping to achieve Net-Zero and protect our environment.

More information?

Contact our friendly team who will take you through the various options:

T: 0191 323 3960

E: hello@simplycertification.co.uk

 

 

Gain TrustMark Licence Plus with Simply

Simply Certification, providers of certification across the Lifecycle of the Built Environment are excited to announce that we now offer TrustMark Licence Plus.

Current schemes such as ECO4, LADs, HUG and SHDF require PAS 2030/35 certification and TrustMark registration; Licence Plus is designed for future schemes and the able to pay market which may not need the PAS 2035 element that PAS 2030 certification requires.

To operate within the Licence Plus scheme, Licence Plus contractors will need to be a TrustMark registered business and undergo assessments to ensure high quality installations that protect the customer.

Alex Gates, Simply Certification’s Managing Director explains;

“We’re excited to be one of the first certification bodies to offer this, as one of our key priorities is to help extend the supply chain to help meet the UK’s net-zero targets.”

“We’ve been working closely with a number of primary contractors and TrustMark on various initiatives to help drive up the numbers within the UK supply chain and are already starting to see an increase of new contractors into this sector, which is an amazing achievement.”

“Improving Energy Efficiency through quality retrofitting”

Simon Ayers, CEO, TrustMark explains,

“We are facing one of the biggest challenges around reducing energy consumption and making homes in the UK warmer, more comfortable and healthier to live in at a time when we have a cost of living crisis, coupled with a shortage of skilled trades. Improving energy efficiency through quality retrofitting is key to helping reduce this burden but it must be done by competent tradespeople working to measurable standards to ensure the result fits the need.

The demand for businesses has never been higher and will only continue to increase. This demand, coupled with the current skills shortage, means we have to look for broader solutions. We believe that the Licence Plus Scheme can be part of that solution, so it’s great to have Simply Certification on board, offering Licence Plus registration to their businesses.”

Certification across the Built Environment Lifecycle

Simply Certification who were launched in August 2020 are quickly becoming the certification body of choice for organisations who operate across the lifecycle of the built environment which includes 4 key stages:

  1. Pre Construction and Design
  2. Construction
  3. Operations, Facilities Management and Retrofit
  4. End of Use

“We ensure a great assessment experience that adds real value”

Alex concludes;

“Our offering is extremely attractive to organisations who operate within any one of the stages of the Built Environment Lifecycle.

“Particularly those who are aligned with net-zero strategies. We have a strong focus on supporting organisations in their quality, environment and health and safety certifications. We have aligned our service to meet these needs which includes delivering assessments and certification for ISO and SSIP as well as TrustMark, PAS 2030, PAS 2038, Licence Plus and soon MCS.

Our unique offering is that we can coordinate assessment plans that keep disruption to a minimum and ensure great value by having a collaborative approach.

We ensure a great assessment experience that adds real value and aids ongoing business improvement with plans that are integrated where possible – a great offering for a sector that requires to demonstrate such high degrees of compliance and certification”

For more information about TrustMark and Licence Plus, contact our team today:
0191 3233960
hello@simplycertification.co.uk

Simply Changing and Evolving

We’re excited to announce that following a successful 2022, we have made some changes to our structure to support the business in its next phase of growth.

Compliance and Operations Manager

Lyndsey Gates will now take overall responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the Head Office as Compliance and Operations Manager. This last 12 months, Lyndsey has done an outstanding job in supporting the business from a compliance aspect working closely with TrustMark and UKAS. She has naturally started to oversee the running of the customer service aspect towards the end of the 2022. This change in role now formalises Lyndsey’s position, enabling her to start to plan the growth of the team for 2023 to support the new products and services that will be released over the next few months.

PAS 2030 and MCS Scheme Manager

Richard Wiffen one of our Technical Assessors has now moved up to be our PAS 2030 and MCS Scheme Manager and will be responsible for the team of assessors that fall under these standards. Richard will be responsible for managing both contracted and direct employed field based assessors, supporting the employee onboarding process and working closely with Lyndsey to fulfil all compliance requirements around the schemes. Richard has proven to be a wonderful asset to Simply; along with his exceptional assessment and people skills this new role will make even better use of his knowledge and capabilities.

Managing Director

Alexandra Gates has taken over as Managing Director from 3 January 2023, allowing Austin Gibbons to take on strategic projects around compliance, certification and technologies continuing to build our portfolio of services whilst formally delivering the Finance Director role for the business. Alex will continue to lead the growth of the business through strategic partnerships and work closely with Austin to execute the new initiatives.

What an eventful start to 2023 for Team Simply!

Saviour Energy PAS 2030 Case Study

PAS 2030 Case Study

The Need

Saviour Energy Solutions launched in 2014 and have been delivering the retrofit of energy efficiency measures under various funding schemes to help drive down fuel poverty.

Having gained PAS 2030:2017 around 5 years ago, Saviour continued on with their existing certification body.

As the business began to grow, they started to attract opportunities from a number of local authorities which required evidence of compliance to ISO 9001.

The Pain

After searching for an alternative certification body, they found Simply Certification who offered both PAS 2030 and ISO 9001.

Khawar Aziz , Saviour’s Director states;

“We were finding the lack of communication we were receiving from our provider at the time increasingly frustrating.

From the moment we got in touch with Simply we realised that this was a certification body that was much more in line with what we needed.

Not only did they offer management system certification they also offered PAS 2030.”

Khawar goes onto say;

“We were feeling let down with our other provider due to lack of responsiveness and compliance is vital to us so felt that we would also enlist the services of Simply for PAS 2030.”

The Outcome

“We have gained certification with Simply for PAS 2030 and the process was such a different experience to what we have had previously.

It was a nice experience working with Simply. Especially, Lyndsey whom I called and interacted during this whole process. She was always ready to help.

Communication is so important when providing a service such as certification and I felt that Simply excelled at this.

The assessments were invaluable to us by supporting with our continuous improvement and compliance.

We’re really looking forward to a continued relationship with Simply.”

Simply’s growth and technical capability increases further

growth through certification

It’s exciting times for Simply Certification with two experienced Retrofit Coordinators and insulation experts joining the team very soon; increasing coverage for PAS 2030 measures across the UK.

Alex Gates, Simply’s Strategy and Marketing Director explains;

“As a certification body we are wanting to create real value and it’s vital that our compliance, customer service and assessors are the best in class so that our customers get real value for money.

Our recent recruitment drive has enabled us to benefit from onboarding technical inspectors for gas, electric and now insulation across the UK. We have a dedicated team who carry out head office assessments that meet UKAS requirements and ensure that our clients have a seamless assessment experience for their technical inspections.”

Alex continues;

“Our customer base since January has increased by 80% which is a testament to the wonderful team we have in place. Our key focus is to deliver a responsive, supportive and value lead service and we believe that is exactly what we are achieving.

Our roadmap of growth for the rest of this year includes further scope extensions, the launch of our world-wide assessor program, growing management system certification and bringing on more skilled and talented assessors to service our growing customer base.

It’s certainly a very exciting time for us all and we’re really looking forward to working with more organisations not only across the UK but globally so that they can demonstrate compliance in their chosen discipline.”

Latest news