Last reviewed: 6 September 2026. Explains what an insurance-backed
guarantee is, what it covers and where it fails. General information, not insurance or legal advice; the
policy wording you are given governs, and it is the thing to read.
An insurance-backed guarantee, usually shortened to IBG, is a policy that steps in when the company
that gave you a workmanship guarantee no longer exists. That is the whole idea: a guarantee is only as
good as the guarantor, and an IBG replaces the guarantor with an insurer.
It is a genuinely valuable thing to hold and it is routinely misunderstood in one specific way, which
is the reason for this page: an IBG usually covers the installer’s workmanship, not the
manufacturer’s product. Buyers who think they are insured against a battery failing are
generally not.
What it does and does not cover
| Failure | Typically covered by an IBG? |
|---|---|
| Defective workmanship, and the installer has ceased trading | Yes — this is the case it exists for |
| Defective workmanship, and the installer is still trading | No. You claim on the installer’s own guarantee; the IBG has not been triggered |
| The battery or inverter itself fails | Usually no. That is the manufacturer’s product warranty — how to read a battery warranty |
| The manufacturer ceases trading and its warranty is worthless | Usually no, unless the policy specifically says otherwise — what to do when a brand goes bust |
| Deposit paid, work never started | No — that is deposit protection, a different product, sometimes provided through a consumer code |
| Consequential losses, such as electricity you did not save | Almost never |
| Wear, misuse, or failure to maintain | No |
Read the first two rows together, because they define how an IBG behaves in practice: it is dormant
while the installer exists, and it is only ever as long as the underlying workmanship guarantee. A
five-year workmanship guarantee cannot be backed by ten years of insurance.
The five questions to ask before you accept one as reassurance
- Who is the underwriter? Not the broker, not the scheme — the insurer
carrying the risk. A named UK-regulated insurer is what you want to see. - What is the term, and when does it start? Usually from the end of the installer’s
own guarantee period, or from installation. The two produce very different cover. - What triggers a claim? Almost always the installer ceasing to trade, evidenced by
insolvency. Some policies also require you to have tried the installer first, which is impossible if
they have vanished without a formal insolvency — ask what happens then. - Is there an excess, and a claim limit? Both are normal; both should be in
writing. - Have I actually been issued a certificate? This is where most IBGs fail: the
policy is described at the sale and never registered afterwards. No certificate, no cover.
The certificate is the thing
An IBG is registered by the installer with the scheme after the job is done, and a certificate is
issued to you naming the property, the work and the dates. If it never arrives, chase it while the
installer is still trading — because the moment they are not, the registration cannot be fixed and
you have nothing.
Put it with the rest of the document pack: contract, invoice, electrical certificate, network
notification, commissioning record, manufacturer’s warranty. That pack is what answers everybody who
asks a question years later, and assembling it once is the cheapest work in the whole project. The full
list is in choosing a battery installer.
Where an IBG sits among your other protections
It is one of four layers, and knowing which layer answers which failure is what stops people relying
on the wrong one:
- Statutory rights against the retailer under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 —
the base layer, which nobody can contract out of. - Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, making the card issuer jointly liable
for the full purchase price where any part was paid by credit card and the cash price is over £100 and
no more than £30,000. Independent of everyone else’s solvency, which is what makes it the strongest
card in the deck: section 75 claims. - The IBG, for workmanship after the installer has gone.
- Consumer codes and certification schemes, for conduct and standards while everyone
is still trading: MCS and RECC.
Notice that only two of the four survive an insolvency, and one of them costs nothing to arrange:
paying the deposit by credit card. If a battery quote offers an IBG at a price, weigh it against that
free protection rather than against nothing.
Is it worth paying for?
Our view, stated as a view. An IBG bundled into a quote at no separate charge is a straightforward
positive and a sign of an installer operating properly. An IBG offered as a paid extra is worth what the
workmanship guarantee behind it is worth — so read that first. A long workmanship guarantee from a
firm with twenty years of trading history and an IBG behind it is a good position; a ten-year guarantee
from a company incorporated last year, backed by an unnamed underwriter, is not made good by the word
“insurance”.
And keep it in proportion. The most likely expensive events in a home battery’s life are the
manufacturer failing and the capacity declining faster than expected — neither of which an IBG
touches. That is why we keep pushing the same three defences: pay the deposit on a credit card, choose a
durable installer, and do the payback arithmetic assuming nothing is ever replaced, using the battery payback calculator.
[VERIFICAR: the scope, term and underwriter of any specific IBG offered to you. IBG
products vary substantially between providers and we have not reviewed the wordings on the UK market.
Ask for the policy document before signing, not the summary leaflet.]
Frequently asked questions
Does an IBG cover my battery if the manufacturer goes bust?
Usually not. That is the product warranty, which is the manufacturer’s promise. Your routes are the
retailer or installer under consumer law and section 75 if a credit card was used.
Is an IBG required by law?
No. It is a market practice, and it is sometimes a requirement of a consumer code or a certification
scheme rather than of legislation.
My installer says the guarantee is “insurance backed” but I have no certificate. Am I covered?
Assume not, and ask for the certificate in writing. Registration is a step someone has to actually
take.
Does it transfer if I sell the house?
Often yes, sometimes with a notification requirement or a fee. Check the wording — a
transferable IBG and a complete document pack are worth real money at sale, in the same way as a
transferable battery warranty.
Does any of this apply to plug-in solar?
Not really. A plug-in kit has no installer, so there is no workmanship guarantee to back. Your
protections are the retailer’s obligations under the Consumer Rights Act, the manufacturer’s product
warranty and section 75 — see plug-in solar
warranties and your UK rights.
Sources.
Consumer Rights Act 2015 ·
Consumer Credit Act 1974, section 75 ·
RECC ·
Citizens
Advice consumer help.
Policy scope varies by provider and is flagged as unverified above — see editorial methodology.