Nothing in the small-scale scheme says an installer must use one trader. What decides it is the paperwork on each job and the contract you signed.
Why splitting works at job level
When a customer signs an STC assignment form, the right to the certificates for that system passes to a named party. That is a decision per installation. So you can assign the Smith job to one trader and the Jones job to another. You generally cannot cut one system’s certificates in half; the form names one assignee. See the STC assignment form guide.
Exclusivity
Some traders ask for exclusivity or minimum volumes in return for a better rate, an advance or a locked price. These are lawful, but read them. A clause that says “all certificates” means a second trader would put you in breach. Ask about:
- The length of the commitment and how to exit.
- Whether exclusivity applies to all product types or just solar.
- What happens if the trader is late paying.
- Whether rate improvements are real or just a headline.
Read what to check in a trader contract before signing.
When two traders make sense
- Risk spread. No single trader holds all your unpaid certificates.
- Product fit. One trader for solar, another stronger on batteries, heat pumps or VEECs.
- Benchmarking. Running a share through a second trader tells you whether your rate is competitive.
- Backup. If one has a portal outage or slows down, you still have a route to cash.
When it does not
Splitting dilutes volume, which can cost you volume-based rate benefits, see volume rates. It doubles reconciliation, two portals, two sets of RCTIs. If you lodge a handful of jobs a month, one good trader is simpler.
What this means for installers
Start with one trader as your main route, and use a second to test or to cover a product line. Avoid exclusivity unless the benefit is clearly written down. If you are testing us, you can send a trial claim through Energy Merchants; the rate is on the pricing page, there are no fees and your named account manager handles lodging. The partner program rewards growing volume, and moving certificates between traders covers what happens when you change your mind midway.