Heating makes up the bulk of energy costs for the majority of churches.  Problems with inadequate heating, together with rising energy bills, make this a key issue for many church communities. See also our information on environmental sustainability.

See below for CTfC tips on 
- energy suppliers
- getting the best from your current heating system
- new heating systems
- advice on energy efficiency
See also case studies of renewable heating and energy systems being trialled in churches.

Changing your energy supplier: one of the simplest ways of reducing your energy bills is ensuring you are on the most competitive tariff. When choosing a “green” electricity supplier you should be aware that their credentials vary

• You may wish to limit your search to renewable electricity suppliers for environmental or ethical reasons. If you are unsure, you can check the C/E view .
• Faiths4Change has a deal with Ecotricity, a company investing in windturbines, who will provide a quote free of obligation. 
• A number of businesses provide a price comparison service, for example Energy Choices.  Remember to ask for business rather than domestic tariffs.

Improving performance of your existing heating system

• See SPAB's advice on servicing of heating systems to help optimise their performance.
• Heating systems also need to be controlled properly in order to maximise their efficiency. This may be a simple as knowing how many hours before an event you need to put the heating on (depending on the weather), and ensuring it is turned off again as soon as it is no longer needed.
• If your church is regularly used, or you have a background heating system, you will need more sophisticated heating controls.  These should ideally be capable of turning the heating off automatically both when the church has reached the required temperature, and at times when heat is not required.
• Most churches are poor at retaining heat. Heat is lost into the walls and through the roof, and cold draughts add to discomfort. The importance of improving insulation and air tightness increases the more you heat your church. When a church is often used by a small group of people it is often worth exploring whether a small meeting room or chapel can be created within the body of the church that can be heated independently.

New heating systems

• When considering a new heating system, bear in mind the two main reasons for heating a church building: to keep the church dry and so protect the fabric of the building: and to provide comfort for the occupants.
• Historic churches not in daily use require a very different approach to  to a private home, or a re-ordered church building which has been insulated and is used daily by the community. See a brief explanation about radiant heating.
• In winter it is not feasible to raise air and wall temperature of an historic church to a comfortable indoor temperature for weekly use.  Instead, it will be necessary to use some form of instant heat for comfort and rely on background heat to keep the church dry.

 Further  information 

• A useful checklist on installing a heating system is available from Churchcare CDI, alongside some details of different electric heating systems. Information on obtaining consent to install a heating system is specific to the Church of England, the rest is relevant to all places of worship.
• Within Carlisle Diocese there is no need to approach a Diocesan Heating Advisor prior to developing proposals, but contact the Diocesan Advisory Committee as soon as a proposed scheme is available.
• You can ask an installer to visit your church to help specify a heating system.  However, many installers specialise in one type of heating, so seek independent advice first.  Companies specialising in church heating can be found by entering “church heating” into an internet search engine such as Google.
• If you want a second opinion on advice you have received, you could use the AECB internet forum

Grants may be available for installing some renewable energy systems in places of worship and other community buildings. See our funding page.

Advice on energy efficiency
CTfC can arrange for an adviser to visit your church to help you carry out a Sustainability Audit of your building, which will include reviewing heating and other energy needs. For example The Cumbria Energy Auditors Group, run by Cumbria Action for Sustainability offers low cost independent energy audits to the third sector (including churches), which can include advice on a specific energy management issue. See environmental sustainabilty for more information

Microgeneration
A range of technologies are available which enable you generate some or all of the energy you require at, or near, your church.  This is an effective way of cutting your carbon footprint, provided you have taken steps to reduce energy demand first.  Many of these technologies will also save you money in the longer term, particularly if you are able to take advantage of the grants available.  It is important to fully consider the range of available technologies and choose the one(s) most appropriate to your situation.  Sources of advice on the various technologies are listed below.

Most churches are of some historic importance and you should consider the heritage impact of microgeneration proposals.Click here to download guidance from English Heritage on this subject.

Ground source heat pumps: most relevant to churches in daily use
as heat pumps are more likely to be useful for background heat.  See our factsheet for more details.See our case studies page for St John the Evangelist, Bigrigg, (Cumbria) and St Mary’s, Welwyn (Hertfordshire)  is 

Photovoltaics
Member of the Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility (ECCR) Jonathan Seagrave shares his own experience in investing in Solar PV here and a detailed analysis of the scheme
Faiths4Change have produced an advice sheet on installing photovoltaic panels in churches.

Wind Turbines
Few churches have installed wind turbines, however Gamblesby Village Hall has one, and this short video tells more.

CTfC jointly hosted a conference in March 2011 on how we can adapt traditional buildings for a low carbon future.  Much of the focus was on the refurbishment of housing, but many of the technologies have application to faith buildings.  See a short clip of the video here.  .