On Tuesday 4 July, the Environment Team and the Church Buildings Team are calling on all churches in the diocese to turn on and test their boiler, ahead of the autumn heating season.
Every Autumn, some churches turn on their heating for the first time, only to find that their boiler has died, leaving them without heat.
By testing boilers early on, you’ll give your church time to explore possible solutions that will enable your congregations to meet once the weather gets colder. This is particularly important now that the Church of England no longer permits the replacement of oil and gas boilers without a faculty, and only as a last resort, where all other non-fossil fuel options have been considered, as the Church of England moves away from fossil fuels.
I’ve turned my boiler on and it has broken!
What to do if your boiler has broken:
- Read this emergency heating guidance document and follow the advice, including assessing whether your boiler can be repaired in the interim.
- Contact the Environment Team as they may be able to offer additional advice and Church Buildings Team so that they can assist through the permissions process.
- Engage your PCC and consider setting up a sub-group, perhaps with members of your Fabric Committee and Eco Church team, to implement a solution. This may be an interim solution, with a view to a longer-term plan.
I’ve turned my boiler on and it works, but only just!
What to do with an aging or unreliable boiler:
- Read the emergency heating guidance to help you plan for the short-term.
- Let the Environment Team and Church Buildings Team know your boiler is at risk.
- Ensure you have had an energy audit, or if not, contact the Environment Team to set one up.
- Engage your PCC, Fabric Committee and Eco Church team (if relevant) to start planning for short-term, medium-term and long-term scenarios.
- Consider listening to this Church of England webinar on different types of heating for your church.
I’ve turned my gas/oil boiler and it’s fine
What to do if you have a gas or an oil boiler as we work towards net zero carbon:
- Ensure you have had an energy audit in the last three years, to determine what possible solutions there may be to support your church to move away from fossil fuels in due course.
- Develop an action plan to turn your energy audit recommendations into deliverable goals over a reasonable timescale.
- Attend our ‘From Energy Audit to Action’ event on 7 October.
- If you would like to join a support network for churches, contact us.
Need more help?
Finding out your boiler is broken can be very stressful, especially given the pressures many of our churches already face. The Environment Team and Church Buildings Team will do all we can to work with you through this process.
Contact us if you have any other questions or concerns.