More than 400 churches across the UK have agreed to switch to renewable energy providers, representing over £1 million in energy bills that will be used to pay for clean energy.
The Big Church Switch was launched on 10 February by charities Christian Aid and Tearfund to coincide with the beginning of Lent. The initiative invites churches and individuals to transition away from fossil fuels and will use the combined weight of their energy bill payments to find the best deal.
Ben Niblett, senior campaigner for Tearfund, said: “We’re so encouraged by this growing movement – Christians around the UK have taken action and had a big impact on our carbon footprint by taking part in The Big Church Switch. We’re loving our neighbours with our electricity bills.”
Churches are able to apply to the switch via the initiative’s online platform, which registers them with national buying group 2Buy2. Clean energy suppliers will then be approached using the collective buying power of the churches to secure the best deal.
Among the 424 churches to have already signed up to the switch is The New Room in Bristol, which was built in 1739 and is believed to be the oldest Methodist building in the world.
David Worthington, manager of The New Room said: “We may be the oldest Methodist building in the world but that doesn’t mean we have to use the polluting energy of the past.
“We take seriously the impact we have on our neighbours, both locally and globally. Switching our energy provider to clean sources of power is a simple thing we can do to help the global transition to a low carbon world. If we, in a building as old as ours, can embrace the idea of renewable energy then anyone can.”
The switch has gained widespread support from across the church community, including Bishop of Manchester David Walker, who said: “As individuals and churches we have a choice in how we treat the earth, how we spend our money, how we power our homes and our buildings. The Big Church Switch is a practical way for us all to do our bit.”
Revd Graham Sinden, Minister of Kidlington Baptist Church, whose church supports Tearfund and has registered to switch said: “‘We need to practise what we preach. If we believe that we should be looking after this world that God created for us all, then we must do all we can to minimise our carbon footprint, particularly as it is the poorest in the world that are worst affected by climate change.”
Collective switching schemes began in 2012 and have been promoted by the government and consumer groups in the past as a way for consumers to engage with the market and save money on their energy bills.
Good Energy are already involved in a similar project with Quakers in Britain by supplying a number of their meeting houses with clean energy at a special rate.
Similar schemes have been run by Hull City Council while the Big Community Switch scheme has attracted over 6,000 homes.
