One of the most important challenges facing churches today is providing sufficient comfort for the many different users of the building, from worshippers to staff to visitors. Achieving this whilst striving for net zero by 2030 and conserving historic interiors creates specific technical challenges for church buildings.
A church's heating system affects its fabric, its contents, its congregation and its mission. Heating makes up the vast majority – over 80% – of its energy use and carbon footprint. Heating costs money to run, maintain and replace.
There is no universal solution to making a church comfortable, and the key to arriving at a solution that provides reasonable comfort at a reasonable cost and reasonable environmental impact is to devote sufficient time and effort to understanding the particular needs of your own church.
Boiler failure
Every autumn, some churches turn on their heating for the first time only to find that their boiler has ceased to function.
By testing your boiler early on, you will give yourself time to explore possible solutions and prepare your works permissions.
This is important now that the Church of England no longer permits the installation of a gas or oil boiler without a faculty – and then only where other non-fossil fuel options have been fully considered.
Planning ahead
When a church's heating system breaks, rushing to replace a broken gas boiler with a new gas boiler may appear to solve the immediate problem, but it is often a missed opportunity to improve the way a building is heated.
The PCC will need time to think ahead about how the building is used, how it should be heated, and whether there is scope for reducing the building's carbon emissions.
It is recommended to:
- Book your boiler service in good time (annually)
- Consult Church of England web resources on church heating
- View Church of England case studies and webinars on church heating
- Complete the Heating Checklist and Heating Options Appraisal (see below)
Due regard
The Faculty Jurisdiction (Amendment) Rules 2022, which came into effect in July 2022, require parishes and the DAC to have 'due regard' to guidance on net zero carbon issued by the Church of England, and this includes all heating applications. This requirement is applicable to both List B and faculty schemes.
From these Rules, the Church of England has directed that the following key pieces of guidance must be given due regard for heating proposals (including boiler replacement):
- The Practical Path to Net Zero Carbon for Churches
- Heating Principles
- Heating Checklist (editable Word file)
- Heating Options Appraisals and Getting Advice
- Biomass Boilers
The Practical Path to Net Zero Carbon for Churches is included in the guidance and this must be given due regard for all proposals, as it provides the context to show that the proposal is part of a wider understanding by the parish of its route to net zero carbon.
Making your case
In the case of submitted faculty applications, the Lichfield Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC) is required to determine whether or not:
- the parish's explanation for the heating system choice, in relation to net zero guidance, is adequate
- and, if not, to clearly state the reasons why it is not adequate
The PCC should therefore take time to carefully consider its proposal and submission ahead.