The Housing Team is working hard to make clergy homes increasingly comfortable and more affordable to keep warm. Our decarbonisation strategy is a core part of delivering this aim and we have started by surveying the parsonages, producing an EPC for each (Energy Performance Certificate) and producing initial recommendations for each one towards improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions.
By starting with improving the fabric of the property first (removing drafts, increasing insulation etc.), energy efficiency is improved, lowering bills, making the house feel warmer, and reducing carbon emissions. More efficient controls will also make savings on bills and carbon emissions. The more challenging next step will be assessing how heating can shift from fossil fuels to electricity and providing a renewable energy source where possible.
We are undertaking the improvements we can whilst properties are vacant, alongside planning for the financing and scaling up of activities. We have also received some match funding from the national church to retrofit a ‘demonstrator’ home and will be able to update more on that soon.
Ideas for winter
While the Housing Team works on developing and implementing this strategy, there are steps that households can take to reduce the cost of energy use, often resulting in a reduction of carbon output too. Here are some ideas that you may find useful to get ahead of the winter cold. Many may be obvious, but we hope that gathering them in one place might be useful.
- Boiler flow temperature – small changes to the boiler flow temperature can make a real difference to fuel bills without reducing comfort, and they reduce your carbon footprint. Your boiler flow temperature is the temperature your boiler heats your water to before it gets sent to your radiators. The Energy Saving Trust website has a useful guide.
- Draft-proofing – draft excluders on external doors, letterboxes, and keyholes can help, though ensure that ventilation such as airbricks, vents, and extractor fans are not blocked as these are needed to prevent condensation and damp.
- Heating controls – ensure thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) are working and consider whether an electronic heating control system could save you money.
- Replace old lightbulbs with LED lamps – this will save energy use and costs. The Energy Savings Trust reports that lighting accounts for about 15% of a typical household’s electricity use and switching to LEDs can save about £40 a year for an outlay of around £100.
- Shower flow control. An efficient shower head, or retrofitted flow controller, can save at least £25 a year on the energy bills of a typical household
- Consider thermal curtains and blinds – if you need to replace curtains, consider buying thermal ones, including for the front door.
- Check roofs, clear gutters and drains – look out for any signs of damp/leaking and ensure all gutters and drains are clear of leaves. Cracks and damp can reduce the insulation efficiency of a house. Let us know if you have a problem, or your property is not on the gutter clearing programme.
- Consider a switch to green energy – this won’t necessarily save you money, but it is a positive step towards net zero carbon. This article from Which is helpful in unpacking what green energy means and what to look for.
We are here to support you. Please send any questions or enquiries to the Housing team: property.enquiries@london.anglican.org