Green Electricity
Cutting the Carbon
Reducing our impact on future climate change is part of caring for God's creation. The main step we can all take is to cut carbon emissions at church and at home. The Diocesan Environmental Strategy calls for dramatic cuts.
We recommend the three steps shown originally in the Church of England's Cutting the Carbon Initiative:
- Assess your energy use
- Become energy efficient
- Switch to Green electricity
Do take a look at the Church of England's Shrinking the Footprint website where you will find more pointers to practical steps and sources of advice.
So, here's a way of making that third step of switching to
Green Electricity
You can reduce the carbon footprint of your church or home by about 30% by switching to an electricity supply derived wholly from renewable resources. This substantial reduction in carbon footprint may cost more but can be offset by having improved on energy efficiency (e.g. low energy bulbs, better insulation) or simply switching off equipment when not in use.
Visit the green energy supply certification scheme website to find out more about suppliers with tariffs that comply with Ofgem's Green Energy Supply Guidelines.
In the Diocese of Worcester we have affiliated, via the Worcester Diocesan Board of Finance Limited (DBF), as a partner of Good Energy, a company offering electricity from renewable resources (wind, small-scale hydro, wave, solar power and sustainable biomass). They have agreed to pay the DBF at least £20 for every new customer quoting promotional code GE285. The DBF will share this money between your Parochial Church Council and a special fund to improve energy efficiency in its buildings and clergy houses. Good Energy will also give you £20 off your first bill. The easiest way to sign up is to go to www.good-energy.co.uk/worcester.
"Cutting our carbon footprint is a huge challenge. This is about caring for God's creation and particularly those people most vulnerable to climate change, often in the poorest places on earth.
The Church of England's national target is a 80% reduction in carbon footprint by 2050. We need to start now.
Switching to green electricity can play a big part and we've taken up the opportunity of affiliation with Good Energy, a company identified through the Church of England's national "Shrinking the Footprint" Group. We've made that switch for the Diocesan Office.
So, take up the challenge and get to that third step of making that green energy switch."
Robert Higham
Diocesan Secretary
