The Diocese of Sheffield is pleased to announce that we are able to offer all churches who complete the energy footprint tool (EFT) a grant of £100 to spend on LED lightbulbs to support the rollout of LED lighting across the Diocese.
This scheme is funded centrally by the Church of England’s Quick Wins Project, which supports churches with small scale decarbonisation projects and improvements listed in the Practical Path to Net Zero Carbon for Church Buildings. Energy efficient lighting is a key strand of this and of the Diocesan Net Zero Action Plan. LED lighting is more efficient than almost all other forms of lighting, saving energy and money. The bulbs can usually be put into existing light fittings. A £100 grant can typically purchase up to 50 lightbulbs.
The Energy Footprint Tool (EFT) is one of the ways in which the Church of England can measure progress towards the goal of Net Zero Carbon by 2030 and is completed via the parish returns system. Churches complete the EFT to measure their own Carbon Footprint and to provide data to both the Diocese and National Church. The deadline for completion of the EFT is Wednesday 31st July. Churches that complete it will be then contacted over the summer with details of how to claim the £100 grant.
Completion of the EFT is increasingly important to access a range of financial and practical support for projects to reduce carbon emissions and energy costs in churches. A number of other initiatives to support churches to reduce carbon emissions are being rolled out in the coming months and completion of the EFT will be a requirement to access this support.
- A second phase of the Quick Wins funding whereby churches can apply for small grants to support projects such as further lighting, pew heating, insulation or upgrading the electricity supply. The eligibility criteria and application process for this will be announced soon.
- Many churches will be able to apply for a free or subsidised energy audit to support them in providing a plan for churches to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions while improving comfort for people. Parishes that complete the EFT by 31 July will also be added to a list for subsidised Energy Audits. The Team at the Diocese will be contacting eligible churches about this in due course.
David Castle, Net Zero Programme Manager for the Diocese:
“I am delighted that we have secured over £58,000 of National funding over two years to support churches that are implementing improvements listed in the Practical Path to Net Zero, and LED bulbs are a great way to get started. However, one of the requirements for distributing these funds is that it supports the completion of the EFT. With over 200 churches in the diocese it’s really important for us to understand which of them are in most need of help, from knowing the age of their heating systems, and how much of what kind of energy is being used. Our own Net Zero Carbon Action Plan focuses on reducing energy usage and costs for churches, increasing comfort for visitors and protecting our often fragile buildings. Good management of our buildings is helped by having a plan, and the team here in the diocese is here to help you do this.”
The Environmental Projects Team at the Diocese are on hand to provide support to churches to complete their EFT return. Please contact us on environment.admin@sheffield.anglican.org if you need any help or further information.