CHURCHES that struggle to pay their energy bills this winter will be able to draw on a £15-million fund from the Church Commissioners, announced on 12 October. The new Energy Costs Grant will be available to PCCs via dioceses.
‘What’s trickle-down?’
The move is in reaction to reports that clergy have been suffering all the attendant stresses of soaring costs. The Vicar of St Mary’s, Andover, in Oxford diocese, the Revd Sally Moring, told the Church Times in August that her church’s gas bill had risen by £14,000, to a forecast £22,500 (News, 19 August).
Prices were so volatile that she had been given just five hours to decide whether or not to accept the quote. “We wanted to be a warm space for people this winter, but we will have to see if we can afford to keep the church at a level where it is comfortable for people,” she said.
A Methodist minister in the same town told the Church Times at that time that he had no idea how the church was going to pay for an energy bill that looked set to rise from £70 to £4000. He said he “felt sick at the thought of the impending bills”.
The new fund — which comes on top of the £3-million hardship fund announced by the Commissioners in May (News, 9 May) and funded from savings in other categories of their expenditure — can also be used to boost the stipends of clergy and lay ministers facing particular hardship because of the cost-of-living crisis.
A survey accompanying the clergy remuneration review in 2021 found that one quarter of clergy were “just getting by”, and 13 per cent were finding it “quite or very difficult to manage”.
Churches in receipt of the new grants will be given advice and information on increasing their energy efficiency and reducing their carbon footprint, in line with the Church’s pledge to become net-zero carbon by 2030. John Spence, who chairs the Archbishops’ Council Finance Committee, said: “The Government has announced welcome support for non-domestic energy users, including voluntary sector organisations such as PCCs.
“But, in spite of this, our churches still face the challenge of significant rises in their energy bills over this winter, and that is why we are announcing the Energy Costs Grant, which will be in addition to government support.
“We will keep the situation under close review throughout the winter. We hope that this new fund will provide some reassurance to churches and worshipping communities.”
The First Church Estates Commissioner, Alan Smith, said that the £15-million fund would “help churches to remain as centres of worship and pastoral care, and will also make a key difference in helping churches to continue opening their buildings for vital practical support for their communities over the winter through social action such as food banks.
“The Church Commissioners are glad to be able to work in partnership with the Archbishops’ Council and dioceses to support the work of parishes in the communities they serve.”