Join The Big Church Switch *Updated

Could your church, other church buldings and schools get their electricity from a source that is greener – and maybe even cheaper too?

The Big Church Switch, which launched today, is encouraging churches across the UK to switch their energy supply towards renewable energy.

UPDATE: Watch a clip on YouTube

The actions of the church community multiplied again and again will send a strong signal to governments and businesses that churches are prepared to lead the way and that switching to renewables is crucial if we are to live and enjoy God's world together.

Detailed information on how to switch is available from the Big Church Switch website.

A church buying consortium has been established, which covers all denominations. The project will be run in conjunction with Parish Buying, the Church of England’s buying group and 2buy2, who work the Methodist Church and other denominations in the UK.

On behalf of the Church of England, the Parish Buying team will be closely involved in the selection of suppliers, to ensure that the offers are from renewable energy suppliers that meet stringent criteria in terms of customer service and provide value for money for churches.

It is hoped that 5,000 churches across the UK will register their interest in switching to renewable energy suppliers in the next 3 months and 1,000 churches will eventually switch. We would also love to see church schools making the decision to switch to renewable energy through this campaign.

Bishop Nicholas, who leads on environmental issues for the Church of England, said, “The Big Church Switch is a simple, practical, good idea. It supports the move to renewable energy. If Lent is about renewing our lives in response to the love of God here is a way to follow. You can do it, and so will I.”

Laura Taylor, Christian Aid’s Head of Advocacy, said, "The church community wants the kind of energy that helps us care for creation. But to make the big shift to a low carbon future happen, we also need our governments to play their part and to drive the energy market towards 100% clean energy.

"The Big Church Switch enables the church to lead the way in the transition to low carbon energy, and to call on our  governments to follow suit."

Don’t forget, you can get all the information you need on switching at https://www.bigchurchswitch.org.uk, and home customers can also benefit from the scheme.