How your church could save hundreds of pounds

Is your church energy supply a basket case? This is the question asked by Phil Roberts. Phil is an ambassador for the Church of England National Procurement Group with responsibility for the North West including the Diocese of Chester. Could your church save money on its energy bills? Is it as green as it could be? Can Parish Buying help? Here Phil Roberts lays out the case for adopting a strategic approach to parish buying. 


When did you last review your energy supplier for your parish? We are constantly told by people like Martin Lewis, the Money Saving Expert, that we should review our home energy supplier. But we should do the same for our parishes.

That’s why the Church of England set up the Parish Buying Energy Basket to provide competitively priced electricity and gas. What’s more, 100% of the electricity supplied is from renewable sources. The Basket already supplies the Gas and Electricity for almost 3000 parishes and cathedrals.

But how does the Basket work? The Parish Buying procurement team buys energy in advance, throughout the year. They listen to advice from energy experts and buy when the price is right. At the end of 12 months they can then work out the price each parish will pay for the next 12 months.

100% of the electricity is green, all from UK based renewable sources. The Parish Buying team negotiated with their energy supplier to provide green electricity at no extra cost, so you can save money and the environment!

So how can you join? First sign up to Parish Buying at www.parishbuying.org.uk/register with your details and that of your parish. Then either call the team on 0800 368 0887 or use the on-line form to give details of your meters which you can find on your current energy bill. Then the team will call or e-mail you back a price for the next 12 months. If you agree, they will contact your current supplier and make the switch.

Two words of warning. Some of you may have signed commitments to your current supplier and they will not let you switch until that commitment is finished. Parish Buying can arrange to put you on the new contract as soon as your current commitment is finished. Second, there are other people trying to supply your energy but Parish Buying is the only official and approved supplier of the Church of England. The energy basket was set up for the benefit of parishes, dioceses, and cathedrals.

And you are not locked in to the Energy Basket for ever. Each April you have the opportunity to leave. But as the Basket consistently provides significant savings and renewable energy to thousands of churches, why would you want to leave?

Have I made a case for your parish joining the Parish Buying Energy Basket?

Phil is a member of the CofE National Procurement Group, a retired Unilever global purchasing manager and a PCC member at St. Michael’s, Plas Newton.

Page last updated: Monday 21st January 2019 3:58 PM
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