The Green Journey is a package of energy saving services for churches provided by Green Energy Consulting. The Diocese of Leeds have worked in partnership with Green Energy Consulting since 2015. An a number of other diocese and denominations across the country also use the Green Journey.
Two hundred and fourty five churches in the diocese use the service, with 161 purchasing renewable electricity and carbon neutral gas with the Green Journey and further 79 purchasing renewable electricity and 5 just gas. Churches using the Green Journey reduced their collective carbon emission by 2,540.2 tonnes CO2e in 2019, nearly 19% of the total diocesan emissions. Switching to renewable energy generation is one of the quickest ways to help towards the net zero carbon 2030 target.
The Green Journey includes:
- A supplier switching service, to carbon neutral gas and 100% renewable electricity tariff
- A VAT and CCL checking service and reclaim service when a church has been overpaying
- A complementary energy survey for all participating churches who wish to receive this service
- Account management services, dealing with the supply company for you
- Water supply switching service
- Installation of smart metres where appropriate
FAQs
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Green Journey Newsletter
Issue 3 - Autumn 2022
Issue 2 - Summer 2022
Issue 1 - Spring 2022
10 Top Tips for Purchasing Church Energy
Energy bills are often the largest ticket item in the church budget, aside from Parish Share. So good stewardship here is very important both for church finances and environmental impact, particularly in the current volatile energy market.
Read our 10 Top Tips for your church to help you get it right.
Spring 2023 Update for Existing Green Journey Customers – Time to Take Action
Most of the churches who receive their electricity and/or gas with the Green Journey are in a three-year contract negotiated in 2019, started in 2020 and ending in 2023. They have benefited from being on 2019 prices during the past year of the energy crisis.
The Green Journey team should now have contacted you to see if your church wishes to renew the gas/electric contract after September 2023. You should respond now and not wait until nearer the termination date in September.
By buying ahead the Green Journey can leverage a good price for the supplier, the closer you leave your renewal to the end of the contract the more expensive it will become. The current suppliers being used by Green journey are SSE for electricity and Crown for gas.
Can Our Church Join the Green Journey?
Yes. Just contact the Green Journey team to ask for a no obligation quote. Make sure you do this ahead of any renewal obligations you may have with your current supplier. The closer you leave it to your renewal date the more expensive the gas/electric unit price is likely to be.
Please note the energy market is very fluid at the moment, so you may need to respond quickly to any quote you are given, delaying can cause significant price increases. Please make your PCC are aware that a rapid decision may be needed.
Diocesan Partnership with Green Energy Consulting
After a rigorous tender process where 11 companies bid to provide energy services for parishes, the service agreement was won by Green Energy Consulting in March 2019. Read why they were the winning contractor here.
Currently almost half of the churches in the Diocese of Leeds utilise the services provided by the Green Journey, 245 in total. One hundred and sixty one purchase 100% renewable electricity and carbon neutral gas through the Green Journey, 79 for electric only and 5 more buy carbon neutral gas. The Green Journey was established in 2015 as a partnership between the Diocese of Leeds and Green Energy Consulting. The service is now used by a number of other dioceses and denominations.
The Green Journey and the Energy Footprinting Tool
We have worked with the Church of England Online Parish Returns team to ensure that the Green Journey is among the list of approved renewable suppliers for your parish's annual return. When your parish completes the annual Energy Footprinting Tool (EFT), which calculates your church carbon footprint the Green Journey will be listed as one of the companies that have met the EFT criteria.
If you have any queries please contact:
Craig Hogg, Green Journey Ecclesiastical Account Manager, E: craig@greenjourney.org M: 07855 784633 T: 01913 006363 & 03330 067177
or Ian Fletcher, Diocesan Green Journey Link Officer, E: ian.fletcher@leeds.anglican.org M: 07788 413716