Diocese of Portsmouth
The Church of England

News

    Churches encouraged to switch to green energy to care for creation

    Category
    Environment
    Date
    11 Sept. 2025
    Share

    THIS Creationtide, the Dioceses of Chichester, Guildford and Portsmouth are joining the call for churches to switch to a green energy tariff to help reduce their carbon emissions.

    A green energy tariff is an electricity or gas plan where the supplier sources the energy from low carbon and renewable sources of energy such as wind, solar and hydroelectric power, rather than fossil fuels.

    The Church of England’s campaign The Great Switch for Creation launched this month to make it easier for churches to choose an ethical green energy supplier. Through Parish Energy, which is managed by Parish Buying, the Church of England uses the bulk buying power to obtain competitive prices for gas and electricity. While the bulk energy buying scheme has existed for a number of years, this is the first time the offering has included tariffs that comply with the new criteria for green and ethical suppliers. The research carried out by the Church means that parishes can be certain that they are using suppliers who are genuinely green, and not engaging in ‘greenwashing’, while still investing in fossil fuel companies, for example.

    The Parish Energy offering will also provide a dedicated team of customer service specialists to act as knowledgeable conduits between parishes and energy customer call centres- saving time and resource. In addition, the Church of England has researched and included a list of other energy suppliers who offer green tariffs.

    The season of Creationtide calls for Christians to give thanks for God’s gift of creation and renew their commitment to caring for the environment and redressing the human destruction that has precipitated a climate emergency across the Globe. During this season, parishes across the three dioceses will be active in engaging their congregations and wider communities in creation care.

    Speaking about the Great Switch for Creation Campaign, Steve Collins, net zero carbon programme manager for the Diocese of Guildford, Portsmouth and Chichester, said:

    “Creationtide calls on us to spend time not just celebrating God’s wonderful creation, but to take real action in caring for the environment and preserving it for future generations. Switching to a green energy tariff is an important act of faith for Christians as it’s a practical way to reduce carbon emissions and the damaging human impact on our planet.

    “There are of course several ways that our church communities can lead the way in environmental care. I am always so encouraged by how many churches across the three dioceses sign up to become Eco Churches, taking steps to use renewable energy, cultivate animal and plant life in their churchyards, and educate their communities on adopting eco-conscious lifestyles that honour God’s creation.”

    Churches who are still in a contract with their current energy provider can show their support by signing a pledge form promising to switch to a green energy tariff. This commitment to switch should be formally agreed by the PCC before signing the pledge, and to ensure that all future tariffs remain green.

    Visit the Church of England website for more information on The Great Switch for Creation and how to switch your energy tariff.

    Environment

    More news

    Upcoming Events

    More events