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Church Heating Advisory Package

If you are responsible for your church heating system, you could have inherited a system that is as old as the church and that you know very little about.  This package could help you.

Key Questions that every church needs answering

How efficient is my existing heating system?

Many heating systems that are still in use today date back to Victorian times and were designed to a completely different set of criteria. Coal was the main fuel and was usually donated to the church by the local mill or landowner.

If you have a system like this how efficient is it?

Do you actually know how old the system is?

You may be shocked to find out the true efficiency of your heating system. Many people are under the illusion that if the church is warm, then the system must be efficient but how much does it actually cost to keep the church warm?

You may be very comfortable with the temperature in your church but you could be using enormous amounts of fuel to get that heat. Can you really afford to keep wasting natural resources and money?

How much life is there left in the system?

You need to know just how serviceable your system is. If you have a boiler, what sort of condition is it in and how old is it? How old are the radiators and pipework? Will it last another 10 years or just 10 weeks and how will you know?

If your system does breakdown should you replace it or repair it, is it worth repairing? Are spare parts still readily available?  If you have an old system you should be prepared for what might happen.  If the system were to fail tomorrow wouldn’t you be better having a contingency plan, rather than have to implement a ‘knee-jerk’ reaction and possibly spend thousands of pounds needlessly?

Your friendly, local boiler repair man will be only too pleased to replace your boiler if it fails, but is he really in a position to advise you that boiler replacement is really the best option? You could spend thousands of pounds on a new boiler without any real benefit and be in exactly the same position as you were last week!

Is there a better way of heating the church?

Every church is different; they differ from medieval gems to modern amphitheatres, from large cathedrals to small country churches. What is effective in one church may not be a solution in another.

Do you know what types of heating systems are available in the marketplace today and are you sure they are the best solution for your particular building?

What about controls?

Is the system under proper control? With the ever increasing cost of fuel it is more important than ever to ensure your system is operating correctly.

Do you know the type of controls that are available? Do you know that savings may be made by having optimising controls fitted?

Do you have controls that constantly measure the temperature and react accordingly or do you have simple on/off controls that rely on someone assessing the best time for the heating to come on?

If you have a medieval or Victorian church do you know what sort of temperature level you should be attaining to protect the fabric of the building?

Are your controls tamperproof or can anyone adjust the time and temperature settings to their own comfort level - whether or not this is the general consensus or recommendation.

What type of fuel should I be using?

Should I be using gas, oil or electricity, or maybe even LPG or solid fuel.

This will depend on the location and readily available supplies. It is a case of not only which is the cheapest but that which is best suited to your church.

There may be reasons why the fuel selection is limited. If you have a medieval grade 1 listed church, then there may be restrictions on flues or tanks for aesthetic reasons.

What are the implications?   Not only on running costs but the initial capital outlay, and what are the pay back periods?

Do you know how to compare the different costs of fuel in kW hours after combustion and thermal efficiency has been taken into consideration?

What about ongoing maintenance and life span of the system?

Some heating systems appear cheap to install but have high ongoing maintenance costs. Others are more expensive to install but have lower maintenance costs. Can you identify which is which?

What is the life expectancy of the new system? Some systems last only 5 years before having to be replaced. However some churches have had their system in for over 125 years!

Before you change it you need clear, impartial advice from an expert, not from a heating salesman, who has to sell his particular product.

What about renewable energies?

You have no doubt been constantly told to look at renewable energies, but do you know where to look and are you able to recognise the advantages and disadvantages of each.

This is an additional responsibility placed on each church these days, but you have to be very careful and not to fall into the trap of trying to be green but missing the issues of protecting the fabric of your church.

I have written a book on this subject, addressing the problems as they relate to a typical parish church. This is provided with the Church Advise Package and deals with all aspects of green issues surrounding church heating.

What about the DAC or your advisors?

Do you know what consents and permissions are required before carrying out work of this type?

Most work in your church, as many of you will be aware will come under ‘faculty jurisdiction’ Do you know what comes under jurisdiction and which does not?

When carrying out works in more sensitive and historic churches, other bodies such as English Heritage, the Victorian society etc, get involved. Do you which and how to deal with them in the most expedient manner? Do you know what they would find acceptable and how to deal with their objections?

Is your church a listed building?

You probably already know if your church is listed or not, but do you know what impact this will have on the plans you have to upgrade or modify your system.

There are many restrictions placed on listed buildings but being a listed building is not all bad news, there are many advantages, particularly if you are about to replace the heating system.

Do you know about grant making bodies?

A lot of churches are eligible for grant aid or external funding; do you know where to look?

Do you know what type of system will attract grant and what type will not?

Do you know about the Building Conservation Council (formerly Council for the Care of Churches) and what they advise for you church?

I have written a book on the subject and I will provide your church with a copy.

What about the VAT?

VAT can add a substantial amount to the final cost of any work carried out. Some work is VAT exempt and some is not, this area can cause a lot of confusion if you are unfamiliar with it but approximately half of the churches that I have dealt with have not paid VAT on new heating schemes. That is millions of pounds saved!

This is valuable information that you need to know and is information that your local contractor is unlikely to know.  We are not talking about reclaiming the tax, it is not charged at source!

A Church is not a big house!

Heating a church is not like heating your house. There are many competent engineers offering to install heating at very reasonable rates who would be willing to give you a quote, and to be fair they will all be quoting on a pretty level playing field.

After all you know exactly what you want and you can tell your chosen engineer but heating a church is not merely a case of adapting a domestic system and making it larger.

Now consider this

How many people do you know that have changed their church heating system? Which engineer did they use?  Are they happy with the result?  How do you get an engineer to quote for what you want to achieve, particularly if they have never heated a church before? How do you get all of your quotations to provide the same information, so that you can compare like for like?

You could approach your architect, a highly qualified professional, but how many church heating systems has your architect actually advised on? A busy practice may have advised on half a dozen or so.  How much will he charge you for his lack of experience?

What happens if you get it wrong? In a Victorian or medieval church you could get thermal shock by heating it too quickly. You could get wet rot, or damage from wood spoors if the humidity is wrong. You could get damage to the organ, roof timbers and plaster finishes if the heat and humidity levels are not constant. You could pay too much for the work to be carried out and you could still end up cold.

You need professional advice, and you need it from an expert. I have advised and heated nearly 1000 churches. My position in this very specialised field is, I believe, unique. I sit on a DAC as the heating advisor, so I know what is needed from the administration side of things, which is very important when working on any church project.

This is where I can help you

Church Heating Consultants can help you with all these problems with a package designed specifically for this purpose. It is a comprehensive package at a value for money fixed fee, so that you know in advance your total outlay and exactly what you will get for your money.

This package is only available direct to churches, and not to third parties or companies.

Please remember, I only work with churches and church buildings churches, and I deal personally with each church on a one to one basis. No two churches are the same, so consequently no two heating systems are the same. What is good for a medieval country church may not be suitable for an inner city church built in the sixties.

I will advise you with complete impartiality, as I have no affiliation with any manufacturer or supplier. This is complete and total advice that is given for your church.

If you would like a consultation package give me a call on 01706-658525, where there is a 24hour ansaphone service, you can leave a message and I will get back to you as soon as I can. Alternatively, if you prefer to contact me via email then email me at chris@churchheatingconsultants.co.uk.

The Complete ‘Church Heating Advice Package’

You will get a personal on site visit and a meeting with members of your church to discuss your heating problems and needs. This can last anything up to three hours. At this meeting we will discuss all matters you find relevant i.e. running costs, efficiency, future needs, etc.

• I will carry out a full inspection of your existing system to assess its condition and evaluate performance; this will include boiler, flue, radiators, pipework, controls, fuel etc.
• I will carry out a full survey of the church to calculate heat losses and assess the required heating loads to give the correct level of heat.
• I will make recommendations on how to reduce running costs, reduce your carbon footprint, increase your comfort levels and prepare a strategy for the way forward.
• Advise on funding and VAT liability.
• I will then produce in writing within 7-10 working days a detailed report on the system.
• Give advice on remedial or replacement work and give a projected ‘budget’ price for such works.
• Provide a copy of my book ‘The Layman’s Guide to Church Funding and Resources’ When you are trying to raise money, this is the book you need.
• Provide a copy of my book ‘How Green is My Church’ which is full of advice on renewable energy and how it affects the typical parish church along with a host of other ‘green’ issues.
• 12 months email access to assist you with matters arising from the visit.
• Contact me for a special price on this package.

This offer is only available directly to the church and through the Church Heating Consultants website at www.churchheatingconsultants.co.uk or by ringing 01706-658525.