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. 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 and 5 purchasing just renewable electricity and 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
The Green Journey Ecclesiastical Team at Green Energy Consulting
Webinar - The Energy Crisis and My Church Energy Bills: How can the Green Journey Help?
In this webinar Kevin Lumley and Craig Hogg from Green Energy Consulting give us a step-by-step guide to the energy markets, government energy price cap and explain the Green Journey package of services. Jemima Parker, Diocesan Environment Officer, offers advice on how to reduce energy use in your church this winter and how to start to make long-term changes to bring down both financial and carbon costs.
View the Green Joureny Presentation slides here
View the Energy Saving Presentation slides here
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.
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.
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. By buying ahead the Green journey can leverage a good price for the supplier. The current suppliers being used by Green journey are SSE for electricity and Crown for gas.
If you have any queries please contact:
Craig Hogg, Green Journey Ecclesiastical Account Manager, E: craig [at] greenjourney.org M: 07855 784633 T: 01913 006363 & 03330 067177
or Ian Fletcher, Diocesan Green Journey Link Officer, E: ian.fletcher [at] leeds.anglican.org M: 07788 413716
