05/11/2024
Formerly, the 1970s vicarage, which had gas central heating, “was cold on a warm day”, according to the Rev Derek and his wife Anne Maddox.
Accompanied by Basil the dog, they “were often found under blankets watching the telly,” says Anne. The gas heating system “wasn’t fit for purpose,” she adds.
Then, this summer, the Diocese of Bristol began a programme of making 130 of its vicarages more fuel efficient, as part of the Church of England’s ambition to reach net zero carbon by 2030.
With the family at home, alongside a Ukrainian family who have also been living in the vicarage, work began to improve the house’s fuel efficiency. In went cavity wall insulation and loft insulation. Solar panels were fitted on the roof. And crucially, the old gas heating system was replaced with new pipework, radiators and an air source heat pump.
It wasn’t plain sailing. The installation took longer than anyone had expected. Having people in the house while the work was happening posed challenges. So did the concrete floors. The whole thing was at times stressful.
”A whole lot of gubbins” was installed in a bedroom wardrobe, while the heat pump itself was set up outside. Although not always necessary, all the pipe work was replaced in the house.
“We can’t avoid the fact that the installation was painful,” says Anne, “but the end result means we will be comfortable in our own home, and save too.”
While they haven’t turned the heating on yet, the couple know the benefits to expect.
“The main benefit is that it will be energy efficient,” says the Rev Derek. “It will cost significantly less. We think that our bills will be halved, if not more. It will need less energy to heat the house due to the improvements to the building, and alongside an all-electric highly efficient heating system it means that we can be net zero. We are environmentally-concerned people, and so this is important to us.”
“The faith that we follow is about caring for all creation,” he adds, “so we must be concerned with the environment. We have to look after it, as we would look after people. It’s a very important part of who we are.”