Eco Church is a free award scheme run by A Rocha UK that helps churches measure and improve their environmental practice. Over 9,000 churches have registered, roughly a quarter of all churches in England and Wales. Awards come at three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold.
The scheme covers five categories: Worship and Teaching, Buildings and Energy, Land and Nature, Community and Global Engagement, and Lifestyle. A church must meet the threshold across all five to earn its award.
Where heating fits in
Heating falls squarely in the Buildings and Energy category. The survey asks about your heating system, how efficiently it runs, what fuel it uses and whether you have considered alternatives. For most churches, this is the category that decides whether you reach the next level.
The survey offers three pathways. Pathway 1 covers regularly used churches with mains energy and water. Pathway 2 is for small, intermittently used churches, including those without mains services. Pathway 3 is for churches that do not have their own building.
Under Pathway 1, the survey asks whether your church has:
- An efficient heating system with appropriate controls
- Considered or installed low-carbon heating (heat pumps, electric radiant, underfloor)
- Draught-proofed doors and windows
- Insulated where the building allows
- Switched to a 100% renewable electricity tariff
Churches aiming for Silver or Gold need to show they have moved beyond quick wins and are actively addressing their heating system.
What to do about it
If your church is registered for Eco Church or planning to register, heating is the single biggest lever in the Buildings and Energy category.
Start here:
- Complete the Buildings and Energy survey honestly. The baseline score shows you where the gaps are
- Read A Rocha's buildings and energy resources for practical guidance on each question
Quick wins (any budget):
- Switch to a 100% renewable electricity tariff
- Set heating to come on as late as possible before services and switch off promptly
- Draught-proof external doors (often under £500, rarely needs a faculty)
- Zone your heating if the system allows, so unoccupied areas stay cold
When you replace your heating:
- Choose a system that runs on electricity rather than gas. This moves your Buildings and Energy score significantly
- Infrared radiant heating, heat pumps and underfloor systems all score well in the survey
- Check what grants are available before you commit
Eco Church and the CofE net zero target
Eco Church registration is one of the milestones in the Church of England's net zero routemap. The two programmes reinforce each other: the routemap sets the destination, Eco Church provides a structured way to measure progress. A church working through the Eco Church survey is already doing much of what the routemap asks.
The scheme is open to all denominations, not just the Church of England. Baptist, Methodist, URC and independent churches can register on the same terms.