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One of the largest expenses in most Places of Worship is the energy that is used for heating and lighting. There are a number of simple things that you can do to make your Place of Worship more energy efficient and help reduce your costs.
Heating
Modern boilers are much more efficient than old ones and regular servicing also helps make heating systems more efficient. Regularly 'bleeding' radiators to remove the air that collects in the top of the radiator improve the system efficiency, and so does "lagging" hot water pipes and tanks with insulation (which also reduces the risk of people burning themselves).
A competent person should only adjust and service heating systems. Many systems are 'balanced' to make sure that the radiators will receive the right amount of hot water.
Heat is lost through draughts in windows, doors and floors. Where possible, block up any place where there are draughts and install double-glazing (which does not have to be plastic - wooden ones are available). Lagging the roof space can provide major savings on heating bills.
Of course, heat is lost directly through open windows and doors, so close these whenever you are using heating or air conditioning. Fitting good quality draught excluders goes along way to reducing energy bills and self-closing doors prevent you forgetting to shut the door behind you.
Lighting
The simplest way to reduce lighting costs is to replace old light bulbs with modern compact-fluorescent, energy saving lamps. These cost slightly more than a normal light bulb but need only 1/5 the energy. They can pay for themselves many times over.
Old fluorescent tubes become very inefficient. Change both the lamp and the starter together for best results. You can also get lamps with a silvered coating to reflect the light down, and most new lamps are thinner than old ones, which means that they are more efficient (but they don't work in some old fittings).
Dirty light fittings also reduce efficiency. After turning off the mains, wipe over the fitting with a damp cloth. You can also wipe the lamp if it is a normal bulb or a fluorescent tube.
It sounds simple, but turn off lights when they are not needed. Automatic controls can be useful to turn off outside lights after pre-set times or in daylight. Note also that floodlights can be expensive to run - a typical one is 500 watts, nearly half of a one-bar heater!
Safety
Simple work, perhaps changing a bulb, can be done by anyone who is competent enough. This would include anyone who has sufficient knowledge and understanding to perform the task safely.
Other works, such as wiring, needs a fully qualified and competent person who has suitable insurance cover just in case something goes wrong. In the case of gas installations, you must use a CORGI registered fitter with certification to work on non-domestic systems and we recommend that you use a NICEIC registered electrical installer. Always ask a tradesperson to see their trade association card and/or insurance if you are in any doubt.
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