A Cumbrian congregation has come up with a unique way to save on energy bills by creating a thermal tent inside their church.

The balcony, roof space and chancel area of Christ Church Cockermouth have been sealed off using temporary flame-retardant sheeting, effectively reducing the building’s volume to a quarter of the original space.

It means that the church – which was facing an estimated increase in their annual gas bill of £12,000 due to the energy crisis – is now set to claw back thousands of pounds.

The Rev Canon Jane Charman, Team Rector of the Cockermouth Area Team and Grasmoor Mission Community leader, said: “It looks nice, it is keeping us far warmer when we worship, and we believe it is going to save us a significant amount of money.

“We explained very carefully to people what we were going to do and why and laid out the ground very carefully beforehand. The reaction from people – both congregation members and community groups who use our church - has been very positive.

“We are equally committed to being an Eco Church – we already have a bronze award and are working towards our silver – and so this is also all part of our approach to God’s creation.”

Early indications are that the tent could reduce the church’s carbon footprint by three tonnes of CO₂ per year. The church paid out around £750 for the sheeting, limited woodwork framing and heavy-duty metal clips which secure the sheets to the balcony. Some lighting also had to be moved.

The idea for the thermal tent was first discussed by members of the church’s Parochial Council with members of the Lay Ministry Team, led by church member Gareth Browning, taking the project forward. It comes as year-on-year the church faces an increase in energy tariffs of six and a half times those of 2021.

Churchwarden Roger Pritchett said: “Some years back sheeting had been laid across the balcony when work was done to the church roof. People remembered that and so we wondered if we could do something similar to reduce the building volume, raise the temperature and reduce heating costs.

“Looking at the latest energy consumption figures, they suggest we could save about £4,000 a year on what we’d otherwise pay for heating.

“In effect we are stopping the warm air simply rising into the roof space and we’ve seen temperatures in church go up from 14 degrees to 20 degrees.”

The sheeting – which is normally used to deck scaffolding - can be easily removed. At a recent concert, organisers asked that the balcony area be opened up, with the sheeting later replaced before the Sunday services.

Jane added: “Gareth and all the team members have done a brilliant job to enable this to come to fruition.

“I’d like to think that if it is the success we hope it shall be, it will be something we do every winter and it’s something that the other 14 churches in our mission community may consider.

“I have in my imagination that in years to come there could be an act of liturgy as we become a ‘winter church’ and then again in the spring another time of prayer and liturgy as we move to ‘summer church’.”

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For further information contact Dave Roberts, Diocesan Head of Communications, on 07469 153658 or at communications@carlislediocese.org.uk.