Energy buying

It's time to save

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The Methodist Church, in conjunction with 2buy2, is now able to offer central energy purchasing for Connexional properties - churches, halls etc. This is a great way to both save money and cut our carbon footprint.

The Hope in God's Future report commits the Methodist Church to reducing our carbon footprint by 80% by 2050. The energy used to light and heat our buildings is one of the biggest contributors to our carbon footprint, and also one of our biggest expenses. We spend millions each year on energy. If we could save just 10% of that, it frees up huge sums for mission and to invest in our buildings to further reduce energy consumption - saving even more money and carbon in the future.

Frequently asked questions

Why should we do this?
We believe that by using the contracts managed by 2buy2, Methodist churches can significantly reduce the amount of time and money they spend on their energy buying. Working in partnership with 2buy2 also enables us to benefit from links with other denominations including the Church of England and Church in Wales helping us all to be better stewards of our resources.
So you can save money, save time and save the planet.

What is 2buy2?
2buy2 is a Christian buying group that negotiates energy tariffs on behalf of signed up member churches. This collective action allows them to "bulk buy", using their buying expertise to identify excellent suppliers of goods and services that are bought regularly by churches. Suppliers are continually monitored to ensure you get the best service at the lowest cost, enabling you to buy with confidence and focus your resources on your mission and ministry. 2buy2 currently manage three main suppliers on behalf of the Methodist Church covering all your energy requirements including renewables and oil.

Who are the three energy suppliers?

• Solis Consulting - An energy consultancy that will help you manage your utilities, provide you with quotes and manage the energy basket.
• Good Energy - Providing 100% renewable energy to Methodist Churches. You also get a discounted rate on their standard pricing by signing up through 2buy2.
• GB Oils (Emo Oil) - providing transparent pricing shown daily on the 2buy2 website (post-login) with delivery within 3-5 days.

Who should make the decision to sign up?
The decision may lie with the minister, the property steward or the treasurer, or any combination of these. It doesn't matter who signs up, as long as someone who has knowledge of the buildings energy bills does.

What is the 'energy basket'?
One of the main aims of this initiative is to bring thousands of churches from different denominations together in their energy buying. Solis will always provide you with a quote for a "co-terminus end date". That means that your contract ends on the same day as thousands of other churches. The first coterminous end date we are working towards is 31st August 2013.

2buy2 will use the group buying power to negotiate with the main energy suppliers and get the lowest possible prices for you. You will be notified of the 'energy basket' price approximately 1 month before the new contract starts.

We've just signed a new contract!
We still recommend that you register and fill in the energy details form on the Solis microsite. They will then be back in touch near the end of that contract.

How much will I save?
It depends! Average savings with Solis for other churches have been around 10% against their renewal quote. That said, the price of energy changes regularly, as we all know, and of course there are lots of other things that make a building cheaper to run and reduce the carbon footprint - double glazing, insulation, etc. The nature of a joint scheme like this is that the more churches join, the better the ability to negotiate cheaper deals in the future.

How much carbon will I cut?
It depends! If you sign up for the Green Electricity option, you'll already be cutting the carbon footprint of the Connexion. If you take the money saved and put that to further energy reduction measures, then you'll be saving even more and cutting the footprint of your own church.

OK - how do I do it?
The first step is to go to the 2buy2 energy page. Click on the  

button, and then complete all the details.

What happens next?
You will receive confirmation of your registration within 1 working day. Someone will contact you within a few days of registering to discuss your energy requirements. They will verify that your church is part of the Connexion and eligible for the service.

I have other questions...
2buy2 have a good FAQ section on their website and excellent customer service. You can email them directly at: enquiries@2buy2.com and they will be in touch to help you through the process.