Net Zero Investment Paying Off

A modern Methodist Church which has undergone transformation to become more energy efficient is now seeing the returns in lower electricity and gas costs.

For the congregation of Silsden Methodist Church in the Airedale Circuit, Yorkshire West District, installing solar panels and heat pumps is both environmentally friendly and a sound financial investment.

The Gold Eco-Award-winning church was only opened in 2010 after many years of fundraising and quickly took to boosting its green credentials.

The original church building on the site was built in the 19th century but had to be demolished in the 1970s due to structural faults.

In 2016, a 10kW solar panel system was added to the church, resulting in significant reductions in energy purchase, and solar energy has been used as the main source of energy for the hot water requirements in the summer. Post 2020, church members also started to introduce LED lighting and be more careful in energy use, resulting in further reductions.

In the period 2020 to 2025, Silsden Methodist Church were purchasing on average 60 per cent less electricity and 30 per cent less gas every year than when the church was opened in 2010.

William Jowitt, property lead at Silsden Methodist Church, said: “A combination of the feed-in tariffs for solar power and the reduction in our energy purchase has resulted in us recovering the £16,000 investment for the solar panels in just under seven years.”

In mid-2024, Silsden Methodist Church was chosen as one of the first churches in the Yorkshire West District to undergo an Energy and Carbon Efficiency Survey to identify the next steps and were subsequently advised to install heat pumps to replace the gas boilers.

William added: “By mid-2025, with planning permission in place, we had also chosen a contractor from the three who had quoted for the work.

“Financing was also in place; £7,500 came from a government grant as we were replacing gas boilers, while a significant grant was received from the West Yorkshire [AC2] District’s Action for Hope Fund, as part of the response to the climate emergency. The Airedale Circuit and Silsden Methodist Church contributed to the balance.

“In discussions with the contractor, it was decided to delay installation until early 2026 as a new range of heat pumps was to be released.

“The Silsden Methodist Church already holds a Gold Eco-Church Award, and this project was about extending the eco credentials of the church.

“The new heat pumps use a more eco-friendly heat exchange gas; they are more efficient and also quieter when running, so all positive from an eco point of view.”

Installation took place in April 2026 over a two-week period. The gas boilers were removed, and two 13kW Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs) were installed on the wall adjacent to the boiler/service room.

In the service room, a new hot water tank and buffer tank plus electrical system were installed. The water-recirculating pumps for the underfloor heating in the building were also upgraded.

While the pumps have only recently been installed, it may be some time until the financial benefits are felt. But William is hopeful and says carbon dioxide emissions from the church are predicted to fall by 60 per cent.

He said: “Early results from the first two months of operation have shown a 40% drop in our electricity purchase when historically, in the summer months, electric immersion heaters were used to heat the hot water.”