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Diocese

Church heating in the Diocese of Bristol

The Diocese of Bristol covers Bristol, south Gloucestershire and north-east Somerset including Swindon and north Wiltshire and has around 120 Church of England churches. The cathedral is in Bristol.

Heating decisions in the diocese go through the Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC), which advises on changes to church buildings including heating installations. Any significant heating work in a church typically needs a faculty, the Church of England's equivalent of planning permission for church buildings.

Churches across the diocese range from small rural parishes to large town churches, each with different heating needs. The right system depends on building size, construction, usage patterns and budget. We can help you work through the options and identify what suits your church.

At a glance

120Churches
Bristol, south Gloucestershire and north-east Somerset including Swindon and north WiltshireArea covered
BristolCathedral city

Counties in this diocese

Detailed church heating information for each county the Diocese of Bristol covers.

70 churches

Bristol

Including Bristol, Clifton, Filton

View area →320 churches

Gloucestershire

Including Gloucester, Cheltenham, Cirencester

View area →270 churches

Wiltshire

Including Salisbury, Swindon, Devizes

View area →

Heating options

Which system suits a church depends on the building, the budget and how the space is used.

Heating type

Air source heat pumps

Extracts heat from outdoor air and uses it to warm the building through radiators, underfloor pipes, or fan convectors. Runs on electricity.

Read the guide →Heating type

Biomass boilers

Burns wood pellets, chips, or logs to heat water, which is then circulated through radiators or underfloor pipes. Classed as renewable but not zero-carbon.

Read the guide →Heating type

Electric panel heaters

Wall-mounted convection heaters that warm the air around them using electric elements. Simple to install and familiar to most people.

Read the guide →Heating type

Gas radiant tube heaters

Overhead tube heaters that burn gas to heat a metal tube, which then radiates warmth downward to people and pews below.

Read the guide →Heating type

Gas warm-air heating

Blows heated air through ductwork into the building. Common in larger churches from the 1960s onwards, often mounted in a plant room or basement.

Read the guide →Heating type

Infrared radiant heating

Warms people and surfaces directly rather than heating the whole air volume, which suits tall, draughty church buildings that were never designed to be heated.

Read the guide →Heating type

Pew heaters

Electric heaters mounted beneath or behind pews, warming the congregation directly through convection or infrared radiation. Discreet and silent.

Read the guide →Heating type

Storage heaters

Charge up with heat overnight using cheaper off-peak electricity, then release it gradually during the day. A familiar technology in domestic settings.

Read the guide →Heating type

Underfloor heating

Heats the floor slab using either electric elements or hot-water pipes buried beneath the surface, providing gentle warmth from below.

Read the guide →

Grants and funding

National and diocesan schemes that may help fund church heating work.

Benefact Trust

Benefact Trust Building Improvement Grants

A rolling grant programme for Christian places of worship and church buildings. Covers capital works including heating, energy efficiency and carbon reduction measures. Small grants under £25,000 are decided within about two months.

Check eligibility →UK Government (DLUHC)

Community Ownership Fund

A UK-wide fund helping communities take ownership of assets at risk of closure. Churches that are community-run or being transferred to community ownership may be eligible for capital funding up to £250,000 (or £1 million in exceptional cases).

Check eligibility →Church of England dioceses (varies by diocese)

Diocesan Grants and Loans

Many Church of England dioceses operate their own grant and loan schemes for parish churches, often including funds specifically for heating, energy efficiency or building repairs. Amounts and eligibility vary widely.

Check eligibility →Energy Saving Trust (on behalf of Ofgem)

Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme

A fund distributing voluntary payments made by energy companies that have breached regulations. Community buildings, including churches, can apply for grants to improve energy efficiency and reduce fuel poverty.

Check eligibility →Garfield Weston Foundation

Garfield Weston Foundation

One of the UK's largest independent grant-makers. Funds capital projects for churches including heating, with regular grants typically between £5,000 and £100,000. Churches must demonstrate community benefit.

Check eligibility →National Lottery Heritage Fund

National Lottery Heritage Fund

The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the largest dedicated funder of heritage in the UK. Churches with heritage significance can apply for grants from £10,000 to over £5 million for projects that conserve heritage and engage communities.

Check eligibility →UK Government (DCMS)

Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme

Now closed. The long-running VAT-refund scheme for listed places of worship stopped accepting applications, with a final-year cap of £25,000 per claimant and a hard cut-off of 31 March 2026. It has been replaced by the Places of Worship Renewal Fund.

Check eligibility →National Churches Trust

National Churches Trust Grants

The National Churches Trust runs several grant programmes for churches and chapels across the UK, funding urgent repairs, community facilities, and maintenance projects. Grants range from a few hundred pounds up to £50,000.

Check eligibility →National Lottery Community Fund

National Lottery Community Fund

The UK's largest community funder, distributing National Lottery money. The Awards for All programme offers grants of £300 to £10,000 for community projects, and larger programmes fund projects up to £500,000 and beyond.

Check eligibility →UK Government (DCMS), delivered by Historic England

Places of Worship Renewal Fund

The successor to the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme: £92 million over four years for capital works to listed places of worship in England, any faith, with grants from £10,000 to £1 million.

Check eligibility →Salix Finance (on behalf of DESNZ)

Salix Finance / Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme

The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme funds heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency in public sector buildings in England. Churches are not directly eligible, but church schools and buildings owned by local authorities may qualify.

Check eligibility →Wolfson Foundation

Wolfson Foundation

A major UK funder of capital projects including church buildings. Grants start at £15,000 through the Funding for Places programme. A separate Fabric Repair scheme with the National Churches Trust offers up to £10,000 for listed churches.

Check eligibility →

Planning a heating project in the Diocese of Bristol?

Tell us about your church and we will come back with the options that suit your building, your budget and your timeline.

Start your enquiry

Get a costed proposal for your building.

Tell us a little about your church and we'll chat through your options. No obligation.

Costed proposal

A heating map with options costed for your building, and what each one runs at.

Speak to an expert

Questions on permissions, the faculty process, or grant schemes? Just call.

Start your enquiry