The places of worship using 100 per cent green electricity tariffs come from across the denominational spectrum and include Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Quaker and Salvation Army congregations as well as the Church of England.

Based on the average annual church electricity bill of £1,000, a figure provided by national church buying group 2buy2, British churches have diverted more than £5 million pounds from fossil fuels to clean energy providers.

The Bishop of Salisbury, Nicholas Holtam, the Church of England's lead bishop on the environment, said: 'Climate change is one of the great moral challenges of our time and so it's fantastic to see churches doing their bit to ensure they reduce their impact on the environment. They are also giving a boost to clean energy which is essential to reduce harmful carbon emissions.

'It's very encouraging to see more churches walking the walk and making concrete steps to ensure our common home is greener and cleaner.

'Climate change is an enormous injustice and is hurting the poor first and worst. Switching to responsible sources of electricity may seem like a small thing on its own, but when joined together it can make a real difference.'

The number of cathedrals now running on 100 per cent renewable electricity is thanks to the Church of England's procurement group Parish Buying.

Other churches have turned to renewable electricity through the Big Church Switch campaign, a partnership between Christian Aid, Tearfund and the Church of England's Environment Programme. Parishes can sign up to the scheme run by 2buy2 which then pools the combined buying power to negotiate the cheapest possible tariff. Often the renewable energy tariff is cheaper than the fossil fuel powered one they were on before.

Former Archbishop of Canterbury and Chair of Christian Aid, Dr Rowan Williams, said: 'The Church of England recently took a positive step in agreeing to sell its shares in fossil fuel companies not on track to meet the aims of the Paris climate agreement. Churches are part of a global network and so are often very aware of the plight of our brothers and sisters suffering from droughts, floods and extreme weather around the world.

'The UK Government also claims to care for people living in poverty around the world which is why it would be good to see it commit to setting a net zero emissions target for 2050. That would be in line with the Paris Agreement and ensure Britain remains a green and pleasant land at home and a climate leader abroad.'

Source: www.christiantoday.com