Heating a historic church is never a straightforward matter. Like many other churches across the UK, St Augustine’s Episcopal Church in Dumbarton faced the constant challenge of keeping its spacious interior warm and comfortable without incurring excessive running costs. Running the existing gas heating system was costly and often failed to provide the level of comfort the congregation required.
The church was also looking to the future. Reducing energy consumption and supporting long-term net-zero ambitions had become a key priority, but given the building’s historic status, extensive insulation work or major structural alterations were not practically feasible.
St Augustine’s Church therefore needed a smarter and more targeted approach to heating – one that would improve comfort, reduce energy consumption and, at the same time, respect the character of the building.
With the support of the Scottish Episcopal Church’s Net Zero team and based on an energy assessment report from Business Energy Scotland, the church sought ways to heat the people using the space, rather than attempting to heat the entire volume of the building. Radiant heating quickly proved to be a practical solution for this unique environment and, after considering several options, St Augustine’s Church was introduced to Flexel’s long-wave infrared heating systems.
To trial this technology, St Augustine’s Church secured funding through the Net Zero Pilot Grant. The aim was clear: to demonstrate that radiant heating could enhance the comfort of worshippers whilst respecting the character and architecture of this significant 19th-century building. The installation was carried out by Scottish Energy Saving in collaboration with Flexel.
The effect was noticeable almost immediately. Instead of waiting for the whole church to warm up, worshippers began to feel pleasant warmth exactly where it was needed – during services, meetings and everyday activities in the church. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and a survey carried out after the installation confirmed strong support for the new Flexel radiant heating system.
Following the success of the pilot project, St Augustine’s Church received approval to carry out a full installation. Thanks to financial support from Business Energy Scotland, the church has now installed 15 Flexel radiant heaters, ensuring more comfortable and flexible heating for everyone who uses the building.
