The Diocese is responsible for paying all council tax and water bills.
The occupant is responsible for paying all electric, gas, oil or solid fuel bills.
Heating
Gas, electric or oil-fired central heating is provided by the Diocese to all habitable rooms. The Diocese is responsible for the boiler, piping and radiators and will cover the costs of upgrading radiators with TRVs where they are not already installed (as identified through the QIs).
Savills will arrange for an annual maintenance service of the central heating boiler and gas safety check for all mains gas boilers, fires and cookers. Where gas fires are provided as an alternative source of heating, they will be covered under the annual Gas Safety Certificate and maintenance.
Technical upgrading or conversion of existing heating systems will only be considered in conjunction with major repair works to the heating system unless funding is available from an alternative source (e.g. PCC). Please consult Savills before making any technical upgrades: because the Diocese is responsible for the system as a whole we need to provide written permission for any changes made by occupants.
Gas Leaks
If a gas leak is suspected, clergy should turn off the gas at the mains, open a window and telephone National Grid emergency line 0800 111 999. Do not turn electric switches on or off. Please report the problem to Savills as soon as possible.
Electricity
In August 2024, the Diocese instructed Savills to ensure that in due course, all our residential properties have been the subject of a quinquennial Electrical Installation Certificate Report (EICR), in line with standard UK landlord regulations. Savills should always be notified of any electrical faults. Any electrical upgrades or rewiring must be carried out by approved contractors and applied for using the works outside of policy process. Clergy should not undertake DIY electrical work under any circumstances, as they may place themselves and their families in danger and render themselves legally liable for the condition of the electrical system.
EV Chargers
Occupants may choose to install an electrical vehicle charging point, after first informing Savills of the proposed supplier and installation location. Installation and maintenance costs fall to the occupant. Please forward all paperwork to a Savills’ representative upon completion.
Solar Panels
For properties with solar panels:
- the Diocese is responsible for repairs and maintenance relating to technical issues with the functioning of the solar panel.
- Occupants are responsible for cleaning the solar panels.
Some occupants have reported that when birds attempt to nest under the panels additional debris can end up in the gutters causing blockages. The clergy person is responsible for arranging necessary bird proofing around the solar panel; however, the Diocese will contribute up to £250 towards the cost of bird proofing around a solar panel.
Solar panels will reduce the electricity bill, although your electricity supplier is unlikely to provide the specifics of how much solar energy you have used in any given month.
If your solar panels produce electricity you don’t use – as the great majority of panels do – the Diocese will benefit financially by selling the excess energy back to the grid.
Smart Meters
Occupants may choose to upgrade to Smart Meters without consulting Savills. Installation is funded by the utility provider. Where new Smart Meters are installed, the occupant is responsible for making good any resulting damage to interior decorations.
Telephones and Broadband
The cost of phone lines and broadband are the responsibility of the clergy and/or PCC.
Currently, a telephone point and an internet connection point are provided as standard in each property but it is up to the occupant to arrange their broadband connection after moving in.
Switching to an alternative provider (such as from BT to Virgin or vice versa) may sometimes require a second connection point to be installed. The location of this point will largely be dictated by the internet provider undertaking the installation. It is recommended, as far as is possible, that connection points are installed as centrally to the property as possible (such as in the ground floor hallway).
Clergy are asked to note that the anticipated shut down of the analogue telephone network (PTSN) is currently scheduled for January 2027. At this point, to have a landline in your home a Wi-Fi connection will be required rather than a telephone point – all calls will be digital (VoIP – voice over IP via the Wi-Fi connection). In advance of the switchover, fibre broadband is being rolled out nationwide. More information about this change can be found here UK transition from analogue to digital landlines – GOV.UK.
If trees are interfering with your phone line, you can contact your Local Network Operator, such as BT Openreach. They are responsible for maintaining clearance from their equipment. Please inform Savills if you have done so.
Televisions
Television aerials, satellite dishes and cable connections are not provided or maintained by the Diocese.
Occupants wishing to install a satellite dish or connect to a cable network may do so without consulting Savills, provided any planning consents are obtained and any cables do not cross other properties after leaving the public highway, or require drives, paths etc to be dug up. Requests by cable companies or others for permission to connect across a benefice house, glebe or Diocesan property should be referred to Savills.
Occupants may be asked to arrange the removal of satellite dishes or additional cabling specific to their supplier when vacating a property.