Hotbott cushions keep churchgoers warm

The Diocese of Exeter has re-usable ‘hot bott’ cushions to loan out to parishes to help keep church goers warm this winter.

The Church of England in Devon is exploring a variety of new and efficient heating systems for church buildings.

Three quarters of the more than 600 churches in Devon are listed buildings, and many are very old and large and difficult to heat.

The cushion contains a chemically-triggered re-heatable pad which remains warm for up to 90 minutes – longer than the average church service –  and can be held or sat on in a pew or seat. 

The pad is later boiled in water for five minutes for future use and can be re-heated up to a thousand times.

The pack is biodegradable at the end of its life.

Diocesan Environment Officer Martyn Goss said: “This is a technology which has been designed for outdoor use in sports stadiums in Scotland, but we know from trials carried out last winter here it can help in churches where heating systems can be expensive and inefficient.”

Churches using the cushions should be able to save energy and on their electricity bills.

If your church would like to try the cushions, call 01392 294940 or email.