The Rev Francis Adu-Boachie of St John’s in Wembley says he hopes his green hom will inspire others

Vicarages are more often associated with tradition and age old customs than state of the art technology.

But St. John’s parish in Wembley is bucking the trend by building the first ever carbon zero vicarage

The Rev Francis Adu-Boachie, vicar of St John’s, said: “The diocese has a policy whereby we are encouraging to do whatever they can to reduce their carbon footprint

“We wanted to put our money where out mouth is. If we are preaching to people that God wants us to save the world, we need to lead by example.”

The reverend moved into the eco home, which is bedecked with large solar panels, insulated walls, and as a bore hole which channels heat from 120 metres underground, earlier this month.

And while the house cost around 20 per cent more than the average home the same size, Rev Francis Adu-Boachie said he expected to recoup the money in savings form energy bills.

But for Rev Francis Adu-Boachie, the project was a chance to do more than just cut down on electricity. It provided the scope to fulfil his moral obligation to stop living beyond his means and help protect the environment for the next generation, and encourage others to do the same.

He said: “People stop and look at the house and ask about it and are very encouraging. It is a great opportunity for us to set an example to other people to show them that something can be done.

“People don’t have to do everything we have done to lower their carbon footprint. Anybody can make a difference, and we want to encourage them to follow our example.”

St John’s is set to be the first of a new breed of eco religious buildings after the Church of England pledged that all its new vicarages built in London will be carbon neutral.

And a number of churches are adopting low carbon building alterations in a bid to be named the first zero emission church.