A PROPOSAL to replace thousands of streetlights with energy-efficient LED bulbs has been given the green light.
Staffordshire County Council has backed the move, which the authority says will help ssave around £1.2million in energy costs each year.
The cabinet was told that the £4.9million project, which is part of its Invest to Save initiative, will be delivered over the next two years by E.ON on behalf of the council.
Cllr Peter Mason, Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for strategic highways, said:
“Now that the proposal has been approved, we can move ahead with replacing a further 15,000 streetlights with LEDs.
“These lights are not only longer lasting, which reduces the likelihood of outages, but they’re also 60% cheaper to run than the old streetlights they’re replacing. They’ll also improve public safety.”
The upgrades will be funded through the county council’s Private Finance Initiative reserve fund, which is ring-fenced for streetlight improvements.
A previous phase of work saw almost 48,000 LED bulbs installed in 2020.
Cllr Mason added:
“So far, the Invest to Save initiative has helped us save £2.2million per year on energy costs.
“With the next phase now approved, we expect to save an additional £1.2million annually, continuing our commitment to public safety and financial responsibility.”
