New LED streetlights will save county £1.2 million a year

A proposal to replace more than 15,000 streetlights across Staffordshire with energy-efficient LED lights has been approved. 

The initiative, which was given the green light at Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet meeting today (16 July), is expected to save the county £1.2 million in energy costs each year. 

The £4.9 million forms the next phase of the council’s Invest to Save programme and will see thousands of older orange streetlights replaced with modern LEDs. 

LED lights use less electricity than traditional orange streetlights and last anywhere between 20 to 25 years. Traditional streetlights typically last only four years. 

The project will be delivered over two years by E.ON, which manages the county’s highway lighting network on behalf of the council. 

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 (PFI) reserve fund, which is ring-fenced for street lighting improvements. 

Phase one of the Invest to Save scheme, approved in 2020, saw 47,955 streetlights upgraded to LED. This programme was completed six months ahead of schedule and has since delivered energy savings of £2.2 million per year. 

The county council already specifies that any new road improvement schemes, asset replacement works and new housing developments should all have LED street lighting. 

Peter added:

“So far, the Invest to Save initiative has helped us save £2.2 million per year on energy costs. With the next phase now approved, we expect to save an additional £1.2 million annually, continuing our commitment to public safety and financial responsibility.” 

Luke Ellis, Head of Lighting and Grid at E.ON UK, said:

“We’re focused on delivering innovative and efficient solutions that help ensure the energy that is vital for our communities is as sustainable and affordable as it can be.

"By using the latest in LED technology this upgrade will not only improve the quality of the lighting for the people of Staffordshire but provide long term benefits in terms of lower energy costs while helping the council to meet its environmental goals.”

This work is part of a wider effort to improve energy efficiency across Staffordshire. Other ongoing initiatives include the Business Energy Advice Service (BEAS) and Staffordshire Warmer Homes.