A three-year scheme to reduce energy consumption has so far resulted in 23,000 street lights being replaced with energy-efficient LED lighting.
North Yorkshire County Council maintains 50,850 street lights across the county, with others looked after by parish and district councils or the Ministry of Defence. Before the energy reduction programme, the council’s street lighting cost more than £2.1m to power and £1.2m to maintain each year.
The installation of LED lighting began in October 2017 and will see 25,500 units completed by the end of March this year, with a further 19,000 by April 2020. Around 6,000 lights had already been switched to LED as part of the council’s natural replacement programme before this scheme began. The scheme has already resulted in a carbon dioxide reduction of more than 1,800 tonnes and a financial saving of £500,000.
County Councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for highways, said:
We remain ahead of schedule with the installation of the new street lights and are beginning to see the financial and environmental benefits that this significant investment in the county’s network will bring.
Street lighting energy prices have risen by over 30 per cent since our LED programme started and further significant increases are expected in April this year. It is essential that we continue to invest in modernising our street lighting to guard against these price increases and to reduce ongoing maintenance costs.
The new LED lights are predicted to reduce street lighting operating costs by more than 40 per cent, with a reduction in the council’s carbon footprint of more than 3,360 tonnes.
For more information about the LED street lighting project, visit www.northyorks.gov.uk/street-lighting-energy-reduction-programme
Jesus Christ these new lights are horrible