Over 130,000 lights have been upgraded across county, improving lighting quality and reducing energy costs.
More than 130,000 older-style streetlights have been replaced with LEDs as part of Essex Highways’ programme to upgrade streetlights across the county.
The project, which is nearing completion, is expected to save £39 million in energy running costs over the next 25 years.
For the last three years, Essex Highways crews have been replacing around 600 lights a week. A total of 131,254 have now been replaced, with only approximately 700 streetlights left to go.
Since the rollout of the LED streetlights began, Essex Highways has seen fewer of the new streetlights needing repair compared to the older units. This has reduced the number of call-outs crews have received to carry out repairs.
The new units also save around 80% in energy costs and are more efficient due to an expected longer lifespan of 20 years. This will save taxpayers’ money as lamps need to be replaced less frequently.
The upgrade programme faced difficulties from delays due to COVID-19 and supply chain issues caused in part by the war in Ukraine.
Around 95% of the lights are working as expected, with the rest waiting for repairs that are linked to issues like power supply.
As part of the upgrade programme, older LED units have been made available to parish councils to take responsibility for and have been fitted to older streetlights they own.
Rayne Parish Council has already secured units and has reported an immediate impact with reduced monthly streetlight maintenance costs.
Councillor Tom Cunningham, Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure, and Sustainable Transport said: “The adoption of LED technology in our streetlights represents a significant step forward in our infrastructure. These lights are more energy-efficient and have a longer lifespan, providing long-term benefits for our county and contributing to building a safer, greener, and healthier Essex for residents.
“I am very pleased that Rayne Parish Council has been proactive in taking up our offer of using some of the older LED units and are already reaping the benefits. I hope other parish councils from across the county are able to take us up on this offer.”
Councillor Laureen Shaw, Deputy Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure and Sustainable Transport and Member for Rochford North, said: “The switch to LED streetlights is a forward-thinking investment that will save taxpayer money. They are already proving to be more reliable and efficient, resulting in fewer repair callouts and less disruption to residents to more frequently repair units.”
Councillor Peter Schwier, Climate Czar and Cabinet Member for Environment, Waste Reduction and Recycling, added: “Upgrading old-style streetlights to LEDs has significant benefits for the environment. The new lights use far less energy, helping to reduce carbon emissions, while the LEDs can also be dimmed, meaning they produce less light pollution. This significant investment in the future of Essex will help us meet our environmental goals, while at the same time saving taxpayers’ money.”
Councillor Diana Garrod, Lead Member for Climate Change and Sustainability at Braintree District Council, said: “On discovering the availability of older LED streetlights, we put a call out to our parish councils to see if they could make use of them. Rayne Parish Council snapped up the opportunity and is now benefitting from the energy-efficient lighting. The lights are an excellent example of reuse, which will continue to save the parish council money and contribute to carbon reduction.”
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