Bright idea as lights switch cuts fuel bill

They are already lighting up living rooms across the country and now they are set to come to a street near you.

Councils across the West Midlands are installing energy saving technology in thousands of street lights to save money. In Wolverhampton, the work essentially involves changing a mechanism in the light, which officials say will eventually save taxpayers £45,000 a year.

The technology is being installed in 10,000 street lights in the city.

Council spokesman Tim Clark said today: "The kit consists of an electronic control gear which replaces the old electromagnetic control gear, maximising the brightness of the lamp while reducing the energy required to run it.

"The lighting column itself will not need to be replaced, so people will barely notice any change.

"There will be an easy fault-finding device installed, reducing time which has to be spent on repairs.

"The quality of street lighting will remain exactly the same, but the advantage is that it will be cheaper to run, better for the environment and operate with fewer faults.

"We have calculated that, in time, this will save taxpayers £45,000 a year in reduced energy costs."

Dudley Council is currently piloting 10 different types of energy saving fittings in roads in the Priory area to establish which option offers best value for money.

In Sandwell, the council is fitting around 1,000 new energy efficient street lights.

Neighbourhoods chief Councillor Mahboob Hussain said: "Sandwell is committed to changing every street light over the next six years to energy saving bulbs."

Staffordshire County Council has a 25-year, £250 million contract with E.on to replace street lights. So far 30,000 street lights, signs and bollards have had bulbs replaced.

Between 2002 and 2005, 18,211 street lights were replaced in Walsall.