The Lighting Superstore has been investigating the UK’s street lighting, asking the 100 largest cities and towns in the UK for the number of LED streetlights installed and how much they’ve invested in LED street lighting in the last five years.
The research found that, since 2016, almost half a billion pounds has been spent by UK councils on LED streetlights. That’s according to the 61 councils that responded under the Freedom of Information Act.
That means on average, £8m has been invested per council at a rate of £1.6m per year. Of course, this will vary greatly by budget size and council area – the larger the council, the more streetlights need replacing.
Unsurprisingly, London makes up a chunk of the investment with just under £125m. If you exclude London, the average council investment becomes just over £8.5m since 2016.
Out of all the councils who responded, only two areas hadn’t invested in LED streetlights since 2016 – Crawley and Worthing. However, West Sussex County Council say they are in the final stages of starting a 4-year, £26.5m scheme to convert streetlights in Worthing and Crawley to LEDs. The scheme will potentially go ahead later in 2021.
Installation of LED Streetlights
1,330,466 LED Streetlights Installed in the UK since 2016
Estimated Completion Date
So, when will the nation have 100 percent energy efficient street lighting?
Based on the information gathered, The Lighting Superstore estimates every UK street and road will be fully lined with energy efficient lighting by 2035.
Under the Freedom of Information Act, The Lighting Superstore sent requests to 131 councils – these were the top 100 most populous areas in the UK (including London). This was made up of 99 council areas, plus 32 London Borough councils.
Analysts asked for the number of LED streetlights installed, money spent on LED streetlights, number of complaints received regarding LED streetlights between the 2016-17 and ‘20-21 financial years. The Lighting Superstore also requested the estimated monthly savings in 2021 from these LED streetlights and the estimated date when all streetlights in the area will be switched to LEDs.
