Bradford Council’s new LED streetlights save money but residents are divided over brightness & effectiveness.
The council says this saves energy and money. They started this project back in 2018, at a cost of £45 million, which they borrowed. The council believes it’ll save big on energy bills.
The new lights have already saved them £8 million, compared to what they paid seven years ago. The LEDs use less energy than old lights. They can be controlled from one central office, allowing staff to dim or brighten them remotely.
The lights also report faults automatically, meaning repairs should happen faster than before. The council shared cost savings for each area, highlighting Keighley West’s major savings. Their annual bill dropped significantly, from £272,251 to just £60,091.
One councilor said opinions on the lights are mixed. Some people like the warm glow. Others think they’re too bright, feeling like they are at a football field. The engineer in charge said they are like Marmite: people either love them or hate them.
Some think lights are not as bright and struggle to see their keys at night. He said lights only need to light roads and paths, which the new lights do better than before. They’ve saved £8 million since 2018, assuming they kept the old lights.
The project also helps the environment, cutting carbon dioxide by 6,000 tonnes yearly when completed. They are also replacing old lighting columns, with around 15,600 columns needing replacement.