Hundreds of thousands of pounds have been saved by the Isle of Wight Council in the last five years after it installed LED streetlighting.

Figures from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government show in 2019/20 the council spent £926,000 on street lighting costs. In 2014/15, however, the year after the Isle of Wight Council started the Highways PFI contract, the council spent £1.5 million — a real terms cut of 39%. Across England, in the same period, street light spending only fell 15% in real terms.

Since the start of the Highways PFI contract in 2013, Island Roads have been working to enhance or replace all the 12,068 street lights across the Island, to make the lighting brighter and require less maintenance. The lights have been replaced on a like-for-like basis with energy-efficient LED lamps that reduce light pollution, more reliable and efficient, reports the Island Echo.

This has enabled the Isle of Wight Council to make year-on-year energy cost savings and channel the money instead into frontline services.

While some streetlights have been dimmed slightly at certain locations, following a trial, they have not been dimmed in sensitive areas such as town centres or crossings. The council says there has been no reduction in the number of street lights on the Island.