HALTON Borough Council is leading by example by using more energy-saving lighting.

In the past three years, the council has upgraded or replaced more than 7,000 of the borough’s street lanterns to LED, resulting in an annual energy saving of over two million kWh, which is equivalent to £250,000.

LED street lighting provides better light quality for road users, as LED lanterns produce a whiter light, which improves night time vision and colour definition.

In 2015, following a bid to the department of energy and climate change (DECC), the council received a grant contribution towards the installation of about 2,000 LED street lights.

From 2016, the executive board agreed a programme to roll out the installation of LEDs in the rest of the borough at the rate of 2,500 lanterns per year.

To date, the project has resulted in an energy reduction of 70%.

Procurement of the lanterns meeting the council’s specification is continually being monitored and reviewed.

The programme of the work for residential roads is due to be completed by the end of March 2021.

Cllr Stan Hill, the council’s executive board member for highways and transport, said: “It is essential that we spend money on modernising our street lights to guard against rising energy prices and maintenance costs, and the savings that have been made, both in cost and energy, by installing these LED lights are tremendous.

“We have received some very positive comments from residents about the new lights as they are being installed around the borough.”