Double whammy for consumers as cost of street lighting rockets

Local authorities in Yorkshire paid out a combined 18m in bills for streetlights in 2004/05, but by 2008/09 the figure had increased to 32.5m as a result of price rises imposed by suppliers.

The increase has been condemned by consumer groups, which say electricity firms are continuing to profit from increasing bills despite a drop in wholesale energy costs over the last two years.

Figures released to the Yorkshire Post by every council in the region show the impact of price rises has been huge, with certain bills more than tripling.

In Wakefield, council chiefs paid out 744,655 in 2004/2005 but by 2008/09 they had racked up costs of 2,292,464, while in rural North Lincolnshire the bill went from 279,049 to 842,702.

The Highways Agency has recently experimented with switching off lighting in the early hours of the morning to save cash and councils in Norfolk and Buckinghamshire are also running trials.

But those moves have attracted criticism from motoring and safety organisations, with the AA calling on councils to save electricity by switching off office lights instead of streetlights.

Consumer Focus, an independent watchdog set up to protect the rights of customers of public utilities, reacted angrily to the figures and called for energy firms to cut prices as soon as possible.

A spokesman said: "This is a double whammy for hard-pressed consumers. Domestic energy bills have risen dramatically and now people face higher council tax bills and even the prospect of street lights being turned off.

"Wholesale costs for gas and electricity have been falling steadily since 2008. We see no reason why energy companies can't pass on further cuts. The sad fact is the energy suppliers are having a ball and we are paying for it, despite not even getting an invite."

In Hull, council chiefs have seen streetlighting bills increase from 568,076 to 1,347,549; in Leeds the bill went from 2,934,802 to 4,888,119 and from 484,000 to 1,131,000 in the East Riding.

Sheffield Council saw its costs double from 1,607,000 to 3,140,000 but it is hoped bills, and carbon emissions, will be slashed under a new 674m private finance initiative due to start next year.

A spokesman for the authority said: "The PFI agreement will have a significant effect on wastage and should look at bringing in more energy efficient streetlights across the city.

"A study has shown that 85 per cent of streelights in Sheffield are out of date, meaning that they are 20 years old or more, and all of those units will be replaced as part of the project.

"They will replaced in the first five to seven years, because part of the agreement with the winning bidder is to create a more energy-efficient highway network for Sheffield.

"The biggest waste of energy on that network currently comes from old streetlighting."

Only two councils in the region, North Yorkshire County Council and York City Council, have managed to bring down their streetlighting bills in recent years, with the help of energy consultants.

Highways engineers in Northallerton said last year's bill for the county had been 1,158,300 compared to a high of 1,635,600 in 2006/07. In 2004/05 the county's annual bill was just 761,000.

A spokesman for the Local Government Association, which represents local councils said: "Just like families across the country, councils have seen their energy bills skyrocket in recent years.

"Despite these vast increases in energy costs councils have delivered the lowest ever council tax increases this year. Of course, councils will always look at ways to save taxpayers money.

"But streetlighting is important for a number of reasons, particularly safety, and this is paramount for every local authority in the country."

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