East Sussex begin multi-million-pound street lighting upgrade

East Sussex Council is one example of an organisation who is continuing to lead the way in its efforts to reduce their carbon footprint and contribute towards a net-zero emissions target for the UK.

In October 2020, the council started the 18-month scheme to improve street lighting across the county. Since the wider project began around six years ago, over 22,000 streetlights have been upgraded to new LED lanterns.

Between now and March 2022, the council are expecting to upgrade a further 16,000 streetlights and replace around 3,000 concrete columns as part of their countywide project.

Supported by a £2.4m interest-free loan from Salix the improvements will reduce the council’s energy bills and make a substantial difference to their carbon footprint.

Edward Clark, Programme Manager for the Street Lighting Team at Salix, said: “Salix is proud to have supported East Sussex with their multi-million-pound street lighting upgrade project. We hope to continue our relationship with the council and support them with further energy efficiency projects.”

In addition to improving light quality for residents across the county, the upgrade will provide substantial financial and carbon savings.

Dale Poore Head of Service, Highways, East Sussex County Council, said: “The East Sussex Highways Street Lighting project will convert 16,000 streetlights to LED over the coming 18 months. The successful delivery of this project will not only lead to an annual saving of 627 tonnes of carbon, it will also mean a significant reduction in energy costs for street lighting.

“The majority of the project costs are being funded by a five-year Salix loan, which will be repaid using the savings on electricity. As well as providing funding, the team at Salix has supported the project from its conception through to the completion of a full business case.

“Working with us at every stage, the wide-ranging and high-quality technical advice has been greatly appreciated. The project has now completed its first month of rollout and remains on track to complete in March 2022.”

For information about how Salix can support you with any street lighting plans, please email [email protected] or visit our dedicated webpage here.