Energy efficient bulbs in Laois to offset public lighting costs

The council’s budget for public lighting has dropped, although it is planned to offset costs by switching to energy efficient bulbs.

At the recent Laois County Council budget meeting, it was revealed that the budget for lighting in 2020 is €1,308,000, down from €1,383,000 in 2019.

Cllr John King said it was not necessary to have all lights on at night.

Cllr Paddy Bracken said that street lights cost a lot more now than they used to, and remarked that he couldn’t see the idea of cutting back lights working.

Cllr Paschal McEvoy also said more was needed for the upgrading of lighting.

Cllr Oliver Clooney said that the councillor’s discretionary fund of €23,000 was insufficient, as there are three or four areas to deal with meaning by the time you divide the money by three or four “it’s one light a year”, which he described as “miserly”.

Director of services Mr Simon Walton said there are circa 8,000 public lights in the county and some 800 have been upgraded to LED, with plans to upgrade a further 1,200.

He said it would cost €3.5 million to replace them all, but there will be energy savings over the next eight years from the lights already upgraded and these savings will go towards offsetting the costs.