Coventry City Council is set to switch all streetlights back on this month, while beginning upgrade work to energy-efficient LEDs later this year.
The switch on, set for 9 September, has been made possible thanks to savings made through earlier energy reduction measures and a major fall in electricity prices.
The Council will begin rolling out a major two-year programme later in the year to replace traditional streetlights with modern LED units, starting in Hillfields in St Michael’s and expanding outwards. In advance of the LED upgrade all residents across the city will see their streetlights switched back on overnight.
Cllr George Duggins leader of Coventry City Council who made the switch on announcement at Full Council said, “We had planned to switch the lights back on as
we made the upgrade to LEDs. But that would have meant some parts of the city had lights while others didn’t. Thanks to the savings that have been made we can switch every single light back on in one go on Tuesday 9 September. I think that’s great news for everyone and I believe it’s things like this that set us apart in Coventry.”
The LED upgrade is expected to deliver long-term financial savings and environmental benefits and is part of the Council’s wider plan to reduce carbon emissions and cut energy use.
Cllr Patricia Hetherton, Cabinet Member for City Services, said:
“I’m really pleased that we have found a way to switch street lights back on while delivering a major upgrade to energy-saving LEDs. The smart choices we made during tough times, along with falling electricity prices, mean we can now invest in long-term improvements without compromising right across the city. This programme is not only good for the environment, but it also brings real benefits to local people—especially those working or travelling in the early hours. I want to thank residents for their patience and understanding—these cuts have been hard on us all. Let there be light!”
In January 2025, the Council approved a £10.2 million programme to upgrade up to 29,500 streetlights to LED, and this programme will star this year and take about two years to complete.
For the past 18 months, streetlights across the city have been either switched off or dimmed between midnight and 5.30am as part of a part-night lighting strategy. The annual cost of streetlighting before May 2024 was around £3.4 million, and the part-night programme was introduced to help save in excess of £700,000 a year.
Since the January decision, the Council’s streetlighting energy cost has dropped from 38p per unit to 24p, delivering a £1.2 million saving in 2024/25. Based on current energy prices, the original £700,000 savings target is still achievable without needing to continue part-night lighting.
The Council has already secured a portion of planned savings for 2025 from part-night lighting between April and August 2025. With overnight lighting returning in September, the Council will still have saved more than £1 million in the current financial year.
The LED streetlight replacement programme will be phased over two years. Residents will begin seeing installation teams working in their local areas from November, starting in the city centre and expanding outward.