Lights may go out to cut power bills
Council leaders say they will have to take drastic action or face paying an extra £2.5 million next year.
Both the city and county councils are using new bulbs, which use much less electricity, to save money, but other measures would save them even more cash.
Leicester City Council said today it was keen to test how much energy it could save if every other street lamp was turned off in some streets.
An option being considered in the county, but ruled out by the city, will be turning off all lights in areas where it is not deemed to be a safety risk.
Another option to save energy is to dim the glow of the lights by at least a quarter.
The city cabinet member for transport, Councillor Patrick Kitterick, said: "I would not like to see all lights switched off, but we are keen to explore having every other light off.
"As with all these things, we would need to see if it had an impact before considering a wider scheme.
"The key is that any scheme does not affect motorists and cause more road accidents and that the safety of pedestrians is not compromised."
Coun Kitterick said that lights in Abbey Lane, Leicester, have been dimmed by 25 per cent between 11pm and 6am, as part of a trial. It is hoped that a trial of turning the lights down could give a 52 per cent reduction in the energy they use, and if successful, the scheme will be rolled out across the city.
County council deputy leader Nicholas Rushton issued a fresh plea for communities willing to test energy-saving measures to come forward.
County Hall has made several failed attempts to find a willing community in the past 18 months.
Rural and urban areas have been asked to agree to a trial which, if successful, could be rolled out in many other areas.
Coun Rushton said: "We have tried to find places willing to try it and we are still trying. We have changed all our bulbs to low-energy ones, but you need something more drastic to save large amounts of money.
"It is a difficult one because we have to ensure that safety is not compromised, but other options must be considered."
People in Arnesby, near Fleckney, decided against holding a trial because they feared it might increase crime and anti-social behaviour if lamps were switched off at night.
Quorn Parish Council also have expressed an interest, but were unsure about taking the step of turning out some of its lights.
New figures show the city and county councils have to find an extra £2.5 million between them next year as electricity costs increase.
The city's street lighting bill for the last year will be about £1.38 million, while in the county it will cost £1.9 million.
But both are predicting a rise of more than 80 per cent as the cost of wholesale fuel goes up.
Safety campaigners said they opposed plans to reduce street lighting.
Edmund King, president of the AA, said: "In the dark, drivers' reactions tend to be slower and stopping distances longer – street lighting can reduce the risk of crashes and the severity."
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