A project to upgrade thousands of Gwynedd’s street lights has slashed carbon emissions by almost two thirds.

A report presented to the Cabinet confirmed that the plan to change all the bulbs to LED – which is cheaper to operate and uses less energy – has seen emissions cut from 3,435 tonnes of CO2 in 2014/15 to just 1,208 tonnes in 2018/19.

There are over 18,000 street lights in Gwynedd, with 10,200 having initially been upgraded.

But thanks to a £1.4m Welsh Government loan, the authority is now in the process of modifying the remaining 7,778 street lights.

In an update to the Cabinet, the portfolio holder for highways and municipal, Cllr Catrin Wager, told Tuesday’s meeting that 1,700 of these have already been upgraded since April, which would “reduce energy costs, carbon emissions and prevent light pollution”.

LED lights have an expected lifespan of 20 years compared to the two to five years for ones currently used in the county.

The council will have to pay back the Welsh Government’s loan, interest free, over a period of seven and a half years.

But according to the authority, the investment will save £185,000 a year in energy bills.

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