Surrey, a city of British Columbia, Canada is to join other Canadian cities in switching streetlights to LEDs. The conversion is estimated to cost CA $11million (US $8 million), reported CBC.

The city will save up to CA $1 million per year after the conversion while CA $700,000 is contributed by the energy savings alone, and the rest of the savings come in the form of maintenance cost, said Mike Starchuk, a Surrey city councilor and the chair of the environmental sustainability advisory committee.

The 28,000 new LED streetlights is expected to last more than 20 years, which will also mean a lot of savings in replacement, disposal and other related costs in the long run.

The Council voted unanimously to upgrade to LED lights. Aside from energy- efficient features, according to Starchuk, the LED streetlights should be able to improved public safety with its brighter beam compared to conventional high pressure sodium (HPS) lamps.

The first phase of the switch is expected to replace more than 7,000 lights in the Guilford and City Center areas.