A community in the state of Florida, U.S. wants more efficient streetlights to cut energy bills, but local utility company Florida Power and Light (FPL) is making things rather difficult, reported SunSetinental.
The Valencia Lakes Homeowners Association wants to swap 230 incandescent LED streetlights with LEDs, but plans to go ahead with the conversion have been met with resistance from FPL
By upgrading to LED streetlights, it could help the community shave off US $13,000 from its annual lighting energy bill of US $18,000.
According to Valencia Lakes officials, the power company will not let other companies touch the streetlight poles it owns, and charges a hefty upfront cost of US $170,000 or US$833 per light.
A stark contrast to other options on the market, where some local electrical contractors are willing to swap the lights for US $200 per light.
Lauderdale-based company, Future Energy Solutions, for instance does not charge anything upfront, but instead charges by energy savings the community makes per year, helping it save US $5,600 annually.
In response, FPL said the energy rate and costs for LED streetlights are determined by state regulators, and that the community can replace the lights it installs. Robert Sklar, vice-president of the homeowners association, though, pointed out this is a costly option and the community just wants to modernize the existing lights.
