German Towns Test Pay-to-Use Energy-Saving Streetlights

In order to save on electricity costs, three German towns have begun testing a program that requires residents to call ahead to request street lighting be turned on late at night.

Residents in Lemgo, Schwelentrup-Doerntrup, and Rahden pay up to 10 cents a minute for lighting after 11 pm under the plan, called Dial4Light. People use cell or landlines to call the city, give their route and time period when light is needed, and then a computer system triggers the lights to turn on along the path.

The plan is a creative effort to save energy, but could result in a whole different set of problems.

• » See also: #4 Copenhagen, Denmark: Great Bicycle City Photo Tour
• » Get EcoWorldly by RSS or sign up by email.

While energy savings have not been reported, the midsized town Lemgo, which has already tested the program for about a year, said that they have saved nearly $70,000. The test results will be forwarded on to the European Union, where other countries have expressed interest in the plan.

But many issues could arise with the Dial4Light plan in Germany and elsewhere. For instance, people may avoid going out at night altogether simply to avoid the charges, which could effect business for bars and clubs in the current fragile economy. Others may choose not to pay the extra fee and walk through the streets in the dark, potentially resulting in increased traffic accidents or street crime.

However, most people seem to be happy to pay the extra couple dollars to save electricity. Elderly people have made the most complaints, saying the automated telephone system is confusing and hard to use.

And if anyone truly doesn’t want to pay for the lights, I suppose they could plan to bring their own flashlight.

Photo Credit: Tillwe on Flickr under Creative Commons license.

Tweet This Post