STREET lights could be turned off in a bid to save hundreds of thousands of pounds a year.

Councils across the region are looking at what can be done to slash burgeoning energy bills and cut carbon emissions.

North Yorkshire County Council spends £6.4m a year on electricity and is looking to claw back about £380,000 a year by rethinking the way its streets are lit.

Durham County Council is already fitting dimmers to 12,000 street lights in a bid to cut its £3m a year energy bill.

It estimates the move will eventually save taxpayers £100,000 a year once they have finished converting the lights in April.

North Yorkshire County Council has yet to decide how best to cut the amount it spends on street lights.

But the options the council is considering include: 􀁥 Removing or disconnecting certain street lights; 􀁥 Dimming them; 􀁥 Using solar powered or LED lights; 􀁥 Switching them off for certain periods of the night.

Once the council has looked at issues such as road safety, public safety and crime rates, it will begin a lengthy consultation with other councils and the public.

County councillor Stuart Parsons, from Richmond, said the effectiveness of the proposal depended on the feedback from residents.

“I know there are areas where if they switch off the lights between midnight and 5am there shouldn’t be a problem,”

he said.

“But of course I’m not aware of all that goes on in every street in the area.

“If the council consults on this the way they have promised to, then it should be a positive experience.”

The move will also have a knock-on effect of cutting light pollution, enabling the night sky to be viewed more clearly.

The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) has also been working with the Campaign for Dark Skies.

Both bodies have jointly made their concerns about light pollution known to North Yorkshire County Council.

They say light shining out into the night sky can disturb people’s sleep, leading to health problems, and create an orange smog that obscures the night sky.