Notts County Council is set to trial new LED outdoor lights in a bid to cut down on its energy bills.

The trial will see the lights in four residential streets converted to LED light bulbs in the coming weeks,with the local authority saying the new lights would be more energy-efficient.

If it is found to sufficiently save money,the new lighting system could be introduced county-wide by the end of the year.

Further plans for the trial are set to be discussed at the transport and highways committee meeting this Thursday(January 10th),the Nottingham Post reports.

The trials will be used to determine the views of residents on the different quality of light given by the new illuminations through the use of questionnaires.

This will also give the council the chance to look at what specification of LED light will be needed across the county and how they will be maintained in the future.

Notts County Council are going ahead with this project as part of its four-year plan to cut down on street lights for financial and environmental reasons.It is hoped that it would save around£500,000 a year.

Service director for highways at the authority Andy Warrington told the news provider that LEDs give a whiter,much clearer light and the wattage will be much reduced.

"The LED trials will use less energy and save money but provide the same level of service.The trials are being held to determine the public's views and to highlight some of the technical details we need to roll out the scheme countywide during 2013,"he remarked.

This comes after Sheffield City Council became the first authority in the UK to begin a city-wide installation of LED outdoor lights in November.

It is also hoped that moving to LED lighting will improve security in the long run,given the fact that the streets will be much brighter.