Liverpool City Council: Christmas lights will not be switched on for as long this year as energy bills soar

Christmas lights in Liverpool will be turned on much less this year as Liverpool City Council battle soaring energy costs. This follows rising concerns surrounding the council potentially pulling its festive provision to make savings.

In a written response by Councillor Liam Robinson to a question from Councillor Sam Gorst, he revealed the cost of staging Christmas lights in the city this year has almost tripled from £885 in 2021 to £2,500 in 2022. Liverpool City Council are currently in the process of plugging £73 million in its finances ahead of the new financial year as proposals have been issued to strip back festive provisions. The slimmed down Christmas programme will see savings of £80,000 by not providing Christmas lights throughout the city centre alone.

Councillor Robinson’s written response reads: “It is anticipated that the energy costs for the annual festive lighting programme will rise from £885 in 2021/22 to approximately £2500 for the 2022/23 programme.We are currently waiting for the unit cost of electricity from the Council’s new supplier, once this is known a more accurate estimate can be given.

“The features used in the city centre are all low energy LED units.This year the features will be illuminated for a maximum of eight hours per day which is a reduction of three hours per day to save further energy.”

Despite the cutbacks, Liverpool BID Company has assured Liverpudlians that Christmas spirit throughout the Merseyside city will remain. The non-profit organisation has provided almost £750,000 to Liverpool city centre’s Christmas decorations and activities since 2017.