Christmas lights in Liverpool will be turned on for less time this year as the council battles soaring energy costs.
Amid concerns that Liverpool Council could be forced to pull its festive provision as it looks to make savings ahead of the next financial year, it has been revealed how much it will cost to put up lights this Christmas. In a written response to a question from Cllr Sam Gorst on staging Christmas lights, Cllr Liam Robinson, cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said energy costs for its annual festive programme had almost tripled from £885 in 2021/22, to almost £2,500 this year.
It was revealed last week that as Liverpool Council looks to plug a £73m gap in its finances ahead of the new financial year, a proposal has been put forward to dramatically strip back its festive provisions. This could include an £80,000 saving through not providing Christmas lights throughout the city centre.
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That would form part of a wider £100,000 scaling back of funds through a slimmed down Christmas programme. However, the Liverpool BID Company has vowed to continue to ensure the Christmas spirit remains.
Cllr Robinson, in his written reply, said new unit costs were anticipated from the local authority’s new energy supplier. He said: “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.” Should Liverpool Council feel the need to remove its Christmas offering from next year, a report detailing the proposed service reductions said the BID company would “maintain a great Christmas offer for the city.” The council said for each proposal that will result in a change to service or policy an initial equalities screening has been undertaken considering at an early stage the potential impact proposed changes may have on different groups.
Since 2017, the Liverpool BID Company has contributed almost three quarters of a million pounds to the city centre’s Christmas decorations and activities during the festive period. It has contributed two-thirds of Liverpool’s overall Christmas lights, Christmas decorations, trees, and installations, having installed over 695 features in 2022 alone.
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