• Millions in unpaid street light bills passed on to electricity consumers: Siyambalapitiya
• Street lights fall under purview of LG authorities 
• Marine Drive, Baseline Road, expressway lights under RDA

For decades, Local Government (LG) bodies have failed to pay their dues for street lighting, leaving the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) to absorb the costs, according to CEB Chairman Dr. Tilak Siyambalapitiya.   

According to him, this financial burden, amounting to hundreds of millions of units of electricity annually, is ultimately transferred to the public through their electricity bills.

According to the CEB, there are approximately one million street lights across the country. In some areas, electricity distributors like Lanka Electricity Company Ltd. (LECO) or the CEB manage the switching of street lights, but in many cases, control is manual, relying on passersby or local authority employees. 

This inconsistency has led to widespread complaints, with citizens noting that even expensive street lights often remain non-functional at night.

The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) has highlighted on its website that street lighting accounts for approximately 1.5% of the country’s total electricity demand. It notes that most street lights are mounted on Medium Voltage (MV) or Low Voltage (LV) poles within the distribution network, with dedicated street lighting poles primarily limited to urban areas. 

The PUCSL also notes that the majority of street lights are installed by local authorities or municipalities, leading to inconsistent design standards due to the involvement of multiple decision-makers with varying legal authority.

As the country grapples with inadequate and poorly maintained street lighting, the lack of a clear policy framework and accountability has left consumers footing the bill for a service that should be the duty of local authorities. This raises urgent questions about governance, transparency, and the need for sustainable solutions to illuminate Sri Lanka’s streets.

Who pays for street lighting?

Street lighting in Sri Lanka falls under the purview of local authorities according to the law. However, Dr. Siyambalapitiya pointed out that the system was plagued by inefficiencies.

“We do not have adequate street lighting, and even where it exists, the design often fails to meet the requirements for proper illumination,” he said.

“The issues are twofold. Firstly, in terms of adequacy and quality, many street lights are either insufficient or poorly designed, failing to provide adequate lighting. Secondly, street lights are supposed to turn on after dusk and switch off before dawn. However, this control mechanism is often mismanaged, leading to lights being either non-functional or operational at inappropriate times,” he added.

The financial responsibility for street lighting is another contentious issue. According to Dr. Siyambalapitiya, local authorities are, in principle, responsible for both the installation and maintenance of street lights, as well as the energy costs. However, this system has largely broken down.

“There are significant quality issues of bulbs not being replaced, inadequate lighting, and switching problems,” he explained. 

While local authorities are supposed to pay for the electricity consumed by street lights, many have not done so for decades. “Occasionally, certain local authorities pay sporadically, but there is no consistent payment system in place,” the CEB Chairman added.

Meanwhile, Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) Traffic, Design, and Road Safety Division Director of Engineering Eng. P.A. Chandrapala said: “Local Government bodies do not pay for street lighting. Currently, we are not paying for power consumption for street lights. Aid has been claimed for this for certain reasons, but no action has been taken by politicians.”

Deputy Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government Prabha Ruwan Senarath acknowledged that the responsibility for payment of bills for street lights fell under the purview of his ministry. 

“The problem is that, in the past, the Ministry of Provincial Councils and Local Government had abundant funds, but over time, lack of proper implementation and accountability issues led to a point where bills for consumption of electricity were not being paid by Municipal Councils. Even the CEB has contacted us making requests for the payment of bills,” he said.

When asked whether the Finance Ministry was aware of the accumulated bills, Dr. Siyambalapitiya confirmed that it was. However, he emphasised the need for a new approach, saying: “We can try the same decade-old approach for another 100 years, but the problem will persist. The quality and quantity of street lighting are not up to the mark and there are numerous complaints.”

Addressing the question of responsibility, Eng. Chandrapala said: “In Colombo, we take responsibility for the maintenance and there is a complaint mechanism to deal with issues of street lighting. If bulbs do not work or need replacement, the designated person must ensure a resolution. 

“I admit that delays in repair work is a common complaint. However, not all areas fall under the purview of Municipal Councils. For example, lighting on Marine Drive and Baseline Road fall under the purview of the Road Development Authority (RDA). Likewise, highway and expressway lighting also fall under the RDA’s purview.” 

Socialising the cost of energy

Proposing a solution to address the cost of energy for street lighting, Dr. Siyambalapitiya revealed that about 15 years ago, when the new Electricity Act was introduced, there had been a policy decision to ‘socialise’ the cost of energy for street lighting. This means that the cost would be shared by all electricity consumers.

“We estimate that street lighting consumes approximately 300 million units of electricity annually. Under this policy, the cost of energy for street lighting would be a zero-cost sale to local authorities by the CEB and LECO, effectively meaning that all electricity consumers share the cost,” he explained. 

This policy is already being implemented in practice, with electricity distributors like LECO and the CEB being allocated a certain amount of energy for street lighting, for which no payment is received. However, Dr. Siyambalapitiya stressed the need for formalising this policy. 

“We need to make a clear policy declaration that all energy costs for street lighting will be shared by electricity consumers. I wouldn’t even mind seeing a line item on my electricity bill indicating my contribution to street lighting,” he said.

Eng. Chandrapala added: “The CEB absorbs the cost of street lighting at the moment. Whether this cost is ultimately transferred to consumers is unclear, but there should be a provision for it. Local Government bodies are not paying for it at the moment.”

Deputy Minister Senarath nevertheless stated that the ministry continued to have a duty to make payments. 

“We have a problem making these payments; however, we are yet to arrive at a decision on how to proceed on this matter. All I can say is that we are discussing potential solutions to this issue. We need time,” he said. The Deputy Minister was not aware of any decision to pass on the cost to consumers either.

According to the PUCSL, the Urban Councils Ordinance empowers local authorities to enact by-laws related to street lighting and recover costs from ratepayers. At the national level, the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority can establish standardised guidelines for street lighting and energy consumption, while the Ministry of Energy holds the authority to make policy-level decisions on the matter.

Despite the practicality of this solution, it has not been formally notified to the Ministry of Provincial Councils and Local Government. 

“This has only been discussed periodically but has not been implemented as a formal policy. For it to become a rule, it would need to be gazetted and formalised through appropriate mechanisms,” Dr. Siyambalapitiya noted.

He also highlighted the need for clear assignment of responsibilities between Government agencies, adding: “Disconnecting street lights due to non-payment by local authorities is not socially acceptable, as both the CEB and local authorities are Government entities. We need a clear-cut division of responsibilities.”

Solar-powered street lights

In light of energy and financial challenges, there have been proposals to introduce solar-powered street lights. Deputy Minister Senarath explained that the ministry was considering the option seriously. “We are considering it because if we do have solar panels to power street lights, the cost will not be transferred to the CEB,” he said.

While this could reduce the burden on the national grid, Dr. Siyambalapitiya cautioned that the success of such a project depended on maintenance. 

“If you visit walking tracks or streets with solar-powered lights, you will notice that many of them are not functioning. The issue is not with solar technology itself but with the maintenance of these systems. Without proper upkeep, even the most advanced solutions will fail to deliver results,” he said.

Senarath however claimed that the pros and cons of moving towards solar-powered street lights were under consideration and that the maintenance costs were also being reviewed. “I do not have many details, but there are definitely costs involved and we will have to consider all of these, including maintenance, before arriving at a decision,” he said.

Minister of Energy Eng. Kumara Jayakody could not be reached for a comment.