Oil Springs is jumping at an opportunity to save hydro costs.

Bluewater Power recently came to village council offering to replace all of the high pressure sodium street lights at a reduced rate.

The power company had recently researched and then purchased LED lights for it’s largest customer, the City of Sarnia. “We had a good price for Sarnia and we asked if we could extend it to our smaller customers,” says Mark VanderHeide of Bluewater Power. “The benefit to you guys is you will get a bulk discount because of Sarnia.”

VanderHeide says it will cost Oil Springs about $54,000 to replace all of its 127 high pressure sodium street lights with new LED lights. But he says the savings in power and maintenance of the lights will make that up in about five years.

The village is projected to save about $10,000 a year on power and repair costs. And VanderHeide says the lights need “virtually no maintenance” in the first 16 years.

“I think it’s a win-win,” says Mayor Ian Veen. “I can’t see how we could not afford to do that.”

Council has agreed to move ahead with the project in the spring. Bluewater Power will purchase the new lights and hold them in storage until then. The company will also take care of getting rid of the old lights for the village.