The civic body pays nearly Rs 100 crore a year to power nearly three lakh streetlights in the city. The network needs to grow especially in the peripheral areas that were added with the core city. GHMC needs 40.29 mega watts of power for the streetlights.

To cut down on increasing electricity bills, GHMC is planning to adopt “dimmers” and replace bulbs with LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes).

The civic body has requested the Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI) to study all power saving technologies, and suggest the best systems for it to adopt.

The GHMC additional commissioner, electricals, Mr Rajendra Prasad, told this correspondent that dimmers will help GHMC save 30 per cent of the power it uses. “If dimmers are installed, there will be a drop in voltage from 500 watts to 200. It can be cut even up to 40 watts after midnight when traffic is less,” he said.

In lanes and by-lanes, the voltage can be reduced from 240 watts to 40 watts after 11 pm. Dimmers allow the GHMC to increase or decrease voltage and work like the regulator for ceiling fans, he said.

The dimmer technology has been adopted on pilot basis in Karnataka, Punjab and Chhattisgarh, he said. “We want ASCI to study and tell us whether or not the project can be a success in the city,” he said.

The GHMC is also looking at other technology like solar lights and automatic timers. The timers will switch the lights on and off depending on sunlight. If there is dusk, the lights are switched on and during sunlight, they get switched off.