How Fresno's new LED street lights are brighter, safer, and saving money

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Dimly lit neighborhoods across Fresno are about to be illuminated.

Dull orange lights are almost all gone in northeast Fresno, as the city continues to install bright white LED street lights.

"When the neighbors see that we changed the lights out it's like there is a dramatic difference in the level of lighting," said Mark Standriff of the City of Fresno.

Upgrades started back in March after the city partnered up with PG&E for their Light Up Fresno program.

To make it happen PG&E fronted the City $10 million with zero interest.

According to the city it will be paid off in the next six years. After that, they expect some big savings.

"We are going to be saving roughly $1.6 million in electricity bills per year because of that," said Standriff.

More than 35,000 street lights will be replaced. A majority are already completed.

The city says the benefits go far beyond just money.

"There has been a lot of property crimes and breaking into cars, that is less likely to happen when their are lights," said Fresno councilmember Garry Bredefeld.

They're also deterring any crimes from occurring to the light poles themselves.

Copper wire thefts used to be a major problem for the city until they changed base fixtures.

The new lights discourage thieves even more.

"Bad people like to work in the shadows and when there are no shadows left around, it is harder for them to make that justification of being able to commit a crime," Standriff said.

Currently the City is working on replacing lights in district six in northeast Fresno.

They expect to have all those lights done in the next month.

These new lights will be especially useful this month as it gets darker earlier.

Soon we'll also be changing our clocks as we fall back.

Halloween also take place at the end of this month which means a lot of people will be out trick-or-treating after the sun goes down.