Debt leads to dim streetlight in Vientiane: official
Streetlights are present on many of Vientiane's roads, but their on-again, off-again nature puzzles the city's motorists, especially as it varies noticeably from one street to another.
Many road users now suspect that Vientiane's electricity personnel deliberately refrain from turning on the lights on some roads. Some people think that maybe the capital has run up a debt of several million kip in electricity bills.
Others speculate that perhaps the electricity has been cut off in certain areas because the government has not paid the bill.
An official at the Vientiane Power Distribution Department under Electricite du Laos, who asked not to be named, told Vientiane Times on Tuesday the government had run up a debt of about 20 billion kip for streetlighting. The bill has not been paid since 2012.
He denied that the electricity had been cut on some streets and said the lights were switched on every night from 7pm to 10pm.
“However, we turn some lights off at 10pm because not many vehicles use these roads at that time of night,” he said.
This also saves the government money, because if only some lights are turned on after 10pm, the electricity bill is cut by 10 to 20 percent a month, resulting in a bill of about 500 or 600 million kip.
According to a statement from the Energy and Mines Department an ordinary streetlight in Vientiane costs the city 962,000 kip a year for electricity consumption.
If 20,000 lights are turned on, the state will have to pay about 19.3 billion kip annually.
One 250W electric streetlight costs US$2,300, while a 230W light costs almost the same at US$2,200. This is the power rating normally used on main roads in Vientiane.
A pilot programme run in Vientiane and the provinces of Xayaboury and Oudomxay saw the installation of 180 solar-powered streetlights in the capital.
The use of solar-powered lighting means the state doesn't have to pay for electricity usage, but initially needs only to buy and install the lights.
A 60W solar-powered streetlight costs US$1,400 and lasts for 25 years, although the light bulb itself will last only 20 years and the solar battery must be replaced every five to 10 years.
The intensity of light produced by a 60W solar-powered streetlight is equivalent to that generated by an ordinary 230-250W streetlight.
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