The total of of 1.9 terawatt hours used in 2011 was down three per cent from 2010 and six per cent from 2009, when just over two terawatt hours were used.

The figures, which appear in the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s latest report on UK energy usage, come at a time when many local authorities are making the move to new lighting control technologies, low-energy lighting, and in some cases streetlight switch-offs.

The amount spent on energy for public lighting was up slightly to £151m in 2011 thanks to the rising cost of energy.

Overall energy consumption fell by about seven per cent, largely due to warmer weather. With adjustments made for the temperature, consumption was down 1.7 per cent, continuing the downward trend of the last six years.