Qualicum Beach director of engineering Bob Weir used a request to town council for two additional street lights to complain about BC Hydro.
"The overhead leased lights currently generate the town's largest hydro bill at $10,893 a month," Weir said at Monday's town council meeting, adding that BC Hydro is responsible for the maintenance of the lights and charges "approximately four times the cost of the actual electricity used."
"It's an area of some dissatisfaction with us," he said. "Their performance on maintenance is rather poor and the public assumes those lights are ours and the two weeks to four months it takes for them to change out a light I don't think warrants their four times charging on the hydro bill."
"So I just want to take this chance to let the public know that when the light is burnt out, it's not our fault."
The requests for additional lights were for Primrose Street in front of the newly named Qualicum Beach Commons, former elementary school, and rural Nenzel Road by Pheasant Glenn Golf Resort.
The lights cost approximately $250 to install and $220 in annual operating costs.
Council approved the Primrose light but voted to poll the seven residents of Nenzel Road — which already has five lights — to see if they want an additional light.