A report to this week's council meeting revealed it could recoup the costs of the changeover in just over a year.

Cr Stephen Nugent said the scheme would save money.

"I think this is a really good initiative in terms of energy efficiency and saving on our electricity costs," he said.

"The payback time is a short 1.2 years."

Council was told there were 2117 lights in council buildings that currently used $169,739 of electricity every year.

It said there was a "substantial maintenance cost" due to the life of the old globes.

Under a state government scheme to encourage the use of more efficient resources to save energy the council would receive a substantial payback by converting to LED lighting.

Council was told its total cost for the project would be $182,220.

That included $159,000 to buy lights and installation costs using local labour of $154,390.

Under the Energy Savings Certificates scheme it would receive a $131,260 payback for the work.

Council is also installing LED lighting along Summer Street.

Cr Kevin Duffy said he was concerned about maintenance and replacement costs.

"If you have a look at the lights up and down Summer Street it's like a South Sydney supporter's front teeth, half of them are gone and some of them are missing. How are we going to check this out?" he said.

CEO David Waddell said maintenance costs with LEDs were far less than normal globes.

"The technology these days is excellent," he said.

Mr Waddell said the program to replace the lights down the middle of the street could stretch beyond Lords Place to Sale Street with funding in the Orange Future City program.

He said council would be presented with an option to make the next set of lights coloured, as they had previously been in Summer Street.

He said that would also include fairy-lights in trees and 'whiteway lighting.'