Still seeing purple lights? Here’s how you can help!

BGE crews have replaced over 14,000 to date, including approximately 5,000 in the first quarter of 2023.

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Customer Care

BGE customers are still seeing some LED streetlights casting purple light. The purple lights first began appearing in 2021 and are caused by a manufacturers defect, which is impacting utilities and communities nationwide.

The manufacturer is taking responsibility and BGE is engaged in a warranty replacement to cover costs associated with replacing the lights. BGE crews have been repairing the malfunctioning lights as they are identified, replacing over 14,000 to date, including approximately 5,000 in the first quarter of 2023. BGE is also mobilizing additional resources to repair the lights as quickly as possible.

A statement from the manufacturer, Acuity, said: “The referenced “purple light” effect is due to a spectral shift caused by phosphor displacement seen years after initial installation. The effect occurred in a small percentage of our total population of AEL® branded fixtures, and we are not the only lighting manufacturer that has experienced this issue. This light output is in no way harmful or unsafe and we no longer use the light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that caused this spectral shift. As always, we stand behind the quality of our products, and we have been proactively working with customers who have been affected by this issue to address and satisfactorily resolve any concerns.”

Do you still see purple lights in your neighborhood? Customers can help identify the location of these lights by reporting them online using  BGE’s online street light repair map. Once reported, BGE crews will work to replace these streetlights.

Frequently Asked Questions:

  • Why is this issue occurring?
    • A manufacturer defect causes the color of some LED streetlights to gradually turn purple or blue. This manufacturing defect is impacting utilities and communities nationwide.
  • Who is responsible for paying to fix the issue?
    • The manufacturer is taking responsibility and BGE is engaged in a warranty replacement to cover costs associated with replacing the lights.
  • Why is BGE continuing to fix purple lights?
    • BGE first started to experience the purple lights in 2021 and lights have continued to turn purple since that time though BGE cannot predict which lights will turn blue.  The problem has been more widespread and longer-lasting than BGE initially expected based on guidance from the manufacturer.  BGE now expects the number of new purple lights to decrease over the course of this year (2023).
    • BGE is committed to repairing the purple lights as they are reported and has replaced over 14,000 to date, including approximately 5,000 in the first quarter of 2023.  BGE is also conducting proactive patrols to identify additional lights in need of repair.
    • At this time, we do not have an estimated time to repair all of the purple lights in our territory but are mobilizing additional resources to repair them as quickly as possible.
  • Are the purple lights a safety concern?
    • Even though the purple lights are not the correct color, they still illuminate the area and don’t pose a risk to the public.
  • What should customers do if they see a purple light?