The halogens are heating the ceiling more than the room.
Lighting work splits cleanly in two. LED upgrades are commodity jobs priced per light, and one Wellington firm publishes its exact rates. Design, feature and outdoor lighting is quoted after a walk-through. The traps are IC ratings in insulated ceilings, dimmer compatibility, and quotes that hide what the per-light price actually includes.
Is this your stream?
A house full of halogens, hot-running old downlights, or fittings that keep blowing bulbs. Count the lights, pick a tier, and the quote is arithmetic. Moses Electrical publishes its per-light rates, which makes the benchmark easy.
Feature lighting, pendants over the island, garden and facade lighting is a design conversation with a walk-through quote, not a per-light commodity. New circuits may also mean prescribed work and a Certificate of Compliance.
What it costs in Wellington
Published per-light pricing
Moses Electrical publishes three LED tiers: Bronze from $79+GST, Silver (Robus Taylor selectable downlight) from $94+GST, Gold (Switch E-Lightz, CRI 90) from $119+GST, labour and materials included, with a free 49-point electrical safety audit.
The NZ guide range
NZ cost guides put LED downlight replacement broadly at $39–$110 per light installed, depending on the fitting and the electrician's rate. Wellington hourly rates run around $100–$130 per ServiceTasker's NZ data.
Design and outdoor work
Feature lighting, outdoor-rated runs and new circuits are quoted after a walk-through. Pair them with an LED upgrade visit so the cable runs happen while the electrician is already on site.
Wellington providers, compared
Six firms that do lighting work in Wellington, grouped by what they are best at. Hover a row for the detail that matters.
Common mistakes
Buying the fittings before the electrician sees the ceiling: insulation clearance, IC ratings and existing wiring condition decide what can go in. Moses Electrical's Silver and Gold options are IC-F rated for a reason, and the wrong fitting in an insulated ceiling is a fire risk.
Comparing per-light prices without checking what is included: Moses Electrical publishes from $79+GST per light with labour and materials included. A cheaper quote that excludes the fitting, the dimmer or the patching is not cheaper.
Ignoring colour temperature until the lights are in: 3000K warm white and 5000K cool white are different rooms. Selectable-temperature fittings let the electrician set this at install, so decide before the ladder goes up.
Putting dimmers on non-dimmable LEDs: flicker and early failure follow. If you want dimming, say so in the quote so dimmable fittings and compatible dimmers are specified together.
Treating outdoor lighting as an afterthought: garden and security lighting needs outdoor-rated fittings and sometimes a new circuit. It is cheaper to run that cable while the electrician is already on site.
Assuming an LED swap skips certification: replacing a fitting like-for-like is maintenance, but new circuits and fixed wiring changes are prescribed work needing a licensed electrician and a Certificate of Compliance.
FAQ
How much does an LED upgrade cost in Wellington?
Moses Electrical publishes exact per-light pricing: Bronze from $79+GST, Silver from $94+GST and Gold from $119+GST per light, labour and materials included. Whole-house numbers follow a count of your fittings. NZ guides put LED downlight replacement broadly in the $39–$110 per light range installed.
Why do per-light prices vary so much?
The fitting quality, IC rating for insulated ceilings, colour rendering, dimmability and warranty all move the price. Moses Electrical's three tiers ($79/$94/$119+GST) show exactly how the fitting choice drives the number.
Can I replace halogen downlights with LED myself?
Swapping a bulb is maintenance, but replacing fittings and any new fixed wiring is prescribed electrical work in NZ and needs a licensed electrician. In insulated ceilings, the IC rating of the fitting matters for fire safety, so this one is worth paying for.
Do LED upgrades actually save money?
LEDs use a fraction of the energy of halogens and incandescents and last far longer. Moses Electrical's upgrade pages note old fittings run extremely hot and have caused fires in rare cases, so the safety case stacks alongside the power bill case.
What should I ask for in a lighting quote?
The per-light price with labour and materials separated, the fitting brand and IC rating, colour temperature options, dimmer compatibility, and whether new circuits or switchboard capacity are needed. Moses Electrical's published tiers are a useful benchmark for what 'included' should mean.
Count your fittings and benchmark against Moses Electrical's published tiers ($79/$94/$119+GST per light, installed). Pick IC-F rated fittings for insulated ceilings, decide colour temperature before install day, and specify dimmable fittings if you want dimmers. Design and outdoor lighting gets quoted after a walk-through, and new circuits come with a Certificate of Compliance.