LED Lighting Wellington

Lighting is one of the cheapest ways to change how a home feels. We fit LED downlights, replace tired halogen fittings, hang pendants and feature lights, and install dimmers and smart switches in homes across Wellington, Porirua, the Hutt Valley and the Kāpiti Coast, from narrow Mt Victoria cottages to new open-plan kitchens in Churton Park.

Changing a bulb is a job you can do yourself. Where an electrician earns their keep is in the fitting that sits in your ceiling, the circuit that feeds it, and how it sits next to the insulation above. If you are renovating, we plan lighting alongside any new power points so cables only go through the framing once.

Pricing: a free quote and a fixed price agreed before we start. You get a written, itemised quote, and small jobs can be quoted from photos.

Lighting the garden, deck, driveway or security lights? See outdoor lighting.

LED Lighting by Cheeky's Electrical in Wellington

Why LED makes sense in a Wellington home

Gen Less, the energy efficiency campaign run by EECA, says LEDs use up to 85% less electricity than old incandescent bulbs and can last up to 15 times longer. The savings add up fastest on lights that run for hours: the kitchen, the living room, the hallway that stays lit on dark winter evenings, and any light left on outside.

Halogen downlights are the usual first target. They run hot, their transformers fail, and many were cut into ceilings with oversized holes that let warm air escape into the roof space. Replacing the whole fitting rather than just the lamp gives you a sealed modern unit with a driver matched to the LED.

Downlights, insulation and heat loss

Building Performance, the government's building guidance site, explains that recessed downlights carry ratings that say how close insulation may come. IC and IC-F (insulation contact, fire resistant) fittings can have insulation laid right over them. CA-rated fittings allow insulation against the sides but not over the top. Older unrated downlights need a 100 mm gap all round, and every gap is a patch of ceiling where heat leaks out.

In a city where the wind finds every weakness in a house, those bare patches matter. The official advice is to swap old downlights for IC or IC-F LED fittings when you top up ceiling insulation. We fit IC-F rated downlights as standard, so batts can go straight back over them.

IC or IC-F: insulation may cover the fitting
CA80 or CA135: insulation may touch the sides only
Unrated older fittings: keep a 100 mm clearance
Topping up insulation? Replace old downlights first

How It Works

Send photos of each room and tell us what the lighting needs to do

Fixed written quote listing fitting type, quantity and switch positions

Positions marked on the ceiling with you before any cutting

Old fittings removed, new fittings installed, holes reused or patched

Every light and dimmer tested; CoC issued for any new wiring

Older villas, cottages and hill houses

Much of inner Wellington was built as colonial villas and workers' cottages on narrow hill sections, and Heritage New Zealand describes streets of cottages and larger villas in Aro Valley. These houses often have tall ceilings, tight roof spaces and lighting circuits that have been extended many times. Before adding fittings, we check what the circuit is made of and how it is protected.

If we find old rubber-insulated cable on a lighting circuit, we say so. Hanging new fittings off brittle wiring is not sensible, and a partial rewire is far cheaper before the new ceiling is plastered and painted than after. Many older Wellington houses also have a subfloor you can get under, which helps when a new switch position needs a cable dropped down a wall.

Colour, brightness and where the lights go

LEDs are sold by lumens for brightness and kelvin for colour. Warm white, around 2700 to 3000 K, suits lounges and bedrooms. Neutral or cool white suits kitchens, laundries and garages where you need to see detail. Many fittings now have a small colour selector on the driver, which helps if you are unsure.

Placement matters as much as the fitting. Too few lights leaves dark corners; too many makes a room feel like a shop. We mark every position on the ceiling with you before cutting, keeping clear of joists, beams and the bathroom extractor fan duct.

Dimmers and smart switches

Not every LED dims smoothly on every dimmer. A poor pairing flickers, hums or refuses to dim below half. We pick the dimmer to suit the driver and test the low end of the range before we leave. Smart switches and app control work in most homes, though some models need a neutral conductor at the switch box, which older wiring may not have.

Two-way switching for stairs is worth thinking about in Wellington, where so many homes are split over levels on a slope. A switch at the top and bottom of every flight is a small job during an LED upgrade and a real safety gain.

Trailing-edge dimmers matched to LED drivers
Two-way and multi-way switching for stairs and halls
Smart switches where the wiring allows
Under-cabinet strip lighting on its own switch

Paperwork: when you get a CoC

WorkSafe says a Certificate of Compliance is needed for fixed wiring work but not for maintenance such as replacing light fittings like for like. Swapping six old downlights for six new ones in the same holes is maintenance. New lighting points, new circuits or a new switch position are wiring work and come with a CoC.

Under the Electricity (Safety) Regulations, homeowners may legally replace light fittings in their own home where the work does not involve the switchboard. Legal is not the same as easy: ceiling spaces are cramped, old cables crumble when moved, and the fitting rating still matters. We are happy to quote either way.

Why Choose Cheeky's Electrical for LED Lighting

Insulation-safe fittings as standard

IC-F rated downlights, so ceiling insulation goes back over the top with no cold gaps.

Wiring checked before we add to it

We look at the lighting circuit first and tell you straight if old cable needs replacing.

Dimmers that actually dim

Dimmers matched to the LED drivers and tested across the full range before handover.

Fixed price from photos

Send photos of the room and current fittings and we can usually quote without a visit.

LED Lighting FAQs

Can insulation go over LED downlights?

Only if they are IC or IC-F rated. CA-rated fittings allow insulation against the sides but not over the top, and older unrated fittings need a 100 mm clearance.

How much power will LEDs save?

Gen Less says LEDs use up to 85% less electricity than incandescent bulbs and can last up to 15 times longer. Your saving depends on what you replace and how long the lights are on.

Do I need a Certificate of Compliance for new downlights?

Not for a like-for-like swap, which is maintenance. New lighting points, circuits or switch positions are wiring work and come with a CoC.

My villa still has old wiring. Can you still fit LEDs?

We check the circuit first. If it is old rubber-insulated cable we will recommend replacing that section before adding fittings.

Why do my LEDs flicker on the dimmer?

Usually the dimmer and LED driver are not compatible. A trailing-edge dimmer matched to the driver normally fixes it.

Can you reuse my old downlight holes?

Often, yes. Many modern fittings match common halogen cut-out sizes. Where they do not, we enlarge or patch the hole.

LED Lighting Across Wellington

We cover every region: Central Wellington, Eastern and Southern Suburbs, Western and Northern Suburbs, the Hutt Valley, Porirua, the Kāpiti Coast.

Related Electrical Services

LED Lighting Guides

Why Is My Power Bill So High in a Wellington Winter?

See the electrician prices guide or every service we offer.

Sources and further reading