If your ceiling still has halogen downlights, each one is burning 50 watts to do what an LED does with about 8, while sitting millimetres from your roof insulation at a temperature that can char timber. The swap to LED is one of the rare home upgrades that pays for itself quickly and removes a genuine hazard at the same time.
Here is why the change is worth making, what the job involves, what electricians typically charge per fitting, and how to pick colour temperature and beam angle so you like the result.
The case for the swap
A 50 watt halogen replaced by an LED of equivalent brightness cuts that fitting's running cost by roughly 80 percent. Across a house with 20 or 30 downlights running a few hours a night, the saving is real money every quarter, and LEDs last many times longer than halogen lamps, so the ladder trips to replace blown globes largely stop too.
The safety argument is at least as strong. Halogen fittings run hot enough to ignite insulation or accumulated dust, and downlight fires in insulated ceilings are a well-documented hazard that fire services have warned about for years. LEDs run cool, and modern sealed fittings can be covered by insulation, closing the gaps in your ceiling's thermal blanket that old heat-clearance requirements forced open.
Why it is usually not just a globe change
Some halogen fittings accept a retrofit LED globe, and where the fitting is a 240 volt GU10 type this can work as a stopgap. But most Australian halogen downlights are 12 volt fittings fed by a transformer in the ceiling, and those transformers are frequently incompatible with LED globes, causing flicker, buzz or early failure.
The proper job replaces each fitting entirely with a sealed integrated LED downlight, removing the old transformer. Because this involves fixed wiring, it is licensed electrical work in Australia. The result is neater, dimmable if you want it, insulation-safe, and covered by both the product warranty and the electrician's certificate of compliance.
What it costs
As a batch job, electricians commonly charge $50 to $120 per fitting supplied and installed, with the price per unit falling as the count rises. A typical living area of 6 to 8 lights is often a one to two hour visit; a whole house of 25 or more is usually quoted as a fixed job at the lower per-fitting rate.
Variables that move the price: fitting quality (a well-reviewed brand with a 5 year warranty costs more than a no-name unit and is worth it), ceiling access, two-storey voids, and whether dimmers need replacing. Old leading-edge dimmers frequently will not drive LEDs properly, so budget for LED-compatible dimmers on any dimmed circuits.
Choosing colour temperature
Colour temperature, measured in kelvin, decides whether the light feels warm and yellow or cool and white. Getting it wrong is the most common regret in lighting jobs, and it is entirely avoidable.
- 2700K to 3000K (warm white): living rooms, bedrooms, anywhere you relax in the evening
- 4000K (cool white or neutral): kitchens, laundries, bathrooms, garages and task areas
- 5000K and above (daylight): workshops and workspaces; most people find it harsh in living areas
- Tri-colour (CCT switchable) fittings let you set each light to warm, neutral or daylight at install time, which removes the guesswork for a small premium
- Keep one temperature per room; mixing warm and cool fittings in the same space always looks like a mistake
Beam angle and layout
Beam angle controls how the light spreads. Wide beams of 90 to 120 degrees give even general lighting and suit most rooms with standard ceiling heights. Narrower beams around 60 degrees concentrate light for benchtops, artwork or high ceilings.
If your halogen layout was designed around narrow 12 volt beams, a straight swap to wide-beam LEDs can actually let you run fewer fittings. It is worth asking the electrician whether every existing hole needs a new light or whether some can be blanked off, because fewer quality fittings usually beats a ceiling full of cheap ones.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to replace halogen downlights with LED?+
Typically $50 to $120 per fitting supplied and installed when done as a batch, with whole-house jobs quoted at the lower end per fitting. Replacing incompatible dimmers with LED-compatible ones adds a little on dimmed circuits.
Can I replace halogen downlights myself?+
Swapping a plug-in globe is fine where the fitting accepts one, but replacing fittings or removing transformers is fixed wiring and legally requires a licensed electrician in every Australian state. Given the fire history of halogen fittings, this is not a corner worth cutting.
Are halogen downlights really a fire risk?+
Yes. Halogen lamps run at very high temperatures close to insulation, timber and dust in the ceiling cavity, and fire services have long identified downlights as a cause of house fires. Sealed LED fittings run cool and can be safely covered by insulation, removing the hazard and the thermal gaps.
What colour temperature should I choose for LED downlights?+
Warm white (2700K to 3000K) for living rooms and bedrooms, cool white (4000K) for kitchens, bathrooms and task areas. Tri-colour fittings that switch between temperatures cost slightly more and let you decide room by room after installation.