Overview
On 1 July 2024, the AER instituted proceedings in the Federal Court against Origin Energy Electricity Limited, Origin Energy Retail Limited and Origin Energy LPG Limited (collectively, Origin), following admissions that Origin failed to comply with its life support obligations under the National Energy Retail Law and the National Energy Retail Rules (the Retail Rules).
The AER alleges, and Origin admits, that it breached the Retail Rules on more than 5,000 occasions. The breaches involved:
- Failing to register customers after being informed by either the customer or the relevant distributor that a person at the customer’s premises required life support equipment.
- Failing to inform the relevant distributor that a person at the premises of certain customers required life support equipment.
- Failing to provide customers with information packs notifying them of relevant protections and assistance.
- Improperly deregistering the premises of customers with a person requiring life support equipment without following all the steps required to check whether life support equipment was required. In some cases, Origin disconnected the customer’s energy supply.
The AER is seeking pecuniary penalties, declarations and costs. A penalty will be determined by the Court at a later date.
In addition to bringing these proceedings, the AER has accepted a court-enforceable undertaking from Origin in which Origin admitted to an additional 1,973 breaches of the requirement to provide information packs to life support customers.
Origin has also undertaken to make a $1 million community-based contribution to organisations which assist sections of the community who use life support equipment.