🔥 Trending Origin Energy to Refund Thousands Over Misleading Plans

Origin Energy is issuing refunds totaling over $270,000 to more than 4,500 customers following an investigation by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) ¹²³. The investigation focused on allegedly misleading representations made by Origin Energy regarding its "Ongoing Saver" residential electricity plan ¹⁶.

Details of the Investigation and Misleading Claims

The ACCC's investigation was prompted by concerns raised by the consumer advocacy group CHOICE ². The core issue was that Origin Energy's "Ongoing Saver" plan was marketed in a way that suggested charges would remain below the retailer's "Basic" plan ⁶. However, the ACCC found that some customers on the "Ongoing Saver" plan were actually charged more than they would have been on the company's "Basic" plan ⁹.

Origin Energy's terms and customer bills for the "Ongoing Saver" plan implied that the charges would consistently be lower than their standard Basic plan ⁶. This created a misleading impression for customers who believed they were receiving ongoing savings ¹.

Who is Affected and How Much Will They Receive?

More than 4,500 Australian customers are eligible for a refund ¹³. The total refund amount is over $270,000 ¹²³. This translates to an average refund of approximately $60 per household ⁴¹⁰.

How Will Customers Receive Their Refund?

Origin Energy has outlined the process for affected customers:

• Current Customers: Will have the option to request a refund or receive an automatic credit to their account ⁵.
• Former Customers: Will be contacted by Origin Energy to arrange their refund ⁵.

Origin Energy has stated that they have taken remediation and compliance steps in response to the ACCC's findings ⁵. While Origin Energy initially disagreed with the ACCC's findings, they are voluntarily issuing the refunds ⁷. An Origin Energy spokesperson has apologized to the impacted customers, stating, "We sincerely apologise to customers impacted by this mistake" ⁷.

The "Ongoing Saver" plan, which was at the center of this issue, has since been discontinued ⁷. The ACCC has resolved the matter administratively, without taking further enforcement action, given the steps Origin Energy has taken ⁵.

Broader Context and Other Issues

It is worth noting that in addition to this ACCC investigation, Origin Energy is also facing legal action from the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) for allegedly overcharging customers ¹⁰. This highlights ongoing scrutiny of energy retailers' pricing practices in Australia.