Regulator commences second court proceeding against energy retailer Origin

The Essential Services Commission has commenced civil penalty proceedings in the Supreme Court of Victoria against energy retailers Origin Energy Electricity Limited and Origin Energy (Vic) Pty Limited (together, Origin). 

The commission alleges Origin repeatedly failed to meet its obligations under the energy rules¹, with the alleged breaches cumulatively affecting more than 500,000 customers between 2018 and 2023. The alleged contraventions relate to billing and disconnections, and include: 

• disconnecting customers who were receiving payment assistance without providing clear and unambiguous information about their entitlements to payment assistance 
• telling customers they needed to pay bills in fewer than 14 days  
• failing to notify customers they had been overcharged within required timeframes 
• attempting to recover undercharged amounts from customers for periods greater than the 4 months permitted for back-billing 
• failing to provide customers with best offer information, as required under the Energy Retail Code of Practice 
• giving customers incorrect best offer information 
• not providing information to customers about changes to their energy contracts by their preferred contact method. 

The commission is seeking civil penalties and other remedies, including adverse publicity orders.  

In December 2023, the commission commenced separate court proceedings against Origin for allegedly failing vulnerable customers through breaches of the life support and payment difficulty frameworks.  

¹ The energy rules include the Electricity Industry Act 2000, the Gas Industry Act 2001, the Energy Retail Code of Practice and its predecessor, the Energy Retail Code.