Origin Energy: Electricity, Gas, and Solar Offers; How to Contact, and Reviews

Origin is one of the leading energy providers in Australia and, alongside AGL and EnergyAustralia, one of the "Big Three" energy providers. As one of Australia's largest retailers, Origin Energy has over 4.2 million customers within the residential, small business, and large business sectors. Read on for more information about Origin Energy and decide which energy provider in Australia is best for your household. 

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Overview of Origin Energy

Origin Energy is a publicly listed Australian energy company based in Sydney, Australia. It was first formed in February 2000 as a result of the demerger between Boral Limited; a building and construction materials company, and SAGASCO; a historic gas company founded in 1861. In 2018, Origin was one of 17 energy providers to support the Energy Charter which aims to provide more accessible and affordable energy to customers.

Origin is a “gentailer” within the Australian National Energy Market (NEM), which is an energy company that both generates its own energy and has a retail arm. Alongside AGL and EnergyAustralia, these three biggest gentailers control over 60% of the Australian energy market together. Origin alone, as a gentailer, represents 13% of the power generation capacity within the National Energy Market. 

Origin’s four pillars are exploration and energy production, energy generation, renewable energy, and selling energy. Origin provides electricity and gas, LPG, and solar energy for homes and businesses in South Australia, Queensland, Victoria, and New South Wales, with additional natural gas offers in Western Australia . Since 2018, Origin began selling broadband to Australian customers in conjunction with its energy services.

Origin Energy plans and rates

Origin Energy offers gas and electricity plans to customers in New South Wales, ACT, Victoria, Queensland, and South Australia, as well as natural gas plans to customers in Western Australia. All Origin Energy plans come with no exit fees or lock-in contracts, which means customers are able to switch plans and providers if they want.

Origin Energy rates and plans in New South Wales

Residents of New South Wales have both gas and electricity plans available to them through Origin Energy. Origin Energy offers three gas and three electricity plans, all of which are available without exit feeds or lock-in contracts; Origin Basic which offers customers the ongoing reference price rates and with no end-date so you can set and forget your electricity and gas, Origin Flexi which offers flexible billing and payments as well as a discount off the reference price with a 12-month benefit period, and Origins Max Saver plan which is only available online but offers the steepest discounts available for both gas and electricity.

Origin Energy rates and plans in ACT

Origin Energy offers both gas and electricity plans to residents of the ACT. Origin Energy gas and electricity is available with three plan choices; Origin Basic which customers can set and forget with Origin Energy’s ongoing base rates, Origin Flexi Usage which offers customers flexible billing and payment options with a generous discount off Origin’s usage charge on a 12-month benefit period, and Origin Max Saver Usage which gives customers the biggest available discounts for signing up and managing their Origin Energy account online.

Origin Energy rates and plans in Victoria

Origin Energy offers three gas and three electricity plans to customers within Victoria. Each plan comes with no exit fees and no lock-in contract, so you can switch or leave at any time without penalty. Origin Basic for gas and electricity offers the same rates as the reference price without a discount, Origin Flexi gives customers flexible billing and payment choices alongside a discount off the reference price, and Origin Max Saver gives customers the biggest savings for signing up and managing their energy account online.

Origin Energy rates and plans in Queensland

While regional and rural Queensland has their energy retailed and supplied to them by Ergon Energy, customers in South-East Queensland have access to Origin Energy’s three gas and electricity plans. Origin Basic offers customers the same rates as the reference price for the distribution network, but customers can set and forget their plan without worrying about benefit periods. Origin Flexi gives customers generous discounts off gas and electricity rates, with flexible billing and payment options for a 12-month benefit period. Origin Max Saver is Origin Energy’s online only plan, giving customers the biggest discounts for signing up online and managing and paying their energy bills online.

Origin Energy plans in South Australia

Thanks to South Australia’s deregulation within the National Electricity Market, residents can choose between three Origin Energy plans for gas and electricity. Origin Basic gives customers the same rates as the reference price, while Origin Flexi allows customers flexibility in their billing and payment methods with discounts off the reference price, and Origin Max Saver offers customers the biggest discounts for choosing to sign up and manage their energy billing and account online.

Origin Energy rates and plans in Western Australia

While Western Australia doesn’t allow for full contestability of the energy market within the state, most customers get the choice of natural gas supplier. Origin Energy offers three gas-only plans to customers in Western Australia; Origin Supply which is the same ongoing rates as Origin Energy’s usage and supply charges, Origin Flexi Usage which offers a steep discount off the usage rates alongside flexible billing and payment methods, and Origin Max Saver Usage online which gives customers their best gas discount for signing up and managing their account and billing online.

Origin LPG plans

Origin offers LPG for residences. Since the price for LPG depends on several factors, including global supply and demand and currency exchange rate, as well as any maintenance or equipment fees, it can be difficult to calculate your individual LGP cost. Find out more about Origin Energy LPG prices. Origin’s LPG services come with a number of options including gas bottle size and whether you want your gas bottles refilled or exchanged.

LPG bottle Size - What to choose

Origin offers a total of 10 different LPG bottle sizes, which range from 3.7kg to 210kg. Origin’s most popular 45kg LPG bottles usually come in pairs and can either be exchanged or refilled, depending on your usage.

LPG bottle refills or exchanges?

Origin offers both refills and exchange for LPG bottles, and the better choice for you can depend on your lifestyle and needs. LPG bottle exchange is great for customers who have low-to-medium gas consumption. You can order LPG when you need it, and the standard dual 45kg bottles fit in smaller spaces.

LPG bottle refills are great for those who consume a steady gas supply. Customers who choose this option have the peace of mind knowing they don’t need to monitor gas levels, as deliveries are regularly scheduled based on your average consumption.

Want Renewable Energy? Origin also offers the option to go green with LPG through GreenPower. For an added cost of $3 extra per 45kg bottle, Origin could offset your greenhouse gas emissions through planting trees, investing in renewable energy, or investing in energy reduction projects.

Origin solar energy plans and packages

Origin has over a decade in solar energy experience, which recently includes a feature on Channel 7's House Rules 2019 season. Origin provides everything from ready-to-go packages, solar plans with feed-in tariffs, additional solar batteries, and accredited installation of their solar products.

Origin's ready-to-go solar packages

Origin offers three solar packages, suitable for every need. Starting at $3,495 their plans provide everything you need regardless of if you are new to solar power or looking to upgrade to the most efficient design possible.

Origin solar plans and Feed-in-Tariff

Origin solar plans are available to people who both have a system already installed, and those looking for new Origin solar systems. For those who already have a system installed, Origin offers Solar Boost to its customers, where you could have a feed-in-tariff of up to 20c / kWh.

• Origin Solar Boost feed-in-tariffs
• Victoria: 16c / kWh
• New South Wales: 18c / kWh
• Queensland: 15c / kWh
• The ACT: 16c / kWh
• South Australia: 20c / kWh

Origin Energy solar batteries

Origin offers two solar storage batteries; the Tesla Powerwall 2 or the LG Chem Resu. The Tesla Powerwall 2 starts at $12,749 for a retrofit installation, while the LG Chem Resu starts at $10,795 for retrofit installation. Both of these batteries can also be purchased with an Origin solar system package at a discount.

Want to contact Origin customer service?

Origin customer service is available by phone or email weekdays, with some additional weekend hours. All enquiries can be emailed to enquiry@originenergy.com.au. To contact Origin energy to subscribe to a plan, use one of the phone numbers below.

Any mail correspondence can be sent to:

GPO Box 1199
Adelaide SA 5001

How to subscribe to Origin Energy

In order to sign-up for Origin, you must first request a quote, which you can do on the Origin website once you select the plan or service you want. After you receive a letter with your quote, you can sign up online. When you sign-up for a new service, you will need a few things in order to prove eligibility.

• Things You Need
• An existing phone number and email
• A residential address
• Proof of occupancy / move-in date

Moving house and switching providers

10 Day Cooling Off PeriodAustralia law allows all energy subscribers a 10-business-day cooling off period after subscribing to an energy service, during which you can cancel your service at any time without penalty

To close your Origin Energy account, outside of your cooling-off period, you can do so via your Origin My Account either online or on your Origin App by filling out a disconnect form. It's important to remember that if you're switching energy provisders, your new provider should contact Origin Energy for you to make the switch.

If you’re moving house and have electricity or natural gas with Origin Energy, you can book your move online. If you book before 1pm Monday to Friday, you’ll be able to have your energy connected to your new address within one business day. For urgent, same-day, moving you can call 13 66 83. If you’re moving and have LPG bottles, you can fill out a close Origin LPG Account form.

Pay your Origin Energy bill

Customers can pay their Origin energy bill a number of ways with flexible billing methods. In addition, Origin offers EasiPay, a bill-smoothing option which allows you to pay smaller amounts more frequently based on your estimated usage so you can avoid bill shock every three months. 

Origin Energy reviews

Origin Energy reviews across the internet are relatively low. ProductReview gives Origin Energy 1.3 out of 5 stars, while TrustPilot gives the energy provider 96% one-star reviews. Customers who give Origin Energy one-star reviews cite that Origin Energy customer service is difficult to contact, with a lot of back and forth and waiting on hold. However, customers who are happy with Origin Energy say that they like the generous discounts, and that it's very easy to track energy usage with the provider.