ORIGIN ENERGY

Origin Energy is a publicly listed energy company based in Sydney. It was founded in February of 2002 as a result of the demerger from Boral Limited, an Australian conglomerate. Today, the company is one of the key players in the exploration, production, generation and retail in the energy supply chain. It has been supplying Australia’s residential and commercial consumers with fairly-priced electricity, natural gas, liquified petroleum gas, and as well as renewable energy products. 

Products

Origin Energy is the largest owner of natural gas-fired power stations in Australia with a total of six plants under its profile. The baseload power station is located in Queensland. This provides a steady supply of reliable and low-cost electricity. It has a generation capacity of 644 megawatts produced through the coal seam gas from the reserves in the Surat Basin. The rest of the plants were designated as peaking power stations. These facilities support the baseload power station when the demand for electricity is at its highest. The usual peak seasons are during summers and winters.

Another facility situated in Queensland is the open-cycle gas turbine system. The firm operates three Kerosene-fuelled turbine systems that transmit the generated power into the  National Electricity Market or NEM to cover the demands in the eastern and southern regions of Australia. 

In New South Wales, the company also generates electricity from different sources. One of which is through a coal-fired power station. The Eraring Power Station is the largest in Australia and Origin’s only facility powered by black coal. It can provide a total capacity of 2,880 megawatts. Furthermore, the firm is also running two pumped storage hydropower stations in the Shoalhaven area, one in Kangaroo Valley and the other in Bendeela. During peak demands, the stored water is released into the turbine system to aid in the generation of electricity giving off up to 240 megawatts of capacity. The said facility also supplies water to Sydney in times of drought.

Acknowledging the growing environmental concerns brought about by climate change, the company also actively gives priority in the green energy revolution. In fact, it is among the country’s largest retailer of renewable power, gas, and LPG. A significant portion of it is derived from wind power generated by the wind farms across South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales. It has a cumulative capacity of up to 700 megawatts. Moreover, apart from offering solar panel installation services, the company also purchases more than 680 megawatts of solar energy from various independent solar parks.

Coverage

Origin Energy has extensive coverage of its operation catering to different types of domestic and commercial clientele. From Australia to Papua New Guinea and the South Pacific, the company is providing its services in the generation and sales of electricity and unconventional gases such as liquified natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). 

Cost

The prices of the tariff basically depend on the location, percentage of greenness, preferences of the customer, and other prevailing conditions. The ranges of rates shown below are just mere estimations. 

 

Origin Max Saver

Origin Flexi

Origin Basic

Electricity

(For an average household using 3,900 kWh up to 4,600 kWh per year on a flat rate tariff.)

$1,063 up to $1,694 / year

Estimated cost including GST

$1,203 up to $1,708 / year

Estimated cost including GST

$1,296 up to $1,940 / year

Estimated cost including GST

Natural Gas

(For a household using 4,000 MJ up to 46,000 MJ per year.)

$474 up to $1,223 / year

Estimated cost including GST

$517 up to $1,251 / year

Estimated cost including GST

$684 up to $1,390 / year

Estimated cost including GST

Inclusions

  • 12 month benefit period
  • No exit fees
  • No lock-in contracts.
  • 12 month benefit period
  • No exit fees
  • No lock-in contracts.
  • No end date
  • No exit fees
  • No lock-in contracts.

*Prices are in AUD. 

Pros

 

  • Range of Services – Origin Energy is like a one-stop-shop. It offers a wide array of services from the exploration to production, generation, and the retail of energy. Furthermore, it also provides its consumers with various options in order for the plans to fit accordingly to their demands.
  • No Lock-in Contracts – The absence of lock-in contracts in the energy plans allows the users to switch between tariffs or providers without any hassle. In that manner, the satisfaction of the consumer to the services he/she availed is not compromised at any point. 

 

Cons

 

  • Overcharged Billings – There is an overwhelming amount of complaints that pertain to overcharged billing. Most of the customers were shocked by how unreasonable the amounts were in comparison to that of the client’s expected rate of electricity and gas consumed for a certain period.
  • Poor Customer Service – Another major issue raised against Origin Energy is the company’s poor approach to customer concerns. The lack of courtesy and inefficiency of the representatives in addressing the problems are the top-most complaints that have been reported.

 

Overall, Origin Energy is an established company catering to every area of the energy supply chain in Australia. Its years of existence in the market provided it an unprecedented level of expertise when it comes to delivering electricity and gas to the consumers. It has learned to evolve with time and developed new innovative technologies to improve the quality and sustainability of the products it offers the public. Nevertheless, its online trust ratings show critical areas of improvement specifically towards the company’s customer management system in general.