Expert Guide: Origin Energy Review and Ratings

Fact Checked

Origin Energy is an integrated power company, generating and selling electricity and natural gas to households and businesses across Australia.

With more than four million customers, the company is one of the largest retailers in the country, drawing on its size and experience to offer Aussies a wide range of products and services. In this article, Canstar Blue takes a close look at Origin Energy, including what’s on offer and what it might cost you.

Origin Energy prices

The following deals show Origin electricity prices in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia. Please click on your state’s tab to see relevant plan pricing.

An expert’s guide to Origin Energy

If you’re wondering what services Origin is offering in your state, look no further than the table below. We summarise what you can expect across each state.

Origin Energy plans

Origin provides a variety of plans, each with their own draw cards. It has several main market offers in each state – including its Everyday Rewards Variable, Go Variable and Home Support deals – most of which hold a percentage off the default tariff respective to the area you’re in. In addition to Origin’s market offers, the retailer also has a basic offer that simply matches the Reference Price or Victorian Default Offer (VDO) depending on where you live, as well as two solar-specific products with higher rates but generous feed-in tariffs.

Everyday Rewards Variable – New Customer Only

Origin Energy has partnered with Woolworths to offer its plan, Everyday Rewards. This electricity deal allows new Origin customers to earn 5,000 Everyday Rewards points, while existing Origin customers who switch to this offer will nab 2,500 points. An additional point can be earned for every dollar spent on energy bills, plus bonus points are awarded to customers who opt into Origin Zero – the retailer’s optional carbon offset product that’s certified carbon neutral by Climate Active. Please note, Origin Zero comes at a small additional charge on bills.

Go Variable – New Customer Only

As the name suggests, Go is Origin’s flagship variable rate product. This deal is offered over a 12 month benefit period and comes with no lock-in contract or exit fees. Go Zero carbon offsets and GreenPower options are available.

Home Support

The Home Support plan gives customers access to an Allianz Emergency Home Assistance membership for 12 months. This covers households for things such as burst pipes or blocked pipes.

Basic – New and Moving Customer Only

This plan simply matches the Reference Price/VDO in each area, not offering any discounts and making it Origin’s most expensive product. It comes with no exit fees or lock-in contract.

Read more: Powershop vs. Origin Comparison

Origin Energy solar

Origin offers a full range of solar products. It has partnered up with leading manufacturers like Fronius, Trina and Tesla to help provide customers with a number of solar panels and inverters, with the option to add a Tesla Powerwall to complete your PV system. See our guide on Origin Energy solar for more information on what the retailer offers customers.

Origin solar plans

Origin currently has three solar-specific energy plans available to customers with solar panels; Solar Boost, Solar Boost Plus and Go Solar Variable.

Solar Boost

This plan is designed for customers with solar panels. It includes a boosted feed-in tariff of 10c/kWh. It’s important to note that this plan comes with an export limit of 14kWh per day, meaning households will receive the ‘boosted’ FiT rate for this daily amount only. It then reverts to a smaller FiT ranging between 3.3c/kWh and 10c/kWh, depending on location.

Solar Boost Plus

Much like the deal above, the Solar Boost Plus plan is catered to customers with solar panels. In this case, though, signing up is subject to a range of Origin T&Cs, such as having installed a solar system through the energy giant itself. In exchange, customers can expect a boosted feed-in tariff of between 17c/kWh and 18c/kWh depending on your state and the size system installed.

Go Solar Variable

Available in NSW, VIC, SA and QLD, this offer is open to customers with a net metered solar PV system, who aren’t already receiving a government funded feed-in tariff. This is a variable rate plan that includes FiTs of between 8c and 10c/kWh, depending on your state.

Origin solar feed-in tariffs

Origin Energy offers a standard feed-in tariff of between 3.3c/kWh and 10c/kWh to households that export their solar power to the energy grid. But eligible customers can get even more for their solar power by signing up to Origin’s ‘Solar Boost’ or ‘Solar Boost Plus’, which include slightly higher FiTs of:

• NSW: 5c-18c/kWh
• VIC: 3.3c-18c/kWh
• QLD: 4c-18c/kWh
• SA: 4c-18c/kWh
• ACT: 10c-18c/kWh

Compare Solar Providers

Origin Energy gas

Origin Energy is one of Australia’s largest gas companies. It retails natural gas and LPG to homes and businesses to most of Australia, excluding the Northern Territory and Tasmania. It has four gas products on offer which largely mirror its electricity deals.

Everyday Rewards Variable Gas

Customers will receive up to 10,000 Everyday Rewards approximately 45 days after their acceptance date and 1 Everyday Rewards point for every $1 ongoing. There is also an Origin Go Zero Natural Gas offer with this plan, where Origin will offset greenhouse gas emissions from your gas supply for $1.00 per week. Customers who opt in will receive a one-off bonus of 2,000 Everyday Rewards points approximately 45 days from sign-up date.

Everyday Rewards Variable Gas

Everyday Rewards plan allows new Origin customers to bank an extra 5,000 Everyday Rewards points upon sign up, as well as receiving one point for every $1 paid on gas bills. Existing customers who switch to this offer will be eligible for 2,500 Everyday Rewards points. This plan comes with a 12-month benefit period.

Go Variable Gas

The Go Variable gas plan, much like its electricity counterpart, comes with variable rates for 12 months. It also comes with flexible payment options and has no exit fees or lock-in contracts.

Basic Gas

Basic (natural gas) is the retailer’s no-discount plan. It comes with no exit fees or lock in contract.

Contact information and billing details

If you ever need to contact Origin Energy about a product or service, you’ll find all the details below.

Origin Energy contact information

Depending on where you live and the service you are after, Origin Energy has multiple points of contact. Details are listed below:

• General enquiries (residential): 13 24 61
• General enquiries (business): 1300 661 544
• Moving house energy enquiries: 13 66 83
• New meters & installation enquiries: 1300 132 480
• Solar/heating/cooling enquiries: 1300 791 468
• Hot water enquiries: 1800 684 993
• LPG enquiries: 13 35 74
• Postal address: GPO Box 1199, Adelaide SA 5001

Origin Energy billing

As one of the largest energy companies in Australia, Origin is quite flexible with its payment options. Some of the ways Origin Energy customers can pay their bill include:

• Online: Head to the Origin Energy website to pay your bill. Please note, you will need your account number handy.
• BPay: Simply log on to your online bank account, choose Bpay, and type in the biller code and reference number on your bill.
• Direct Debit: You can set up Direct Debit using My Account or through the Origin app.
• App: Log in to the Origin App and pay your bill through here.
• In Person: Pay at the post office by cash, cheque or EFTPOS.
• Mail: Send a cheque and the payment slip off your bill and post it to the address on the slip.
• Centrepay: Nominate part of your Centrelink payment to go towards your energy bill through your online Centrelink account.

Online tools

Origin’s ‘My Account’ lets customers manage all their energy accounts and queries in the one spot. Among many of its features, customers can:

• View and pay bills
• Change payment options
• Renew or change plan
• Change property
• Update contact details
• Request usage data
• Receive energy efficiency tips

In addition to My Account, customers have access to the Origin Energy app, which can be downloaded via Google Play and the Apple Store.

How do I read my Origin bill?

There is a dedicated page on how to read your bill found on Origin Energy’s website. Otherwise, you can find all the information you need by reading our guide on how to read gas and electricity bills. We’ll run you through the basics on what fees, charges and details to look out for.

How do customers rate Origin Energy?

Bundled energy and telco customers across Australia rated Origin Energy 5 out of 5 stars for overall satisfaction in our 2024 customer ratings report.

In our 2023 electricity customer ratings reports, households in South Australia gave Origin Energy 4 out of 5 stars for overall satisfaction. It was also rated 4 out of 5 stars for overall satisfaction by New South Wales natural gas customers in our 2023 ratings report.

Compare Origin Energy in some of our other Most Satisfied Customers Awards:

• Best-Rated VIC Electricity Providers
• Best-Rated QLD Natural Gas Providers
• Best-Rated VIC Natural Gas Providers
• Best-Rated SA Natural Gas Providers
• Best-Rated Dual Fuel Providers 
• Best-Rated Solar Electricity Providers 
• Best-Rated Solar Installers

Outstanding Value Electricity Plans and Solar Electricity Plans 2023

In 2023, Origin Energy was awarded Canstar Blue’s Outstanding Value award for its electricity plans and solar electricity plans in the ACT. Origin was recognised for its strong price performance in the state.

About the author

This page was written and is regularly updated by Canstar Blue’s Utilities Editor, Tara Donnelly. Having spent the last decade writing for and editing comparison websites, she’s an expert in all things energy, phone and internet. She loves to highlight the next best deals, while also flagging the things you need to be aware of.

Learn more about Canstar Blue’s Editorial Team.

Origin Energy FAQs