Origin Energy Fined $17.6M for Customer Rule Breaches

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Origin Energy slapped with a record-breaking $17.6 million fine for breaking Victorian energy rules affecting nearly 670,000 customers.

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The energy giant failed to provide "best offer" messaging to over 655,000 customers, potentially keeping them stuck on higher-cost plans.

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Justice Michael Osborne emphasized penalties needed "sufficient sting" to prevent other retailers from cutting compliance corners.

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Ten life support customers had their critical information mishandled, putting vulnerable households at serious risk.

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Origin blamed "legacy system errors" and human mistakes for the breaches, while rolling out a new customer service platform called Kraken.

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The Essential Services Commission's Gerard Brody warned the decision "will reverberate in the boardrooms of all energy retailers."

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Beyond the fine, Origin must implement new quality assurance measures and run additional compliance training for staff.

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This isn't Origin's first penalty rodeo—they were previously fined for sharing family violence victims' details without consent.

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AGL faced similar heat with a $25 million Federal Court fine for overcharging vulnerable welfare recipients in the Centrepay scandal.

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