Energy Australia - Company Review Notice Energy Australia - Company Review Notice
Energy Australia

Energy Australia Reviews

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91% 0%
3.9

Based on 95 ratings

About

Note: EnergyAustralia Home Services Pty Ltd, ABN 43 095 759 881 was approved as a Clean Energy Council (CEC) Approved Solar Retailer on 02 November 2018

 

Energy Australia is the smallest of Australia's big three electricity retailers with 1.7 million customers. This puts it well behind Origin's 4.3 million and AGL's 3.7 million.

Like Origin and AGL, Energy Australia also installs rooftop solar, but they are well behind in the number of installation reviews has received. As of September 2016 SolarQuotes has received over 400 reviews for Origin Solar, 92 for AGL, and only 53 for Energy Australia Solar. Their average review score is 4.1 out of 5, which is not bad and a little better than either Origin or AGL.

Company History

Energy Australia was founded in 1995 by CLP, a Hong Kong power company formed in 1901 as the China Light & Power Company Syndicate. They own 25% of the Daya Bay Nuclear Plant. That's the one where they accidentally left out 316 pieces of steel rebar when constructing reactor number one, but so far it has worked just fine without it.

Energy Australia was originally called TRUenergy but in 2011 they changed their name. I think it was an improvement, as their old name used to make me wonder who Nergy was and why he was true.

EnergyAustralia Can't Spell

EnergyAustralia’s name is actually one word and not two. I am referring to them as Energy Australia simply because that is what most English speakers, quite reasonably, think they are called. And yes, it is cheeky for someone from SolarQuotes to point this out.

Energy Australia Solar Panels

All the solar panels Energy Australia provides are reliable, tier 1 panels. For their most expensive systems, Energy Australia Solar uses LG solar panels. These are premium tier one panels that are extremely reliable and carry a 12 year product warranty.

If you don’t wish to pay a premium for premium panels, they will install Jinko panels instead, which have a 10 year product warranty.

Both these panels brands come with a 25 year performance warranty, but this is usually of little use to households. (More can be read about solar panel warranties here.)

Energy Australia Inverters

At the time of writing in September 2016, Energy Australia offers Enphase microinverters and Zeversolar string inverters.

Enphase microinverters have an excellent warranty of 10 years and are well suited for installations which have shade issues. Because they help get the most out of each solar panel, they are useful whenever suitable roof space is limited.

Zerversolar inverters are considered to be a good budget inverter and, like the very large majority of inverters, their warranty is for 5 years.

Energy Australia has also installed Fronius and Samil inverters. Fronius inverters are considered to be very high quality and their manufacturer will provide a 10 year warranty for any that are installed and registered in 2016.

Samil inverters are unreliable with installers reporting woeful support in Australia. So it is good that Energy Australia do not install them any more.

Energy Australia Solar Rebate

Any Energy Australia Solar Power system will qualify for the the solar rebate as part of Australia’s Renewable Energy Target. Technically the solar rebate is not actually a rebate, but that is what it is often called. Note the solar rebate will be slightly reduced on the 1st of January and the start of each new year after that.

Energy Australia Solar Rates

If you use Energy Australia as your electricity retailer, they currently offer a solar feed-in tariff of 8.2 cents in South Australia and generally 5.1 cents elsewhere.

Energy Australia Offers A 0% Interest Payment Plan For Up To 5 Years

Currently, Energy Australia says you can purchase a system for nothing up front and zero interest. However, (and you knew there was going to be a “however”, didn't you?), it only applies if you use certain credit cards, it doesn't apply to their lowest cost systems, the credit cards have their own fees and charges, and when the 0% interest period is up you will be charged 24.99% interest on any balance remaining, which is crazy high.

I have no idea what credit card fees and charges may apply, so be sure to check them before accepting this deal.

When a company offers a 0% interest free period it is often a good indication you can bargain for a better price if you agree to pay in full as soon as the system is installed and working.

Energy Australia's Small Print Is Hard To Read

Energy Australia has an asterisk next to their 0% interest offer to indicate there is small print below. Unlike their main text that is black, this print is in grey which makes it difficult to read. This is a violation of the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission rules which, unlike the Energy Australia small print, clearly states:

“An advertiser must not make the real terms and conditions of the offer unclear or unreadable by... using text that is too small”.

Claiming the print was not too small to read, just too grey is not acceptable excuse.

I really don't know what they are hoping to achieve by giving people eye strain. I think EnergyAustralia is a company that probably can be trusted, but making their small print hard for middle aged people to read makes them appear dodgy as hell.

Energy Australia Has Paid Massive Fines For Dishonest Conduct

In April 2014 the Federal Court ordered Energy Australia to pay a $1.2 million penalty for unlawful sales tactics after:

“...sales representatives acting on its behalf, made false and misleading representations and engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct…”

In March 2015 Energy Australia was ordered to pay a $1.1 million penalty after telemarketers acting on behalf of Energy Australia signed people up for electricity and gas plans without their permission.

So okay, maybe you can’t trust them 100%.

Energy Australia Owns A Huge Amount Of Fossil Fuel Generating Capacity

Energy Australia is one of the largest owners and operators of fossil fuel generating capacity in the nation. According to their website they own:

Victoria's 1,450 MW Yallourn brown coal power station

NSW's 1,400 MW Mt Piper black coal power station

NSW's 435 MW Tallawarra combined cycle natural gas power station

South Australia's 203 MW Hallett natural gas power station

In addition they also own South Australia’s 230 MW Waterloo Wind Farm and 66 MW Cathedral Rocks Wind Farm.

This means only 5.6% of their generating capacity is renewable. As a result, Energy Australia is one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases in Australia.

Energy Australia Acts Irresponsibly With Regard To Human Safety

Energy Australia says they expect to reduce their emissions 60% by 2050. They also say they will develop new ways to extract and use brown coal. These two things really don't really go together. We can either leave coal in the ground and not release pollutants and greenhouse gases from its use or we can continue to extract and burn coal which kills people. At the very least Energy Australia should be rapidly winding down coal use. To plan to extract more coal endangers lives and is quite simply irresponsible.

Energy Australia Is Likely To Be A Reliable Solar Installer

In my opinion Energy Australia is likely to perform professionally when installing rooftop solar and any system they install is very likely to operate reliably. But I cannot bring myself to recommend them when they are planning to continue the extraction of brown coal in the future.

Panels, inverter and battery brands

The views expressed by reviewers are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect those of Peacock Media Group, which makes no representations as to the accuracy of the reviews. For our full disclaimer and further information, see our Terms of Use and our Review Guidelines.

Energy Australia Reviews (95)

Show Most Recent reviews from All timeacross Australia

Average Scores

3.9/5

Value for money

4.0/5

Quality of System

4.1/5

Installation

3.7/5

Customer Service

  • 5 star 4
  • 4 star 64
  • 3 star 17
  • 2 star 6
  • 1 star 4

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Energy Australia have been very helpful but no longer support the product.
Inverter rating: 5/5
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Totally unprofessional

Paid deposit in May 2019, Installers turned up 12 weeks ago and I had to remind them that we had a two phase system. They only had the connections for a one phase system - that was 3 months ago and not been sighted since. Have made numerous phone calls to Energy Australia which are an absolute waste of time because they make promises to follow up and then they don't get back to us. Fair Trading have said they are not abiding with acceptable time frames.
Panel rating: 1/5
Inverter rating: 1/5
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Original Review on 20-11-2018:

It was difficult to just get an indicative estimated cost without the full marketing crap associated with normal sales texhnique. Too much stuffing around by suppliers ither than energyaustralia that gave me a non marketing quotation for a system..perhaps the others coukd learn something...less marketing more service.... Original ratings

Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 2/5

Value for money: 5/5
Quality of System: 2/5
Installation: 5/5
Customer Service: 1/5

8 months later we asked Erik: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"

No, too many issues, needs constant attention and user interaction just to keep it operating. Very far from trouble free.
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Original Review on 22-09-2018:

Original ratings

Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5

Value for money: 3/5
Quality of System: 4/5
Installation: N/A
Customer Service: 4/5

8 months later we asked This person: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"

See above
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Still waiting after 15 weeks for them to relocate panels from the Eastern side of the roof to the west facing side of the roof. Asked specifically western facing system. Won’t be dealing with them again! House was in East Maitland area. Now have found roof leaking where cables were brought in through tiles.
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Think twice if you want a solar system with Energy Australia. Paid my deposit Sept. 2019, and no response since then. Plenty of promises no follow through. Went with them because I have my gas and power with them. I have been the one making the calls to find out what's been happening. No followup. Can't even give me an installation date or tell me where I am on their work list. If I had gone local could have the same or similar system up and running months ago. Will be interesting to see how long it takes to get my deposit back, as they were quick to get it up front!!
I wouldn't recommend them to anyone on that basis.
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Original Review on 14-05-2018:

Original ratings

Panel rating: 4/5
Inverter rating: 4/5

Value for money: 3/5
Quality of System: 5/5
Installation: 4/5
Customer Service: 2/5

8 months later we asked Ken: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"

3.2kw system fixed to a North/South facing roof in Newcastle, NSW. In summer peak production hits 2.4kw so about 75% of rated capacity which I am happy with given the roof orientation. Peak Daily generation has been 21kw in summer with a low of 7kw in winter. Electricity bill has been halved over the whole year which was my original expectation.
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Very easy, smooth process. Appreciated how simple it all was. No high pressure sales tactics either. Thank you!
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Incompetent, useless, clueless HOPELESS company
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Original Review on 08-04-2018:

Original ratings

Panel rating: 4/5
Inverter rating: 4/5

Value for money: N/A
Quality of System: N/A
Installation: N/A
Customer Service: N/A

8 months later we asked Bill: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"

yes
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It's been almost six months since I first made an inquiry with EnergyAustralia to get solar panels and they are still not hooked up. Contractors botched the job and call centre staff were unhelpful in rectifying mistakes made by their staff and contractors on the ground.
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Have been waiting 11 weeks for install. Communication has been poor since deposit was paid. No updates from them, I have had to continually call/email requesting updates. I should never had gone with them, would not recommend to anyone.
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We liked the installer from Singleton. Price competitive, however at our age did not want the risk as he had only been in business a few mnonths
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I really appreciated your website, Finn. The information was accessible, clearly set out and informative. I eventually chose a micro inverter system although none of the suppliers you recommended quoted on or offered me this option. However I was impressed by each rep and their information . Thank you.
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Thank you for your expert advice. Even though we chose another installer your help and knowledge was invaluable.
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The quotes provided by your recommendations were not comparable (equipment type for 1 and $1500 over for the other).
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The whole process was painless, got five quotes, picked the most cost effective, install no issue and all is working fine. Thanks for help.
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Sales person at Energy Australia was helpful and patient. Did not over state system's capabilities and was accurate with placement of panels on roof using satallite maps, unlike other installers approached who claimed panels would fit in places they could not. Communication slowed after deposit paid and I had to chase a few times but the system was finally installed within the time frame promised. I went for the micro inverters which made the cost more expensive than a string system, but I am glad I did because I certainly can see the benefits so far. My roof does not have much of a north face, so panels have been fitted north, east and west. Because of this, and the micro inverters, my system generates electricity from sunrise to sunset. Whilst I may not be getting full rated output, I am generating good solid power for longer periods, according to the communication panel and internet software package included. Being home all day and working from home allows us to use our electricity to best advantage as the sun moves through the sky. Happy with system so far.
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Original Review on 19-03-2015:

I feel like I made a more informed decision after familiarising myself with solar installations on your website as well as having a reputable installer come around and give me a genuine quote. With my improved understanding of the systems and some confidence gained from you guys I felt that I could spot a bargain, I at least had a bench mark to compare to. Particularly when looking at the panels and inverters etc. I am glad I spent the time to get up to speed a bit and would like to thank you guys for providing such a great website. Now I cant wait for the installation and hope it meets our expectations both visually and in terms of performance. Original ratings

Panel rating: 3/5
Inverter rating: 4/5

Value for money: 4/5
Quality of System: 5/5
Installation: N/A
Customer Service: 4/5

10 months later we asked Steven: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"

No not really as the total output is below expectations. Also it is still too early to get an annual picture of our electricity production as it took 6 months for the installation to be completed and a further month for metering despite all the promises. So we have only seen two energy bills to date.
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On site modification had to be made to cater for the stink pipe not showing on the Google view.
This caused a slight drop in K Wattage.
The alternative would have required a requote and a later restart.
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We were given a very rudimentary run through and have had no follow up at all. Very poor performance for a large investment.
Inverter rating: 1/5
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Original Review on 16-01-2015:

Energy Australia are the suppliers for the system but it is being installed by Mark Group? Original ratings

Panel rating: 4/5
Inverter rating: 4/5

Value for money: 4/5
Quality of System: 4/5
Installation: N/A
Customer Service: 4/5

8 months later we asked Grahame: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"

I have not seen any great difference in electricity charges as yet being Winter but hope to see a difference in Summer..
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Original Review on 02-12-2014:

- Installers don't get back to you very quickly with the installation date or any other details.
- Takes a long time from when you pay your deposit to actually getting an anstallation done!
- Paid deposit in mid October, but still haven't got an installation date as of 2nd December from the installers.
Original ratings

Panel rating: 4/5
Inverter rating: 5/5

Value for money: 3/5
Quality of System: 4/5
Installation: N/A
Customer Service: 4/5

8 months later we asked Jamie: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"

It is really great in Summer, and provides some output in Winter...
All said, I am very pleased with the system as a whole.
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Installation of the panels was good however the local electrician that was recommended by Energy Australia was very poor with communication and did not turn up when promised. Overall the whole ssytem was installed in a timely manner, it was just the lack of communicatioon that was an issue.
Energy Australai were good to deal with and any questions were answered promptly. There was no presuure by the sales person
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I ended up using Energy Australia, negotiations were long & drawn out but we ended up with a reasonable system with mid to high range equipment & components, best warranty offered out of the 7 quotes I had, & by far the best price @ $3600.
Instillation was a shocker with our job being subbed out to the Mark Group, they missed the first contact completely then on the day turned up with one panel short , we are still waiting for the level 2 electrician to contact us about changing the meter over. The difference in price from the Mark Group quoate was in the order of $2500 less
I have found the industry to be very devious in it's operation, trying to avoid any written commitment on prices & service wanting us to pay more for additional warranty, never giving there best price until they are forced by one other! All just a bit suspect, if you get my drift.
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Was able to get Enphase microinverters for a good price. Probably not required but gives me flexibility for the future. Quotes provided by Solar Choice were good, but not precisely what I wanted.
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Original Review on 20-01-2012:

All went smoothly, system was installed within 6 weeks, the installers did a really good job, cleaned up after themselves and explained the workings of the system and was connected to the grid the same day. So it is up and running and feeding into the grid, so in 8 days 67.9kw has been fed into the grid, just have to wait for my first electricity bill. Original ratings

Panel rating: 4/5
Inverter rating: 4/5

Value for money: 4/5
Quality of System: 4/5
Installation: 5/5
Customer Service: 4/5

28 months later we asked Janine: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"

Yes, the 8 x190Kw panels and 1.6 inverter has produced enough power, so that I'm only paying $200.00 a year for power, which is what I needed, I only wish I could have afforded a 3Kw system.
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Quote done over Google maps and unit would not fit on north facing roof space. Had to be installed on north east aspect, thus reducing capacity slightly.
Have spoken to many that have had quotes done over phone and Google maps and not happy.
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Overall, very happy with whole procedure. May be able to get cheaper installation and rebates etc., but one never really knows. I suspect it's a swings and roundabouts game but you come out on top if you get well known top quality.
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Shopping for Solar was very confusing at times. Wanted to go with a company that had been around for a long time and would continue to be around for a lot longer.
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