Origin Energy - Company Review Notice Origin Energy - Company Review Notice
Origin Energy

Origin Energy Reviews

3.9

Based on 554 ratings

About

Origin Energy is Australia's largest electricity retailer with over 4.3 million customers, which is around 16% more than the next runner up, AGL. In addition to retailing electricity and generating it in mostly coal and gas power stations, Origin is a large installer of rooftop solar systems.

As of writing, SolarQuotes has received over 400 reviews for Origin Solar and they have received an average rating of 4.0. Their reviews have been exceptionally consistent. While less than 9% of responses have been 5 star reviews, very few have received 1 or 2 stars with the solid majority being 4 stars followed by a considerable number of 3 star reviews.

So while you may not get the type of dedicated personal service that I find often results in a 5 star review, you are also very unlikely to receive an installation which has faults that Origin will not rectify. Origin Solar appears to be a safe choice for rooftop solar installation.

Origin Solar Give A 5 Year Workmanship Warranty

Origin provides a 5 year workmanship warranty on their installations covering any damage they cause to your roof or defects in their work. This is far better than the 1 year warranty offered by a number of large installers, but only half the length of the 10 years offered by some.

Origin Provides a 2 Year 12 Cent Solar Feed-In Rate

At the time of writing in August 2016, Origin is offering a 12 cent feed-in tariff for two years with any rooftop solar system they install. This is considerably better than the 6 cents they normally offer and still better than the 8 and 10 cent feed-in tariffs that are currently available from Diamond Energy and Click Energy in most states.

For a household that installs a 5 kilowatt system and exports half the electricity it produces the 12 cent feed-in tariff would provide around $290 more than an 8 cent feed-in tariff over the two years it applies. This is a significant benefit but has the drawback that your options are limited by having to stay with Origin Energy in order to receive it.

Origin has a Two Year Interest Free Payment Plan

Origin allows solar systems they install to be paid back over two years with zero interest. Many people will find this useful. However, the zero percent interest means the cost of financing is built into a system’s asking price, so you won't really be getting anything for free.

When I see something being offered with zero percent interest I take it as a strong indicator I can talk the salespeople into giving me a significant discount for paying up front.

Origin Leases Rooftop Solar

Leasing rooftop solar currently is not popular in Australia, but Origin provides the option. They call it, “Solar As A Service”, and it is certainly possible you will feel well serviced if you use it.

When you agree to lease solar from them they will install a system on your roof that you won't have to pay for, but you won't own. Then they will sell you the electricity it produces at a price that is less than grid electricity, but infinitely more than the nothing you would be paying if you owned it outright. At the end of your contract you can either buy the system from them, or it you don't want it, you are required to pay them to remove it.

If, at the end of your contract, you think the solar system needs a rest and you ask them to place it in a location where the sun doesn’t shine, I’m sure they’d charge a removal fee for that.

Leasing your rooftop solar system would complicate matters if you wanted to sell your home, as you would have to explain to prospective buyers that the rooftop solar system on the house doesn’t come with the house.

While I recommend purchasing your own solar system over leasing one, it is a way for people who normally could not afford rooftop solar to get some of the financial benefits while helping the environment. But I do recommend people carefully consider their options before signing up for it.

Origin Installed - And Replaced - Defective Inverters

Origin used Sharp inverters in many of its installations that turned out to have a high failure rate. They replaced the inverters that failed, but failed to compensate home owners for the lack of solar electricity production while their systems were down.

Origin Performed Poorly In A 2014 Choice Survey

In a 2014 survey by Choice Magazine, Origin was the installer most commonly used by respondents. However, Origin performed poorly on customer satisfaction, obtaining a rating of 62% compared to the average of 79%.

Origin Energy Is Up To Its Eyebrows In Fossil Fuels

On their website Origin proudly proclaim they are Australia's largest owner of gas fired power stations. This is certainly true. As of 2015 about 45% of their generating capacity is natural gas. What they don't boast about the fact that around 50% of their generating capacity is coal, or that since coal power stations operate more continuously than gas ones, a considerable majority of the electricity they generate is produced from coal, which is the most greenhouse gas intensive and polluting source of energy.

In 2015 Origin owned approximately 6,010 megawatts of generating capacity which was around 13% of Australia’s total. In addition to coal and gas, around 4% of Origin's generating capacity is hydroelectric and 1% wind.

Origin's CEO Grant King Said Rooftop Solar Is A Free Rider

In an interview discussing renewable energy, and not when he was down at the pub with his mates, Grant King, the CEO of Origin Energy said, “The reality is that solar is free-riding the network and inevitably network charges are going up because they’re energy based.”

That’s an interesting point of view he has, and one I disagree with. On my last electricity bill, including all fees, I was charged 48 cents for each kilowatt-hour of grid electricity I used. The cost of generating that electricity was around 6 cents a kilowatt-hour or less, so I paid around 42 cents a kilowatt-hour for network charges. As a result, I certainly do not feel like a free rider. But I fully support the right of Grant King to have any wrong opinion he likes.

Origin Energy Is A Free Rider

Origin Energy is a free rider, along with other Australian fossil fuel generators, because they emit greenhouse gases and other forms of pollution into the atmosphere without paying for the harm they cause.

A portion of this cost was accounted for when Australia had a carbon price, but Origin’s CEO opposed its introduction. He has also opposed Australia’s Renewable Energy Target and promoted weakening it.

Some people take the CEO of Origin Energy’s comment that rooftop solar is a free rider seriously. And many people are saddened by his opposition to environmental measures, which are designed to limit the damage caused by greenhouse gas emissions. People who feel this way often refuse to use his company on principle.

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Origin Energy Reviews (554)

Show Most Recent reviews from All timeacross Australia

Average Scores

3.9/5

Value for money

3.9/5

Quality of System

4.1/5

Installation

3.7/5

Customer Service

  • 5 star 50
  • 4 star 314
  • 3 star 135
  • 2 star 37
  • 1 star 18

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Origin has a deal too good to refuse

Price really good on LG chem, sadly they renegged on selling me 2 batteries as suddenly they were ‘sold out’ when in fact it was already quoted and in process.
Battery rating: 5/5
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Original Review on 03-10-2023:

Origin: unbeatable deal at the time

Competitive price to begin with. Good package with some flexibility. Four years genuinely interest-free loan. 20 cents/kWh feed-in tariff and other rates fixed for two years. Hard to beat that. Original ratings

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

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

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

The system has performed matching the expectations. No dramas, nothing notable within the first year of service.
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Great installer ,polite, informative,also best price

Every thing went well only problem so getting them to send me a paper invoice, I had to ring them for that it was 1 hour on hold, ( couldn't get a reply by email 3 emails
Inverter rating: 5/5
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I will never deal with Origin for anything again

13 years ago I paid Origin $10,000 to supply and install a 3.5 Kw system (14 Panels) with a 20 year guarantee on the panels. About 3-4 years later they contacted me to arrange for a different electrician to re wire all the panels because the original work was "wired incorrectly" and had to be re-done. After this the solar output increased significantly but there was no compensation for the "Lost" output. Late in March this year I noticed on the power bill that the solar output had reduced then stopped from December. The Inverter had an error message. I rang Origin to speak to the Solar department to see what the error message meant. I was told that at 13 years it was out of warranty anyway and there was no longer anyone who could interpret the error code and that they no longer have a solar department.The last part I believe because it looks like they have never known what they are doing.
Panel rating: 2/5
Inverter rating: 2/5
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Worst service ever

Bought this three years ago but still trying to get it fixed. does not gererate any electiicity. waste of my time and efforts. suggest everyone dont but it.

buy cheap one and it would last you more that the telephone call I made.

Panel rating: 1/5
Inverter rating: 1/5
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Never installed the system, terrible customer experience

After reviewing the options, the original interest free option and reasonable pricing was attractive. However, after signing up the wheels fell off completely.
Now more than 3 months on, I still don’t have a solution for the panels on my roof, a quote that I can buy off, and the complete lack of customer service has left me frustrated.
I have had two site visits, multiple changes to the technology, and the proposed system has shrunk from 10.x to 6.x Kw system.
I have been bounced between multiple sales people and I have now reached the point where I’ve been frustrated out of their process.

Their presales process is great, their post sales service is horrible. I wish I could comment on the quality of their systems, however it appears that getting them installed is just too hard.
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Very satisfied customer

Very professional install - finished in 5 hours for an 11KW system. Very clean job. Only issue is how long it took between placing the order to install - but that was due to shortage of solar panels In Australia.

Now awaiting the final inspection for it to be turned on - excited.

Also this is on an interest free three year plan which is a major plus.
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Georges review

Punctual, well prepared clear concise instructions.
Grid connection took a few weeks but was flexible.
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Not the best.

Hard to explain. We are still waiting o be connected, hopefully we will be connected.
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Original Review on 29-07-2022:

Origin solar

All good, all organised by Origin solar, best deal, no worries chasing energy providers and installer and suppliers. Original ratings

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

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

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

Yes, all good, I am just alarmed with the difference between summer and winter input of solar energy, I was getting 3 times higher inputs during summer months ???? is this the case with all solar panels? Thanks
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Ordered but waiting on install

The quoting process with Origin was very easy, they would very quickly send out options to look though in a nicely put together quote. The clincher for me was 0% interest on system that was priced well.

I'm still waiting on the install but it's a good enough setup, Goodwe inverter, JA Panels and Tigo optimisers. Same (almost) effeciency and warranty as the european brands and an 11.36kw system. I'll update once it's installed. A family member has the same setup and it seems good. I think spending double on Fronius, Enphase more expensive panels is well in the realms of diminishing returns, but thats just my view.

All comms to Ausgrid hanfled by them, new install of smart meter will handled by them too, I can review up to the process so far but not complaints in the pre-process.
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Efficient and timely

Origin was the only one to do an on-site inspection and quote.
Their 2 year feed-in tariff and guarantee is persuasive and competitive. Gem/RACQ was helpful and competitive on price. Sae (ipswich) likewise but $500 approx higher. The third failed to respond and may not be in business anymore. On-line reviews are awful so you might like to review their suitability.
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Solar Purchase

- It was a quick quote process, sales person visit the site within 2days of contact and issue the quote at the spot.
- Installation works start as per commitment (i.e within 4weeks), installation team was punctual & highly professional, did a neat job.
- immediately after installation, Origin arrange the Grid connection & Meter replacement.

Happy with the overall response & progress during the works.

Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
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Great job

Quoting process was good . The installer arrived on time. A couple of nice guys who got on with the job. Neat and tidy. Connected to the grid.
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All good but still waiting

Everything went well until installation. That was on 17 December. We are still waiting for connection to the grid! What could possibly justify such a slow process!
Happy 2022
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**** service

I had my solar installed by a great installer but as far as getting it connected to the grid by origin what a **** fight they want to blame any thing they can and when you ring move you from person to person worst service I have ever seen they can come and remove my solar that I cant use anytime they like. My word to any one looking at solar don't buy origin solar
Panel rating: 1/5
Inverter rating: 1/5
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My solar experience so far

For a $4500 system with a Goodwe inverter and JA solar panels ( 6.6 kw system) I am quite happy with the overall experience, I would like to add, l used your website to learn about solar systems, (something I had no prior knowledge about). I found it extremely simple to follow, very informative and help me make wise choices I would like to personally thank you for this!
All the best Chris
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Original Review on 08-03-2021:

Excellent system,

Everything went smoothly through the sales process and all that was requested was available. Only thing is that Origin Energy would not install more than 29 panels (370W) on my 10KW system.
On pre-installation inspection again requested if 35 panels could be fitted. I was informed that Origin have set system designs for the size inverter selected, the only way to achieve more panels is to go up in inverter size.
I could not fault the installers, they arrived at the set time and carried out there work in professional tradesmen like manner. All was left in a very clean state. Installation of the system was excellent.
The grid connection, and changing of the old meters to smart meters was organized by Origin Energy. This was carried out two weeks after solar system installation.
System has been operational since the day of installation and I'm more than pleased with it's performance so far.
The only down side to all of this was the time from signing contracts to installation. It was far beyond what Origin Energy state. I signed in late September and installation was early February, only because of a cancellation. Was informed that my installation was planed for early March.
Original ratings

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

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

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

The system is performing to specifications. I'm very happy with the installed system, the only thing that I would have liked was several more panels installed but Origin would only install 29 for this system (35 was the number I would have liked.
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Original Review on 16-11-2020:

Excellent Job

Very quick response and turnaround with quotes.
All very competitive.
Selected Origin due to high feed-in tariff fixed for two years. I'm also an employee of Origin so I know their commitment to safe work is genuine.
Installer (AIS) Electrical - absolutely fantastic job. Very neat installation and workers very diligent with safety precautions during dangerous work at heights.
Original ratings

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

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

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

Yes very much so. Overall 80% reduction in electric bills
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Original Review on 07-09-2020:

Good price of system and buy back electric higher than alinta

OK I have not had installed the solar yet so need to wait till I get it Original ratings

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

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

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

I still have not recieved any notice that it is producing power waiting for the next bill to find out
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At the time of purchase I believed that this unit was good value for the money. There are 8 x 188 sharp panels to this 1.5kW system and there have been no issues with these panels which are still in good condition.
Inverter rating: 3/5
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100kw Dairy

Origin gave the best price straight up and they listened to what we wanted . We were able to negotiate a better price as our shed , electrical system and position allowed a easy installation and local tradesman .
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Original Review on 05-07-2020:

Not installed yet

All 3 companies were punctual and pleasant to deal with.

One’s quote was way too high.

One was worryingly low.

Only one was a specialist solar company, which gave them the edge over electricians who dabble in solar.
Original ratings

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

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

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

So far, so good.
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Excellent installation contractor

Very easy to work with over the phone, and very clear information. As my second home solar installation in the last 4 years this was a much more pleasant and problem-free experience. The key points to the purchase was the deal that included 2 years interest free monthly payments, with 22cpkW FIT for 2 years.
9.6kW Trina panels installed, with a Fronius Symo inverter (3 phase power at the house).

Inverter rating: 5/5
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Very slow to get their act together. Sales, installer and meter supplier all independant and not well coordinated.

Sales group ok, plenty of communication and follow-up. Cost of system offset by higher feed in tariff.
Installer competent but it did take a while before work happened and it took two days.
Grid installation was slightly chaotic and required me to sort separately.
It would have been more convenient if I had one person to deal with not three.
Overall the process was ok...4/5.

Inverter rating: 4/5
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Origin Energy a reputable company to deal with.

Every thing from start to installation has been fantastic. The installer was safety conscious and detailed.
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Original Review on 30-06-2020:

Excellent installer

Had contact at my home form [horan and bird/origin,] sales rep, was very good and easy to talk to explained everything, no pressure, quoted system I was interested in and the cost was ok.

The installation was very good and excellent job, even in bad weather the got the job done. The workers were very polite and knew what they were doing, i would recommend this installer to anyone.
Original ratings

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

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

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

Yes. This quarter I am in $200 in credit
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10 months, no rebate

Install of panels: moved planned roof install and reduced by 3 panels.
Quality of install: not square on the roof, having waterfall issues over the gutter line.
Quality of product: inverter shuts down in the rain
Origin new connection: took over 10 months to sign up as a new customer and get feed in tarrifs
Overall, pretty disappointed of paying top dollar for a reputable company to do a below average job.

Inverter rating: 1/5
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Good. Potentially very useful

Quoting was thorough. Accurate. Installation went well. Quick and efficient. Customer service. So far so good.
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Easy and transparent process

I chose Origin energy after a recommendation from a neighbour who have been elated with their energy savings after installing a solar system with Origin. I originally explored the idea of switching providers from Energy Australia who had been my retailer for more than a decade, and who I believed had been price gouging me for more than a year, and selected Origin on a large saving comparitive to actual energy consumption at two different addresses. The quoting process was clear and transparent and the installation itself seamless and professional.
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Product and Installation Good but you have to deal with Origin and they are the worst

I went with Origin due to convenience - they weren't the cheapest or most expensive but it was easy and they had interest free.

The installation and equipment are fine, no problems there and I was very happy with the guys doing the install. All went well until there was a problem with my direct debit. I phoned up to get it fixed and somehow they messed up my solar payments, I ended up in credit on my electricity and debit on solar. Customer service was useless and had no luck talking to solar people. I have screen shots of being on hold for over an hour - never got through to them. They ended up putting a default on my credit record even though it is paid. Impossible to talk to someone. I suspect it is a scam because now if I apply to another provider they reject me so I'm stuck at Origin. I use Red Energy in my business and opposite when it comes to customer service - very helpful.

I'm writing this because a friend mentioned Origin had good solar reviews.

Before considering Origin Google 'Origin energy reviews' and proceed at your own risk.

Inverter rating: 4/5
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Feed in tariff decided the supplier

Quick one day installation. Full support from Origin service team in organising the installation. A bit longer wait for the transfer from one provider to another, and meter upgrade.
Inverter rating: 5/5
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So far, So good.

My installation of 30 panels and the inverter occurred yesterday 20 July 20 and all went well.
The installers arrived at the agreed time and introduced themselves prior to commencing work, which I found a nice gesture. The work was carried out professionally and seamlessly. One of them even replaced a couple of broken tiles not associated with the actual work site. Again, a lovely gesture. The installation team were friendly and helpful and didn't mind me asking questions throughout the installation process. Now I wait for Origin to configure my meter which should be in the next ten days or so. So far I'm very satisfied with Origin Solar but we are not over the line yet. I'll update when our system is switched on and I see the results first hand.
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Original Review on 06-11-2019:

Complete professionalism throughout

1) Kept me informed by email throughout each phase.
2) David senior installer was knowledgeable, professional, clean and and left his work area spotless.
3) Everything was done by head office including organising the meter to be changed after filling an online form.
Original ratings

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

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

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

Very much so, we have only experienced two quarters since installation with no electricity bills apart from the $277 p/m repayment over 2 years and still in credit.
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Origin

Took along time to complete the installation from quote to operation, but was given a discount.
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Very helpful from first enquiry to completed installation

Hi response as per questions
1. Very helpful and informative
2. All three examples but they did break 14 roof tiles
3. I had to contact Origin for the Smart Meter to be fitted which is supposed to be within 15 days but as yet has not been done
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Original Review on 30-06-2019:

Your site was most helpful and informative
The quotes supplied were competitive but the FIT could not be matched
Original ratings

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

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

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

The system has performed far beyond my expectations.

The first 2 electricity bills were $61.77 and $13.15 respectively. My current bill which is 1/3 of the way through the quarter is sitting at just under $100 but this is due to the smoke from the fires as well as the rain and clouds. I expect that this bill will continue to decrease over the rest of the quarter.

Am I happy?

Given that my bill for each quarter for the last 3 years has been around $1,000 the answer is most assuredly - YES!

All I can say is stop reading this review and go and organise your own solar installation and start saving money!
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Expensive and disappointing after installation water leaking and roof vent missing

Lots of happenings after solar installation. first they took longer time to schedule your appointment and secondly, since they installed solar, lots of things are happening, which haven't happened before. For example, water leaking from our ceiling after installation. and missing roof vent from our roof. after bushfire, Raining has started this week but water leaking from ceiling. We called origin to fix it or where is the roof vent? they got upset and didn't fix it and said next they will charge $199 if we call them.and not responsible for any item missing.
Inverter rating: 4/5
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First inverter lasted about 2 years,, no problem with warranty replacement. This time 5 year warranty is over.. This product is in a clean sheltered environment. Most other inverters give much better reliability.
Inverter rating: 1/5
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Pathetic service

I have signed them 2 months ago considering they are big company. I agreed to pay even extra compared to what is offered in market by only considering they are big. 2 months passed, no updates yet. Whenever I called them they said yes please wait. I confirmed the contract for approx 2 months and now it seem they will install in winter probably. First they promised a fixed price and latter they are asking extra money I have a brand new house in which I have modern fittings but still they found something to charge extra. I don’t recommend them at all !!!
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Origin warranty is all care and no responsibility. Which for the inverter meant putting all responsibility on manufacturer Zeversolar to supply a replacement which occurred at a snails pace and was a refurbished unit with a visually poor condition face plate.
Inverter rating: 2/5
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Good Service and Products and better value than solarquotes as $0 upfront

Good Service and Products and better value than solarquotes as $0 upfront
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Ongoing will be installed soon

We wanted 3 quotes one from you and 2 we organised. One of our quotes cancelled to appointment 10 minutes before they were supposed to arrive and wanted to reschedule. We told them not to bother as we had 2 other quotes. The other 2 were great and explained everything well. It came down to $ . We went to Origin Solar. We are still working through the installation. Delays over Xmas, which is understandable. They have arranged the connection to Endeavour energy and will arrange the new meter. We are now waiting for installation.
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Original Review on 30-04-2019:

Even though the installation went OK we are still waiting for meter box to be reconfigered to 3 phase before we can start producing power. Original ratings

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

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

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

8 months has gone by since the installation and so far there have been no problems. They are generating power up to specification. We have a net metering system therefore our usage from the grid has reduced appropriately. All up we reckon a payback period of not more than 4yrs providing system can maintain current output. For the first two years of the installation we are receiving a feed in tariff of 25c/kWhr. It then reduces to whatever we can negotiate.

We considered battery storage. However we found that the investment didn't stack up so until Origin reduce cost or the Government increase rebates we will have to be satisfied with what we have.
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Good value

I have do far been happy with the service , cost and speed of replies , the install will be I two weeks . A total of 5 weeks from purchuse, I was expecting much longer turn around and am pleasantly surprised
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