Energy Australia vs Origin
Origin is a behemoth in the Australian energy market, with nearly 3 million more customers than Energy Australia, but having more people buying your energy doesn’t necessarily make you better.
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We’ve put together this guide to help you distinguish between two of Australia’s three largest energy retailers. We look at what plans they offer and where as well as do a quick comparison of their best prices state by state.
Energy Australia vs Origin: How do they stack up against each other?
At the time of writing, here's how the two provider compared to each other:
| Energy Australia | Origin | |
|---|---|---|
 Incentives | Discounted plan fees | Bill credits, online sign-up discount on some plans |
 GreenPower options | 3 | 3 |
 Green Rating | 3 stars | 3.5 stars |
 Price | Energy Australia is cheaper in 1 out of the 4 states we reviewed. | Origin is cheaper in 3 out of the 4 states we reviewed |
Get a price estimate for Energy Australia or Origin
Cost comparison: Energy Australia vs Origin
The list below shows the cheapest plans for each provider. We don't include plans that have special eligibility requirements.
| Brand | Plan name | Difference from reference price | Conditional discount? | Estimated price (per 91 days) | Estimated price (Annual) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Origin Energy | Origin Max Saver | 16% less | N/A | $307.80 | $1,231.20 |
| Energy Australia | No Frills | 13% less | N/A | $317.75 | $1,271.00 |
Verdict: You’re a bit better off going with Origin in New South Wales and can expect to save about $40 off your power bills.
The following price estimates are a general guide only. Prices are based on a residential customer in Melbourne, Victoria who consumes 4,000kWh a year on a single rate tariff in the CitiPower network. Prices were last checked on December 2019 and are subject to change. Always check the provider's site before applying.
| Brand | Plan name | Difference from reference price | Conditional discount? | Estimated price (per 91 days) | Estimated price (Annual) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Origin Australia | Origin Max Saver (Single Rate) | 5% less (without conditional discount) | Further 5% off VDO if you always pay on time, and 5% off VDO when you pay by direct debit | $283.14 | $1,133.00 |
| Energy Australia | Total Plan Home - Peak Only | 6% less (without conditional discount) | Further 6% off VDO if you always pay on time | $293.13 | $1,173.00 |
Verdict: Like in New South Wales, you’re $40 better off a year when you take out a plan with Origin.
Note: For residents outside of South East Queensland, residents don't get to choose their provider as energy is regulated by the Queensland Competition Authority.
The following price estimates are a general guide only. Prices are based on a residential customer in Queensland who consumes 4,600kWh a year on a single rate tariff in the Energex network. Prices were last checked on December 2019 and are subject to change. Always check the provider's site before applying.
| Brand | Plan name | Difference from reference price | Conditional discount? | Estimated price (per 91 days) | Estimated price (Annual) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Origin Energy | Origin Max Saver | 15% less | N/A | $333.37 | $1,333.48 |
| Energy Australia | Total Plan Home | 11% less | N/A | $349.05 | $1,396.20 |
Verdict: Origin’s Max Saver plan wins out in Queensland, offering a cool $63 a year over Energy Australia.
The following price estimates are a general guide only. Estimated prices are based on a residential customer in Canberra, ACT who consumes 5,499kWh a year on a single rate tariff in the Evoenergy network, and only one plan per provider is shown. Estimated prices include conditional discounts (if any). Any plans with special eligibility requirements are excluded. Prices were last checked on December 2019 and are subject to change. Always check the provider's site before applying
| Brand | Plan name | Difference from reference price | Conditional discount? | Estimated price (per 91 days) | Estimated price (Annual) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy Australia | Total Plan Home | N/A | N/A | $234.37 | $937.48 |
| Origin Energy | Origin Max Saver | N/A | N/A | $238.31 | $953.24 |
Verdict: This is the only place where Energy Australia comes out cheaper than Origin, by about $16 a year.
What plans available from AGL and Origin in each state?
New South Wales
The plans on offer in New South Wales are the standard suite for each provider, consisting of three from Energy Australia and four from Origin.
Victoria
Energy Australia requires payment by direct debit for its Victorian plans, but Origin gives a bit more freedom in how you pay with its Flexi and Basic plans.
Queensland
Once again, you’ll find little difference between the rates offered by Energy Australia’s Total Plan and No Frills plan in Queensland for the first 12 months. Origin’s offerings are largely comparable to those in other states.
ACT
The ACT is different in that it has no set reference price like you’ll find in other states, but Energy Australia and Origin both have competitive plans on offer for residents.
Verdict
Neither Origin nor Energy Australia offer very much in the way of sign-up incentives, though Origin does have a few tiny discounts and bill credits here and there on some of its plans. Both companies boast a power usage and management app for their customers to track their power use, and Origin even makes its use compulsory on its Max Saver plan.
When it comes to environmental options, both Origin and Energy Australia offer GreenPower certified renewable energy in increments of 10%, 20% and 100% for Energy Australia and 25%, 50% and 100% for Origin. Origin also offers a wide range of solar power options and has very high feed-in tariffs available for many of its plans compared to Energy Australia.
When it comes to choosing one of these suppliers over the other, the only state where one is clearly ahead is South Australia, with Origin’s plan beating Energy Australia’s by a significant margin. Outside of that, you may want to consider other things like customer service and which plan will suit you best in terms of your power use and where you live.
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