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Origin vs ENGIE (formerly Simply Energy)

Who's offering a better deal?

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Sam Baran

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This guide is designed to break down which brand, Origin or ENGIE, has the better electricity deals. We've compared prices and plans in the four states they both sell energy in and placed them side by side for convenience. Retailers can alter their plans and rates at any moment, so the numbers and plans we've summarised below may change in the future.

Origin vs ENGIE (formerly Simply Energy): How do they compare?

Here's how the two providers stood against each other at the time of writing:

OriginENGIE
incentives
Incentives
Everyday Rewards incentivesEveryday Rewards incentives
greenpower options
GreenPower
options
30
Customer service
Customer service score
4.0 stars3.6 stars
price
Price
Origin was cheaper in 1 state and tied in price in 1 state out of 4 we looked at.ENGIE (then Simply Energy) was cheaper in 2 states and tied in price in 1 state out of 4 that we looked at.

Last checked December 2020

The following comparison is a general guide only and may change at any time. We compared prices based on a residential customer in NSW (Postcode: 2000) who consumes 3,900 kWh a year on a single rate tariff in the Ausgrid network. We show one plan per provider and the estimated price includes conditional discounts (if any). Any plans with special eligibility requirements are excluded from this list. Your actual bill may vary, depending on your usage. Always check the provider's site before applying. To view more, you can use our engine.

BrandPlan NameDifference from reference priceConditional discount?Estimated price (per 91 days)Estimated price (annual)
Origin logoMax Saver – Online Special17% lessN/A$303$1,213
Simply Energy LogoSimply Energy Saver20% lessN/A$292$1,166

Prices last checked on July 2020 and are subject to change.

The following comparison is a general guide only and may change at any time. We compared prices based on a residential customer in Queensland (Postcode: 4000) who consumes 4,600kWh a year on a single rate tariff in the Energex network. We show one plan per provider and the estimated price includes conditional discounts (if any). Any plans with special eligibility requirements are excluded from this list. Your actual bill may vary, depending on your usage. Always check the provider's site before applying. To view more, you can use our engine.

For residents outside of South East Queensland, residents don't get to choose their provider as energy is regulated by the Queensland Competition Authority.

BrandPlan NameDifference from reference priceConditional discount?Estimated price (per 91 days)Estimated price (annual)
Origin logoMax Saver – Online Special16% lessN/A$317$1,267
simply energy logoSimply Energy Saver16% lessN/A$317$1,267

Prices last checked on July 2020 and are subject to change.

The following comparison is a general guide only and may change at any time. We compared prices based on a residential customer in South Australia (Postcode: 5000) who consumes 4,000kWh a year on a single rate tariff in the SA Power Networks network. We show one plan per provider and the estimated price includes conditional discounts (if any). Any plans with special eligibility requirements are excluded from this list. Your actual bill may vary, depending on your usage. Always check the provider's site before applying. To view more, you can use our engine.

BrandPlan NameDifference from reference priceConditional discount?Estimated price (per 91 days)Estimated price (annual)
Origin logoMax Saver – Online Special16% lessN/A$385$1,539
simply energy logoSimply Energy Saver8% lessN/A$421$1,685
Prices last checked on July 2020 and are subject to change.

What plans are available from Origin and ENGIE (formerly Simply Energy) in each state?

Note: Discounts and incentives change often. Be sure to check with the provider before signing up or applying.

Victoria

The margin between Simply Energy and Origin isn't huge here, but Simply Energy does have more "rewards" plans available than in other states.

Origin logo
A decent discount on the Victorian Default Offer, with fixed rates for a year. If you're an Everyday Rewards customer, you get 25% GreenPower automatically, and earn bonus points when signing up and paying your bill.
No special requirements, but has higher variable rates compared to the Max Saver.
Simply energy Logo
Basic variable rate electricity with an ongoing guaranteed discount. Discount does not expire after a set period of time.
Slightly higher variable rates than the Simply Energy Saver, but you'll receive a $150 voucher for the AFL online store within 4 weeks of starting your plan. Guaranteed discount with no benefit period.
Same variable rates as the Simply AFL plan, but instead you'll receive 1,000 Vrewards points every month of the plan. These points can be spent at Village Cinemas for discounts and rewards.

New South Wales

Both Origin and Simply Energy have plans that come in far below the reference price for NSW.

Origin logo
Receive Origin's cheapest fixed rates for a full year, plus flexible payments. Everyday Rewards customers get additional points when signing up, paying their bills, and get 25% GreenPower for free.
Smaller guaranteed discount than the Max Saver over the same benefit period, but no special conditions for signing up.
Drops the benefit period on the guaranteed discount and makes it ongoing, but has a smaller discount than Origin's other offerings.
Simply energy Logo
Provides variable rate electricity with no special requirements. The guaranteed discount has no set benefit period and is ongoing.
Only on offer for current NRMA members. Lower rates than a Simply Energy Saver plan and has a similar ongoing discount.

Queensland

Both providers offer roughly the same prices in Queensland for their cheapest plans, although Simply Energy's discount doesn't run out.

Origin logo
Save on your power with a fixed rate for the plan's first year and flexible payments/billing periods. With an Everyday Rewards account, you'll receive bonus points upon sign up, when you pay bills, and enjoy 25% GreenPower for free.
Higher rates than the Max Saver plan, but you don't have to meet special requirements for the 12-month guaranteed discount.
Switches the limited benefit period of the other two plans for an ongoing discount that doesn't expire. However, it has higher variable rates to start with.
Simply energy Logo
Get basic variable rate power with no special conditions. Offers an ongoing guaranteed discount with no expiry date.
Only offered to current members of the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland. You'll receive slightly lower variable rates than the Simply Energy Saver plan, including an ongoing discount.

South Australia

This is the only state where ENGIE offers a small bill credit for signing up to its plan. Otherwise, the gap between the two providers' plans is reasonably large.

Origin logo
Fixed rates for 12 months and flexible payment options always. Are you an Everyday Rewards customer? Tap into 25% GreenPower for free, bonus points per dollar spent on your bill, and even bonus points when you sign up.
Drops the extra requirements of the Max Saver plan, instead offering standard variable rate electricity with a lesser guaranteed discount.
There is no expiry period on the guaranteed discount for Freedom variable rate plans. The discount itself starts out smaller than the others, though.
Simply energy Logo
The Simply Energy Saver provides variable rate electricity with an ongoing guaranteed discount applied to the whole bill. You'll also receive a $25 credit to your first bill when you sign up.
Only available to current members of the Royal Automobile Association of SA. Variable electricity rates (slightly lower than the Simply Energy Saver) with an ongoing discount that's guaranteed.

Customer service score: Origin vs ENGIE (formerly Simply Energy)

We've calculated the Finder service score based on a bunch of different factors related to how easy it is to work with the company and how accessible their customer support is. Some of these metrics include whether online chat support is available, customer service centre operating hours, financial hardship plans and more.

Origin performed significantly better than ENGIE (then Simply Energy) in this category, scoring 4.0 stars out of a possible 5. ENGIE (then Simply Energy) was by no means bad, coming in at 3.6 stars.

Verdict

In terms of online incentives, neither provider is particularly impressive. You can get a tiny bill credit in one state with ENGIE, while Origin's Max Saver plans have miniscule online sign-up discounts on the order of 1%. If you're into AFL or Village Cinemas, ENGIE's specialty plans could be tempting, but are only available in NSW.

While ENGIE claims to offer GreenPower on its website, none of the Basic Plan Information / Fact Sheets for its plans list this as an option, so it does not appear currently available. Origin Energy, on the other hand, has GreenPower available in increments of 25%, 50% and 100%. Both Origin and ENGIE have dedicated apps available for plan management.

In terms of Finder customer service scores, Origin Energy outperforms ENGIE with a rating of 4.0 stars out of 5 compared to ENGIE (then Simply Energy)'s 3.6 stars.

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Sam Baran is a writer for Finder, covering topics across the tech, telco and utilities sectors. They enjoy decrypting technical jargon and helping people compare complex products easily. When they aren't writing, you'll find Sam's head buried in a book or working on their latest short story. Sam has a Bachelor of Advanced Science from the University of Sydney. See full bio

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2 Responses

    Default Gravatar
    HelpJuly 24, 2023

    Is there a price difference between kWh’s for residential power and power for an office?

      AvatarFinder
      MarkAugust 3, 2023Finder

      Hi there,
      Yes prices between residential plans for households and plans for businesses can vary, so you’d need to check with your provider to see what the difference is.
      Hope this helps.

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