Australia's failure to apply mandatory safety standards before products hit the market means your home can become the test lab.
A recent case shows how this can play out.
A range of LG solar lithium-ion batteries, installed in homes across Australia, have the potential to overheat and cause a fire.
The batteries are in a wide range of energy storage systems, including LG, SolaX, Opal, Redback, Red Earth, Eguana and VARTA.
The batteries can catch on fire at any time, without warning
A safety warning notice issued in November 2023 didn't mince words: "There is a serious risk of injury or death and property damage if a fire occurs. Every house fire has the potential to be deadly. The batteries can catch on fire at any time, without warning."
So far there have been 15 incidents of property damage linked to the affected batteries, including one house that was destroyed.
Since 2020, LG has issued voluntary recalls affecting around 18,000 of these batteries, but there are still more out there. As of May 2024, about 4400 batteries are still to be located.
Now this product safety failure has been escalated. LG Energy Solution has provided an enforceable undertaking that it will increase efforts to alert and protect consumers who have installed these faulty LG storage batteries.
The batteries can catch fire at any time, without warning. (Image: ACCC)
What is an enforceable undertaking?
An enforceable undertaking is one of the various compliance options available to government regulators, alongside voluntary and compulsory recalls. It is similar to the legally enforceable outcome of a court case, but avoids the related time and cost of litigation.
Earlier in 2024, Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones, on advice from the ACCC, issued a proposed recall notice for these LG batteries, as a formal step towards a compulsory recall.
Following this action, LG met with the ACCC and offered to make significant further commitments via a court-enforceable undertaking. This places significant obligations on LG to alert consumers and fix the affected batteries.
The ACCC can seek Federal Court orders to enforce this, if LG fails to meet its commitments.
Do I own a faulty LG solar battery?
- To find out if your battery is affected by the recall, go to the LG website and select "Learn more", or you can go straight to the electrical safety recall notice.
- Select "Serial Number Check" and enter the serial number of your battery to see if it has been recalled.
- Note that affected LG batteries may be in other branded systems including SolaX and in unbranded solar energy systems.
If you do own one of the faulty batteries, follow the instructions in your manual on how to switch it off and contact LG immediately.
Unfortunately, there was also a recent fire with an affected LG battery that been fixed via a software update that was intended to prevent that very occurrence. The investigation into that incident is still ongoing, but the ACCC has urged all consumers whose LG batteries have had a software update to immediately switch the battery off, until such time as the investigation is finished.
For assistance or more information, contact LG at 1300 677 273, or SMS only 0438 966 549, or email productau@lgensol.com.
Getting your money back
Since a tendency to start a house fire counts as a major fault, you can demand a refund, replacement or, if applicable, a software update from LG if you own one of the affected batteries.
The remedy you're entitled to depends on the serial number of the battery.
LG will also compensate customers who face higher electricity bills after switching off their batteries.
- For affected LG batteries in SolaX or Opal battery systems, contact SolaX Power on 1300 476 529 or email service@solaxpower.com.au.
- For LG, Redback, Red Earth, Eguana or VARTA or any other affected energy storage systems, contact LG on 1300 677 273 or email productau@lgensol.com.
Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
