AGL vs Origin Energy

Cheapest overall

Usually neither. Both typically price 5% to 15% below the DMO; smaller retailers often go 15% to 25% below.

Best for bundling

AGL (electricity, gas, solar, internet and EV plans in one account)

Best for green credentials

Origin (expanding solar and battery portfolio, Eraring coal closure planned for 2027)

Customer ratings

AGL 1.8/5, Origin 1.5/5 on Google. Both typical for retailers serving millions of accounts.

The short answer

For most households, AGL and Origin are priced within one or two per cent of each other, and neither is the cheapest retailer at your address. Both typically sit 5% to 15% below the Default Market Offer (DMO) reference price set by the Australian Energy Regulator, while the sharpest smaller retailers price 15% to 25% below it. The real question is not "AGL or Origin?" but "does the convenience of a Big 3 retailer justify paying $100 to $300 a year more than the cheapest plan at my address?"

That said, if you are choosing between the two, there are real differences in plan structure, solar offers, bundling and green credentials. Here is how they stack up.

Who they are

AGL and Origin are two of Australia's "Big 3" energy retailers (EnergyAustralia is the third). AGL, founded in 1837, is the country's oldest energy company and serves roughly 4 million customer accounts across NSW, Victoria, SEQ Queensland, South Australia and the ACT. Origin, ASX-listed as ORG, operates in the same states and pairs its retail business with a generation portfolio that still includes the Eraring coal-fired power station in NSW, slated to close in 2027, alongside a fast-growing solar and battery investment programme.

Plan structures compared

The two retailers take noticeably different approaches to plan design.

AGL runs two main residential structures in most states. The Low Plan has lower usage rates but a higher daily supply charge, while the Value Saver flips that: higher usage rates, lower supply charge. Which wins depends on your consumption. Lower-usage households (apartments, couples, solar homes that self-consume heavily) tend to do better on the plan with the lower supply charge, because the fixed daily cost dominates a small bill.

Origin structures its range by conditions rather than rate shape. Origin Go is the simple no-conditions flat rate plan, typically 5% to 12% below the DMO. Origin Max discounts harder, 12% to 18% below DMO, but requires email billing and direct debit. Solar Boost trades a higher feed-in tariff for a slightly higher usage rate, and Spike passes through wholesale prices, which can be cheap in mild months and painful during heatwaves.

Solar households

Neither retailer leads the market on feed-in tariffs, which now range from roughly 3 to 10 cents per kWh across most retailers. Origin's Solar Boost offers one of the higher feed-in rates among the majors, but pairs it with a higher usage rate, so households that self-consume most of their generation can end up worse off than on a cheap standard plan. AGL's solar plans follow the same pattern. Run the numbers on your actual export volume: at typical export levels, a 2 to 3 cent feed-in premium is worth $50 to $90 a year, which a 2 cent higher usage rate can wipe out entirely.

Also factor in the Solar Sharer Offer (from 1 July 2026): three hours of free electricity between 11am and 2pm for smart meter households in NSW, SEQ and SA, regardless of whether you have panels. It changes the arithmetic for load-shifting and makes the retailer-level feed-in comparison less decisive than it used to be.

Bundling and extras

This is AGL's strongest card. Electricity, gas, solar, internet and EV charging plans can all sit in one AGL account, and its app is one of the more capable in the market. Origin counters with broadband and LPG alongside energy, plus its Spike wholesale plan for engaged customers who can shift load away from price peaks. If single-provider convenience genuinely matters to you, AGL's ecosystem is the more comprehensive of the two.

Customer service and reputation

AGL rates 1.8/5 and Origin 1.5/5 on Google Reviews. Both numbers look terrible and both are normal: retailers serving millions of accounts accumulate complaint-driven reviews, and Origin and AGL sit alongside EnergyAustralia in the same band. The recurring complaint themes for both are billing complexity, wait times during peak periods, and plans quietly rolling onto more expensive rates at expiry. Whichever you choose, diarise your plan's benefit period end date and re-compare when it arrives.

When each one wins

Choose AGL if you want everything with one provider (energy, internet, EV, solar), you are a lower-usage household that suits its Low Plan supply-charge structure, or you qualify for a strong AGL introductory offer and are disciplined enough to re-compare when it expires.

Choose Origin if you want a simple no-conditions plan (Origin Go), you can meet the email billing and direct debit conditions for Origin Max's deeper discount, you want a higher solar feed-in through Solar Boost and export heavily, or the renewables transition story matters to you.

Choose neither if your only criterion is price. In nearly every network, a smaller retailer beats both. Reference prices fell in most states on 1 July 2026 (NSW flat rate offers dropped 3.4% to 5%, SEQ 7.2%, Victoria's VDO roughly 3%, per the AER and ESC determinations), and retailers are competing hard for switchers right now.

Common questions