Consumers are again being urged to immediately check their LG solar batteries after the Assistant Treasurer this week threatened to issue a compulsory notice.
The recall is for specific storage batteries, which can overheat and catch fire without warning. Across Australia, 13 incidents of property damage have been linked to the affected batteries, including a house in Victoria that was destroyed.
The escalation is being proposed by the Assistant Treasurer following concerns that LG has not taken satisfactory action to prevent the affected batteries causing injury to any person. Around 3,000 have been found since early December, less than half the known units around the country.
According to ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe, around 5,000 affected LG solar storage batteries have not yet been located, posing serious risk to homeowners.
“We are urging everyone that has a solar energy storage system to check whether they have an affected battery and, if they do and it has not been remediated, to switch it off and contact LG immediately”, Lowe says.
“Even if you don’t have an LG branded solar storage system, please still follow our recommended steps to check your battery to protect your home and your family. Some of the affected batteries are installed in systems sold under other brands or in unbranded systems”, Lowe suggests.
Consumers have a right to receive a refund, replacement or software update to fix the problem at no cost to them. The remedy each consumer will receive depends on the serial number of the battery affected. LG has also committed to providing compensation to consumers who face higher energy bills while their system is switched off.
Further information is available at the Product Safety Australia website.
