The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) will be contacting almost 5000 households that are likely to have energy solar systems with dangerous LG solar batteries.
And now scammers are taking advantage of the recalls, the ACCC warns.
The batteries, which may be branded LG, SolaX, Opal, Redback, Red Earth, Eguana, and VARTA, can overheat and catch fire, causing property damage and injuries. The ACCC is reaching out to consumers who are likely to have recalled LG batteries to warn them of the fire risk associated with the faulty batteries.
Consumers are urged to turn off affected batteries, keep them off and contact the manufacturer for a free replacement or refund. The ACCC says LG will provide financial compensation to consumers who have higher electricity bills as a result of not being able to use their battery as expected.
The ACCC warns scammers may use this recall to elicit personal information or money from you. The ACCC says it would never ask for your details or payment.
So far, about 2900 batteries have been replaced or removed from consumers’ properties. A further 1400 batteries have been switched off or have had the maximum charge capacity reduced to reduce the risk of overheating while waiting for a replacement or refund.
However, LG and SolaX are trying to trace around 3000 additional recalled batteries.
“This recall has been updated twice to include new models, affected systems and dates of manufacture, so even if your battery was not recalled previously, you must check your battery’s serial number again,” says ACCC deputy chair Delia Rickard “We remain very concerned about the fire risks these faulty batteries pose, so please act quickly.”
What consumers should do
1. Check if your battery has been recalled
Consumers can use the serial number checker on the LG website to see if their energy storage system is affected by the recall.
2. If your battery has been recalled, switch it off
To switch off the battery storage system safely, refer to the instructions for the battery storage system or contact the installer or LG Energy Solution 1300 677 273 or email [email protected]
3. Contact the manufacturer
Contact the manufacturer to let them know you have a recalled battery and arrange a remedy.
For LG, Redback, Red Earth, Evolve or VARTA energy storage systems contact LG Energy Solution on 1300 677 273 or email [email protected]
For SolaX or Opal battery systems contact SolaX Power on 1300 476 529 ore email [email protected]
Further information is on the Product Safety Australia website at LG’s recall and SolaX Power’s recall.
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