The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has issued an urgent call to consumers to check their LG, SolaX or Opal home energy solar systems as they are affected by dangerous LG solar energy storage batteries which are under recall.
ACCC advised consumers to contact the manufacturer immediately as the owners of the batteries can overheat and catch fire.
“(This) could lead to serious injuries, death and property damage,” the Commission said.
Deputy Chair at ACCC, Delia Rickard said that since October 2019 there had been nine reported incidents involving those types of batteries in Australia resulting in property damage and one injury with five incidents and one injury reported in the USA.
“We encourage consumers to urgently check if they have an LG, Solax or Opal solar energy storage battery which is included in the recall by LG,” Ms Rickard said.
“These batteries have already caused injury and fire damage to properties,” Ms Rickard said.
She said LG has recalled the batteries but about 6,400 of the recalled batteries have not yet been replaced.
ACCC is concerned that the consumers may not be aware of the recall and the fire risk.
“Consumers who identify they have an LG energy storage battery under recall are urged to immediately contact LG to discuss next steps, including a free replacement when available,” Ms Rickard said.
“The affected batteries have also been supplied in solar energy storage systems with brand names other than LG, so it is extremely important to check if you have a battery affected by the recall by checking the serial number on the LG website.”
She said LG will replace all affected batteries free of charge when replacements are available.
“Electrical regulators recommend switching off the battery,” she said.
“If consumers wish to switch off the battery, they should refer to the instruction manual of their energy storage system or contact the installer or manufacturer for advice.”
