South Australians are being urged to check their home energy solar systems, with the warning coming from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) over dangerous LG solar energy storage batteries which are under recall.
Calling for urgent action, the ACCC said LG, SolaX or Opal home energy solar systems could be affected by the recalled batteries, which could overheat and catch fire.
The Commission advised consumers to contact the manufacturer immediately.
“(This) could lead to serious injuries, death and property damage,” it said.
Deputy Chair at the ACCC, Delia Rickard said that since October 2019 there had been nine reported incidents involving the batteries in Australia, resulting in property damage and one injury, with five incidents and one injury reported in the US.
“These batteries have already caused injury and fire damage to properties,” Ms Rickard said.
She said LG had recalled the batteries, but about 6,400 of the recalled batteries had not yet been replaced.
Ms Rickard said the ACCC was concerned that the consumers may not be aware of the recall and 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,” she 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.”
The Deputy Chair said LG would replace all affected batteries free of charge when replacements were available.
“Electrical regulators recommend switching off the battery,” Ms Rickard said.
