Origin Energy Bill Relief Pathway: Hardship Innovation
Explore Origin Energy's proactive hardship model designed to resolve bill debt, reduce customer stress, and eliminate wait times through retailer-led support.
Bill Relief Pathway
A proactive hardship model — from assessment to resolution in one interaction.
Removing delays. Reducing stress. Resolving debt.
Origin Energy — Hardship Innovation
02
The Problem
6–8 Week Wait
Current process relies on customers to contact a financial counsellor and wait 6 to 8 weeks with a deferral applied.
No Engagement Visibility
No confirmation of engagement or progress from the customer.
Balances Keep Aging
Collections are paused while balances continue to age unresolved.
High Abandonment Rate
High customer stress and high rate of process abandonment.
03
Control Gap in Current Process
No Verification Mechanism
No way to confirm whether a customer has engaged with a financial counsellor.
Deferrals on Customer Advice
Deferrals applied based solely on customer self-reporting.
Collections Must Pause
Collections pause once financial assistance is stated, regardless of progress.
Repeated Deferral Cycles
No control to prevent customers cycling through deferrals repeatedly.
Balances Left Unresolved
Accounts cycle without progressing toward resolution, delaying disconnection.
04
The Solution
Retailer-Led Submission
Shift from customer-led follow-through to retailer-led submission.
Full Assessment Upfront
Origin completes full hardship assessment in the first interaction.
Direct Referral to Counsellor
Grant-ready application sent directly to a financial counsellor.
Counsellor Verifies & Submits
Financial counsellor verifies and submits the application.
Faster Access to Assistance
Removes delays and ensures faster access to financial assistance.
05
How It Works
Identify & Optimise
Staff identify eligible customers and ensure best plan is applied.
Obtain Consent
Verbal consent obtained for data sharing with financial counsellor.
Complete Grant Packet
Staff complete Grant Assessment Packet: customer details, hardship story, income and bill.
Customer Submits ID
Customer receives secure upload link and submits identification directly to NGO.
Counsellor Verifies
Financial counsellor completes verification call and submits application.
Track & Hold
Status updates via shared platform; account hold managed accordingly.
Operational Comparison
Contact Volume
Multiple contacts required
Assessment completed in one interaction
Wait Time
6–8 week deferral period
Application submitted same interaction
Counsellor Call Time
45-minute full assessment calls
5-minute verification call only
Application Status
Pending, no visibility
Improved platform visibility
Repeat Contact
High repeat contact rate
Reduced repeat contact
Compliance and Risk
Informed Consent
Express informed consent obtained before any data sharing occurs.
No Document Handling by Origin
Customer documents sent directly to NGO — Origin staff do not handle them.
Reduced Data Liability
Minimises Origin's data holding liability and exposure.
Counsellor Independence
Financial counsellor retains full independence to assess and decline applications.
Scheme Integrity Protected
Protects integrity of state grant schemes and avoids conflict of interest.
Funding Model
08
Donation Model
Not Recommended
May not meet ATO requirements where a material benefit exists for Origin.
Service Agreement
Recommended
Structured as a business expense. Allows defined service scope, expectations, and measurable performance outcomes. Supports compliance.
A service agreement model ensures compliance, accountability, and measurable performance outcomes.
09
Business Impact
Reduced Debt Aging
Accelerates grant application and processing, reducing the age of at-risk balances.
Improved Recovery
Improves recovery of balances at risk of write-off through faster resolution.
Lower Customer Stress
Removes delays and uncertainty, reducing customer distress throughout the process.
Collections Alignment
Aligns with collections strategy through improved visibility and resolution outcomes.
10
Pilot Outcome
200 customers. One pathway. Real results.
200
Pilot Customers Targeted
$500
Avg. Grant Value Per Customer
$100,000
Immediate Guaranteed Debt Resolution
Reduced Workload
For both Origin and financial counsellor teams
- origin-energy
- hardship-innovation
- debt-resolution
- financial-counselling
- business-strategy
- customer-experience
- utility-billing