Australians are being warned to check their solar energy systems for a specific type of lithium-ion battery which can spontaneously overheat and catch fire.
The LG solar storage batteries have now been linked to 13 cases of property damage in Australia, including one blaze that destroyed a house in Victoria.
Today a proposed compulsory recall notice for the affected batteries was issued, after a recommendation from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones issued the notice, saying he believed LG had not taken satisfactory action to prevent the affected batteries causing injury.
The first safety warnings relating to the batteries were issued back in 2021, however thousands of the units have still not been located.
"A proposed recall notice is a formal step towards a compulsory recall, and highlights the serious risk posed by the around 5000 affected LG solar storage batteries that have not yet been located," ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe explained.
"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."
"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 added.
In Australia the affected LG batteries are already subject to a voluntary recall, and a software fix recall.
Together these recalls cover 18,054 affected LG batteries with cells produced between January 21, 2016 and June 3, 2019.
The known number of affected LG batteries in Australia continues to change as LG and SolaX continue to locate affected LG batteries globally and in Australia, with some batteries expected to be located overseas being found in Australia and vice versa.
As at January 25, 2024, 4,950 affected LG batteries supplied to consumers in Australia had not been located.
Anyone with an affected battery has the right to a refund, replacement, or software update to fix the issue, depending on the serial number.
LG has also agreed to provided compensation to consumers who face higher energy bills while their system is switched off.
A full list of the affected LG batteries and information regarding what to do if your unit is faulty can be found on the LG website.