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Australian Gas Networks to face court action over alleged misleading renewable gas campaign
June 26 (Reuters) - Australia's competition watchdog said on Thursday it has launched a federal court action against gas distributor Australian Gas Networks Limited, alleging it made false and misleading representations in its renewable gas campaign.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) alleges that the gas distributor — in its "Love Gas" TV and digital advertising campaign that ran during 2022 and 2023 — made representations that the company would be distributing renewable gas to households on its network within a generation.
The ACCC alleges that the ad campaign misled millions of consumers as it overstated the likelihood of the firm overcoming significant technical and economic barriers to achieve its claims, even as the gas distributor was aware of the uncertain future of renewable gas.
"It is not currently possible to distribute renewable gas at scale and at an economically viable price, and throughout 2022 and 2023 it was highly uncertain whether, and if so when, this would be possible," said ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb.
The ACCC is seeking declarations, penalties, costs and other orders, it said in the statement.
Australian Gas Networks did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
