before starting their planned exploration were refuted by the Northern Land Council which stated it understood the text in the contracts and consulted with traditional Aboriginal landowners. Origin stated that it conducted multiple checks when installing a well and that fracking stops if a check fails. Misleading information and prohibited fees In December 2020, Origin was fined $126,000 after the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission issued an infringement for misleading information regarding price increases in a letter sent out to Victorian customers in December 2019. Origin stated in the letter that electricity prices were changing because of the Victorian Essential Services Commission's increase to the Victorian Default Offer, an unrelated price set by the Essential Services Commission. However, the ACCC stated that the price increase was entirely Origin's choice and they chose to increase prices. In October 2021 Origin was fined $5 million for charging 22,371 customers prohibited exit fees totaling $489,774. Origin received complaints about the fees in 2018 but continued charging them until 2020. The Essential Services Commission stated “Origin Energy knew at all times about the changes in the law banning exit fees and they even reviewed 19 different contract templates but didn’t remove the exit fees”. By October 2021 fewer than half the wrongly charged exit fees had been reimbursed. Pollution In September 2022 Origin Energy pleaded guilty to releasing nearly 800,000 litres of polluted water from its coal seam gas operations in Queensland’s Western Downs region, north-west of Brisbane. According to the Department of Environment and Science, heavy rain caused water to overflow from coal seam gas tanks into a nearby waterway, including a landholder's dam. References External links Solar cells wait for their day in the sun GE Energy, CH2M Hill to build power plant in Australia Companies based in Sydney Natural gas companies of Australia Electric power companies of Australia Energy in Queensland Companies listed on the Australian Securities Exchange Oil and gas companies of New Zealand Australian companies established in 2000 Energy companies established in 2000