BHESCo's Data Privacy & Cookie Policy

Cookie Policy

Introduction

Brighton and Hove Energy Services Co-operative Ltd (BHESCo) is committed to processing information in ways that comply with its legal and regulatory obligations and to being clear about what it does with information.

This Policy explains how we use information we collect when you use our website.

Cookies on our website

The BHESCo website uses cookies to work.

  • We use cookies to remember settings you have chosen, like website translation and font size, and actions you have taken, for example submitting a form. This means you don’t need to re-enter this information each time you visit a new web page.
  • We use cookies to gather information about how our website is used to help us
    maintain and develop our services. For example, we monitor what pages and links are most popular.
  • We do not use cookies to personally identify you or collect information about you as an individual.

You can decide what cookies are allowed and delete cookies at any time by adjusting
settings on your web browser. Please be aware that restricting cookies may have an impact
upon the functionality of our website.

Where personal data is requested through forms, the data is only used for the purpose stated on the form and will not be given or sold to any third parties. We do not store any personal data in our website content management system (CMS).

This cookie policy only covers the Brighton & Hove Energy Services Co-operative Ltd website  at www.bhesco.co.uk. Websites linked to and from this site are not covered by this policy.

External sites linked to from our website include our social media sites.

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to understand how you use our website. Google Analytics stores information about:

• the pages you visit
• how long you spend on each page
• how you got to the site
• what you click on while you’re visiting the site

Opt out of Google Analytics tracking

You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by downloading their broswer add-on.

Social media cookies

We embed our video content using YouTube. Information on how YouTube uses cookies can
be found on the Google privacy pages. We have used YouTube’s ‘no-cookie’ domain to stream videos on our site. This means that cookies will only be set by YouTube if you play the video.

Some of our web pages include Twitter streams. These use cookies, set by the service
provider. Go to the Twitter Privacy policy page

Third party site disclaimer

Please note that external sites including social media sites linked from our website may also use cookies. Please check with these external sites what information is being collected using
cookies.

Data protection registration
We are registered with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office under Registration
number: ZA112039.

Updates to this policy
This policy will be reviewed annually. Next review due by 31 May 2024

Privacy Policy

Introduction

Brighton and Hove Energy Services Co-operative Ltd (BHESCo) is committed to processing personal information about its customers in ways that comply with its legal and regulatory obligations and to being clear with customers about what it does with their personal information.

This Policy explains how we use any personal information we may collect about you when
you use our website, when you use or are a recipient of our services and when you work for
or are a member of BHESCo.

Data controller and Data Processor

For legal purposes, Brighton and Hove Energy Services Co-operative Ltd is known as the
Data Controller and the Data Processor as it decides the purposes for and the means by
which the personal data we hold are processed. We must do so fairly and lawfully.

The information we hold about you

We usually obtain, hold and process the following personal data in respect of individuals:
• names
• addresses
• telephone numbers
• email addresses
• date of birth

We may additionally obtain, hold and process the following sensitive personal data for
specific purposes relating to the area of work we carry out:

• physical or mental health condition
• debts, benefits and credit ratings
• documentation of our conversations either in person or by telephone

These data are obtained, stored and processed solely to assist staff in the efficient running of a service requested by you or to verify your access to other services (for example, to credit). The majority of personal data that we hold are stored electronically, with some paper records being kept when they contain signatures.

How we collect information

We collect information direct from you through the following means:
• electronically – via email, our website (see also our Cookie Policy), social media
platforms, event registrations and home surveys
• on paper – via sign-up sheets, membership and job applications
• verbally

We also receive personal data as a result of referrals from advice and support agencies and other project partners.

How we use that information

BHESCo has a legitimate interest in holding and processing the above information about you as it is needed for us to provide our service to you.

We use the information in the following ways:

• to provide our services to you
• to administer your membership
• to update you on our progress
• to administer our website and business
• to send statements, invoices and payment reminders to you
• to send you non-marketing commercial communications
• to send you email notifications that you have specifically requested
• to send you our email newsletter, if you have requested it
• to send you marketing communications relating to our business which we think may be of interest to you, if you have requested them
• to deal with enquiries and complaints

Personal data supplied by you are not used to send marketing material or newsletters
unless you have granted us permission to do so and you can inform us at any time if you no
longer wish to receive these communications.

Who we share it with

We may disclose your personal information to any of our employees, officers, insurers,
professional advisers, agents, suppliers or subcontractors insofar as reasonably necessary for the purposes set out in this policy.

We may disclose your personal information:

• to the extent that we are required to do so by law
• in connection with any ongoing or prospective legal proceedings
• in order to establish, exercise or defend our legal rights (including providing information to others for the purposes of fraud prevention and reducing credit risk)

Except as provided for in this policy, we will not provide your personal information to third
parties.

For how long do we keep personal data?

We must keep all personal data safe and only hold it for as long as necessary. The retention
period depends upon the reason for retaining your data.

• For service users, we will store your data securely for the length of time that we
provide a service to you.

• For members, staff and volunteers, we will store your data securely for the length of
time required for statutory reporting purposes.

Your rights

• You have the right to see personal data that is held about you and a right to have a
copy provided to you.

• If at any point you believe that the personal data we hold about you is inaccurate, you can ask to have it corrected.

• You can require BHESCo to limit the processing of your personal data in certain
circumstances, for example, whilst a complaint about its accuracy is being resolved.

• You can object to your personal data being processed, although BHESCo can override
this objection in certain circumstances.

• Where you have given your consent to processing your personal data, you can
withdraw that consent at any time by notifying us (see “Who to contact” below).

However, withdrawing your consent will not affect the processing of any personal
data which took place beforehand and it may be possible for BHESCo to continue
processing your personal data where it is justified.

• You can request that your personal data is deleted altogether, although BHESCo can
override this request in certain circumstances.

You should be aware that taking any of the above steps could impact our ability to answer
questions relating to the service we have provided you.

Who to contact about your personal data

If you wish to:

• see your personal data or to exercise any of the rights mentioned above

• make a complaint about how we have handled your personal data

please contact the Data Controller by mail to:

Brighton and Hove Energy Services Co-operative Ltd, Freedom Works | Barts House | Black Lion Street
Brighton | East Sussex | BN1 1JE

or by email to: info@bhesco.co.uk

Making a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office

If you are not satisfied with our response to any query you raise with us or you believe we
are processing your personal data in a way which is inconsistent with the law, you can
complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office whose helpline number is: 0303 123
1113

Data protection registration

We are registered with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office under Registration number: ZA112039.

Updates to this policy

This policy will be reviewed annually. Next review due by 31 May 2025.