energyadvice.scot Privacy Notice

    How do we collect information from you?

    We obtain information about you via our website when you complete the contact form and through cookies.

    Customer information is obtained over the course of the enquiry with us. This can be done by phone, email, livechat or contact form.

    What type of information do we collect from you via our website?

    The following types of personal information are from the contact form:

    • Name
    • Address
    • Email address
    • IP address

    Use of Cookies

    Our website uses cookies. ‘Cookies’ are small pieces of information stored on your computer which allows websites to recognise you when you visit. These cookies will not identify you as an individual but will collect statistical data concerning your browsing patterns and actions online. We use cookies in order to understand more about how our site is being used by visitors.

    Cookies help us track various aspects of user visitations to our website. This includes the length of a user visit, their geographic location and patterns of user navigation on our site.

    You can switch off cookies on your computer, although this may result in a loss of functionality when accessing our website.

    It is possible to switch off cookies. For more information visit our full cookies policy.

    Google Analytics Cookies

    These cookies are used to collect information about how visitors use our site. We use the information to compile reports and to help us improve the site.

    The cookies collect information in an anonymous form, including the number of visitors to the site, where visitors have come to the website from and the pages they visited.

    For more information on Google Analytics’ privacy policy visit here

    Google Maps

    These are Google Maps third-party cookies, which are unique identifiers to allow traffic analysis to Google Maps.

    For more information on Google Maps’ privacy policy visit here

    What Information is collected from me as a customer?

    • Your name
    • Your contact details
    • Your specific enquiry details and circumstances*
    • Details of the trader
    • Any emails we have sent to each other
    • Any notes or comments made on your enquiry by our advisors
    • Information related to how you accessed our website (if applicable)

    *This depends on your circumstances and the issue you wish us to advise on. This may include Special Category data, if relevant to the case.

    Purposes and Lawful Basis of Collecting Data

    Purpose 

    Lawful Basis 

    To assist you in your enquiry 
    to provide relevant and applicable guidance, advice and information 

    Legitimate Interests 
    (GDPR, Article 6(1)(f)) –  
    We need to process your data to provide you with our services 

    To forward you relevant information or advice via email or text, following the resolution of your query 

    Legitimate Interests 
    (GDPR, Article 6(1)(f)) –  
    We need to process your data to provide you with this service 

    Protecting ADS’s legitimate business interests and legal rights, including but not limited to, use in connection with legal claims, compliance, regulatory and investigative purposes (including disclosure of such information in connection with legal process or litigation) 

    Legitimate Interests 
    (GDPR, Article 6(1)(f)) –  
    We may need to process your data to protect our organisation 

    To monitor use of our websites and online services 

    Legitimate Interests 
    (GDPR, Article 6(1)(f)) –  
    We may use your information to help us check, improve and protect our products, content, services and websites, both online and offline 

    To monitor any customer account to prevent, investigate and/or report fraud, terrorism, misrepresentation, security incidents or crime 

    Legitimate Interests 
    (GDPR, Article 6(1)(f)) 
    and Legal Obligation 
    (GDPR, Article 6(1)(c)) –  
    We are legally obliged to process data for this purpose 

    To provide our funders with anonymous statistics on service use 

    Legitimate Interests 
    (GDPR, Article 6(1)(f)) –  
    These reports will never include any personally identifiable information, meaning no-one will be able to discern who you are from the information provided 

    To comply with applicable law and legislation 

    Legal Obligation 
    (GDPR, Article 6(1)(c)) –  
    We are legally obliged to process data for this purpose 

    To share relevant data to organisations that require confirmation of certain information for referrals to take place.

    Consent 
    (GDPR, Article 6(1)(a))

    We require consent to collect and process data for this purpose.

     

    Who we may share information with

    • Extra Help Unit
    • Ofgem
    • The Energy Ombudsman
    • The Scottish Government
    • The Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
    • Citizens Advice
    • Your Energy Supplier

    How long do we keep your personal data?

    Service

    Retention Period

    Data Type

    Energy & Post

    Three months

    Call recordings

    Two years

    Name, contact details, specific enquiry details and circumstances, complainant details, emails, advisor notes/comments, website data

    Five years

    Generic referral data, generic outcome data, generic categorisation data

    Your data protection rights

    Under data protection law, you have the following rights:

    • Your right of access – You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information.
    • Your right to rectification – You have the right to ask us to rectify personal information you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete.
    • Your right to erasure – You have the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances.
    • Your right to restriction of processing – You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
    • Your right to object to processing – You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
    • Your right to data portability – You have the right to ask that we transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation, or to you, in certain circumstances.

    You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you in most cases.

    Please contact us at DPO@advice.scot  if you wish to make a request.

    Links to other websites

    Our website may contain links to other sites run by other organisations. This privacy policy applies only to our website, so we encourage you to read the privacy statements on the other websites you visit. We are not responsible for the privacy policies and practices of other sites.

    Where can you find more information about our handling of your data?

    If you have any outstanding questions or requests regarding this policy or our privacy practices in general, you can contact us by email through DPO@advice.scot.

    If you are not happy with our response or require further information regarding data processing rules and regulations, you can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office: https://ico.org.uk/.

    Where can you find more information about ADS’s handling of your data?

    If you have any outstanding questions or requests regarding this policy or our privacy practices in general, you can contact us by email through DPO@advice.scot.

    If you are not happy with our response or require further information regarding data processing rules and regulations, you can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office: https://ico.org.uk/.

    Complaints

    If you are not happy with our response or require further information regarding data processing rules and regulations, you can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office: https://ico.org.uk/.

    Review of this policy

    We keep this Policy under regular review. This Policy was last updated in February 2024.