Cookies, GDPR & Privacy

What is GDPR?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a new law on data protection and privacy that comes into affect on May 25, 2018. GDPR means you will have more control over how your data is used. Even though it is a European law, it will still apply to UK businesses and individuals after Brexit.

Introduction

Your personal data is data which by itself or with other data available to us can be used to identify you. We are Compare Energy Bills Ltd t/a CEB Consultants, the data controller. This data protection statement sets out how we’ll use your personal data. You can contact our Data Protection Officer (DPO) at Macrome House, Macrome Road, Tettenhall, Wolverhampton WV6 7SP if you have any questions.

How and when do we collect your personal data?

We’ll collect most of the personal data we require directly, during your application for a CEB account. This data allows us to act on your behalf with utility, telecom and merchant service suppliers throughout the tendering process, to manage your account and the service you’ve applied for.

The personal data we collect and use includes:

• Full name and personal details including contact information; (e.g. business or home address, email address, office/mobile telephone number);
• Records of products and services you’ve obtained or applied for; (eg: Business Gas and Electricity Usage);
• Your information from credit reference and payment gateway sources (eg: GoCardless, Experian, CreditSafe);
• Personal data about other named applicants. You must have their authority to provide their personal data to us and share this data protection statement with them beforehand together with details of what you’ve agreed on their behalf.

When you visit our public website;

• To help us improve our services and your user experience, we use anonymous cookies and Google Analytics. Once you leave our website, those cookies become obsolete;

What is Sensitive Personal Data?

Personal data (under GDPR) might be your name and email address. Sensitive Personal data would be your credit card, bank account and other financial information we require in order to manage your account.

Why do we collect your personal data?

We require your personal data to set up, approve and manage your account and services. It allows us at the time of renewal, to contact you with proposals that could reduce your monthly bills. And, it allows us to look into and resolve any queries that may arise against your account.

Who do we share your information with?

• Service Providers and other persons who help us provide you with products and services;
• Credit reference agencies (eg: Experian, CreditSafe) and payment gateway sources (eg: GoCardless) should you choose to open an account with us;
• Our legal and other professional advisors, including our auditors;
• Fraud prevention agencies and debt collection agencies when we open your account and periodically during your account or service management;
• Government bodies and agencies in the UK and overseas (eg: HMRC who may in turn share it with relevant overseas tax authorities and with regulators e.g. the Financial Conduct Authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office);
• Courts, to comply with legal requirements, and for the administration of justice;
• Your data is not Sold, Shared or Rented to any third party other than those essential partners listed above.

You’re free at any time to change your mind and withdraw your consent. The consequence might be that we can’t do certain things for you.

How long will we keep your data?

The following criteria are used to determine data retention periods for your personal data:

• Retention while you have an active account with us.
• Retention in case of queries. We'll retain your personal data as long as necessary to deal with your queries (eg: Historic data; Has my annual bill increased from last year? If so, why?)
• Retention in case of claims. We'll retain your personal data for as long as you might legally bring claims against us;

How we contact you

Should we need to contact you for the purpose of contract renewal, acceptance of your new contract or any other account related business, we'll use your phone number, email address or company address to contact you according to your preferences. You can change your preferences or unsubscribe at any time by contacting us.

What are your data rights?

You have always had the legal right to have inaccurate information held by us corrected. After May 25, you also have new rights, like the right to erasure ('to be forgotten') and the right to restrict processing, all of which gives you more control over your personal data.

Your rights under applicable data protection law are;

• The right to be informed about our processing of your personal data:
• The right to have your personal data corrected if it's inaccurate and to have incomplete personal data completed;
• The right to object to processing of your personal data;
• The right to restrict processing of your personal data;
• The right to have your personal data erased (the 'right to be forgotten');
• The right to request access to your personal data and information about how you process it;
• The right to move, copy or transfer your personal data ('data portability'); and
• Rights in relation to automated decision making including profiling.

You have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office. It has enforcement powers and can investigate compliance with data protection law: ico.org.uk

Cookies. What are they?

Firstly, we're not talking about the crumbly versions we all love to dunk in our tea. We use Google Analytical cookies to help us improve the service our website delivers. It's a small file which asks permission to be placed on your smartphone, tablet or computer.

This happens when you first arrive on our website. It appears as a pop-up. We only follow your progress as you use our website. Once you leave, the cookie becomes obsolete.

Most web browsers are set up to automatically accept first party (usually low risk) cookies. Our anonymous cookies in no way give us access to your device or any personal information about you.

Implied Cookie Consent

By accepting the use of cookies whilst on securemybills.co.uk, you consent to our essential use of anonymous cookies as defined within this Cookie Policy.

In order for us to provide the quality service we wish to offer you, our use of low risk cookies is essential.

How do we use them?

CEB will place a cookie onto your computer or smartphone device to help us ensure that as a user of the website, you get the best experience possible.

If the cookie file is accepted, a cookie is stored on your device that helps us analyse and better understand how you use the website. We only use traffic log cookies (eg: Google Analytics) to identify which pages of cebconsultants.co.uk are being used, when and how, in order to improve the service we offer you. Overall, cookies help us provide you with a better website by enabling us to see which pages you and others find useful and those that are less well used, so that we might improve.

Controlling the use of Cookies

You may choose to accept or decline the use of cookies used by cebconsultants.co.uk at any time when you see the Cookie prompt that appears at the top of our home page.

Cookies can also be accessed within the preference settings within your web browser. As the location of these settings can vary across browsers, please visit the home page of your preferred browser if you are unsure how to access these settings.