COOKIE POLICY

This Cookies Policy sets out the basis on which we, Wessex ECOEnergy Ltd, use cookies and similar technologies on or in relation to our website, wessexecoenergy.com (our website). This Cookies Policy is effective from 13th May 2018.

‘Essential’ cookies are automatically placed on your computer or device when you access our website or take certain actions on our website. ‘Non-essential’ cookies and other technologies are only placed on your computer or device if you have consented to us doing so. For information on the difference between essential and non-essential cookies, see the section below entitled About cookies.

For information on how you consent and how you can withdraw your consent to us placing non-essential cookies and other technologies on your computer or device, see the section below entitled How to accept or reject cookies.

 

Contents

About cookies

List of cookies used

Essential cookies

Non-essential cookies

Web beacons

How to accept or reject cookies

 

ABOUT COOKIES

What are cookies?

Cookies are small data files sent by a website’s server to a web browser, processor memory or hard drive and stored there. They can be used for a range of different purposes, such as customising a website for a particular user, helping a user navigate a website, improving that user’s website experience, and storing that user’s preferences and login information.

Essential and non-essential cookies

Cookies can be classified as either ‘essential’ or ‘non-essential’.

Essential cookies: these are cookies that are either:

• used solely to carry out or facilitate the transmission of communications over a network; or
• strictly necessary to provide an online service (e.g. our website or a service on our website) which you have requested.

Non-essential cookies: these are any cookies that do not fall within the definition of essential cookies, such as cookies used to analyse your behaviour on a website (‘analytical’ cookies) or cookies used to display advertisements to you (‘advertising’ cookies).

 

SESSION AND PERSISTENT COOKIES

Cookies can be classified as either ‘session’ or ‘persistent’, depending on how long they last after they are placed on your browser.

Session cookies: session cookies last for as long as you keep your browser open. They expire when you close your browser.

Persistent cookies: persistent cookies expire at a fixed point in time or if you manually delete them from your browser, whichever occurs first.

 

FIRST AND THIRD PARTY COOKIES

Cookies can be classified as ‘first party’ or ‘third party’.

First party cookies: these are cookies placed on your device by our website domain.

Third party cookies: these are cookies placed on your device by third party website domains.

If you require further information about cookies in general, please visit www.allaboutcookies.org

We use the following cookies on or in relation to our website:

 

FIRST-PARTY COOKIES

The following cookies are set directly by the website:

Cookie Set By: Website

Name: Session id

Purpose: A session cookie is required to follow your progress through the website. It is essential to ensure that any information you enter or routes you take are remembered by the website. Without this cookie, every page you visited would treat you as a completely new visitor.

Expires: End of session

Data sent to: UK

Categories: Essential

 

Cookie Set By:Website

Name: civicCookieControl

Purpose: This cookie is used to remember a user’s choice about cookies on ico.org.uk. Where users have previously indicated a preference, that user’s preference will be stored in this cookie.

Expires: 90 days

Data sent to: UK

Categories: Essential

 

Cookie Set By: UK cookie consent wordpress plugin

Name:  catAccCookies

Purpose: Cookie set by the UK cookie consent plugin to record that you accept the fact that the site uses cookies. This cookie is used to stop the Cookie notification displaying each time a new session is opened.

Expires: 1 month

Data sent to: UK

Categories: Essential

 

Cookie Set By: Google Analytics

Name: _ga

Purpose: Registers a unique ID that is used to generate statistical data on how the visitor uses the website.

Expires: 2 Years

Data sent to: Ireland

Categories: Non- Essential, Statistics

 

Cookie Set By:

Name:_gid  _gat

Purpose: Registers a unique ID that is used to generate statistical data on how the visitor uses the website._gat is used by Google Analytics to throttle request rate

Expires: Session

Data sent to: Ireland

Categories: Non- Essential, Statistics

 

Cookie Set By: Google Analytics

Name:  collect

Purpose: Used to send data to Google Analytics about the visitor’s device and behaviour. Tracks the visitor across devices and marketing channels.

Expires: Session

Data sent to: USA

Categories: Non- Essential, Marketing

 

Cookie Set By: Google

Name:  NID

Purpose: Registers a unique ID that identifies a returning user’s device and remembers user preferences. The ID is used for targeted ads.

Expires: Session 6 Months

Data sent to: USA

Categories: Non-Essential, Marketing

 

THIRD-PARTY COOKIES

The following cookies are placed on your device by third party website domains.

 

Cookie Set By: Woocommerce

Name:  woocommerce_items_in_cart, woocommerce_cart_hash, wp_woocommerce_session_

Purpose: These cookies are used by the online shop to allow it to function correctly. The final cookie (wp_woocommerce_session_) contains a unique code for each customer so that it knows where to find the cart data in the database for each customer. No personal information is stored within these cookies.

Expires: both expire when you close your browser

Data sent to: UK

Categories: Essential, Functional

 

Cookie Set By: Google Maps

Name: nid pref cookie

Purpose: These cookies allow Google Maps to remember which browser you are using and what preferences you have set when you view maps.

Expires: 6 months, 2 years, when you close your browser, respectively

Data sent to: USA

Categories: Non-Essential, Functional

 

Cookie Set By: Google Analytics

Name:  _gac, _utma, __utmb, __utmc, _utmv, _utmz,

Purpose: These are common performance cookies that many websites use. It allows us to collect anonymous information about how you and others use our website and helps us to improve the website.

For more details please read Google’s Analytics overview.

You can always opt-out of Google Analytics cookies by Google’s opt-out tool.

More privacy information: http://www.google.com/policies/privacy/

 Expires: Session – 2 years

Data sent to:  USA

Categories: Non-Essential

 

Re-marketing with Google Analytics

Cookie Set By: doubleclick.net

Name: id ​_drt_ , ​DSID, ​IDE, id, test_cookie, r/collect

Purpose: Tracking cookies used by Google to improve your online experience, including the display of more relevant ads. This cookie is used for re-targeting, optimisation, reporting and attribution of online adverts.

For more privacy information, please visit www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/

For more details please read Google’s Analytics overview. https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245

You can always opt-out of Google Analytics cookies by,

1. Google’s opt-out tool.
2. If you have a Google account this is the double click opt-out page 
3. Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page

More privacy information: http://www.google.com/policies/privacy/

Expires: 2 days -2 years

Data sent to:  USA

Categories: Non-Essential, Marketing

 

Cookie Set By: Google AdWords

Name: ads/ga-audiences

Purpose: Used by Google AdWords to re-engage visitors based on the visitor’s online behaviour across websites.

Expires: Session

Data sent to: USA

Categories: Non-Essential, Marketing

 

Cookie Set By: Google AdWords

Name: ads/user-lists/

Purpose: Used by Google AdWords to engage visitors based on audience / target lists

Expires: Session

Data sent to: USA

Categories: Non-Essential, Marketing

 

Cookie Set By: Google AdWords

Name: _gac_ <property-id>

Purpose: With AdWords auto-tagging enabled, this cookie stores campaign information in order to provide AdWords with a way to measure the interactions visitors have with the website. Analytics writes campaign information to the _gac cookie when a user opens a page on the website after clicking one of our AdWords ads.

Expires: Session

Data sent to: USA

Categories: Non-Essential, Marketing

 

Cookie Set By: Google AdWords Conversion

Name: GTAG

Purpose: Google uses cookies to help businesses that buy ads from Google determine how many people who click their ads end up purchasing their products. The conversion tracking cookie is set on your browser only when you click an ad delivered by Google.

More privacy information: http://www.google.com/policies/privacy/

 Expires: 30 days

Data sent to: USA

Categories: Non-Essential, Marketing

 

Cookie Set By: Google Analytics

Name: AMP_TOKEN

Purpose:  AMP stands for Accelerated Mobile Pages, a way of delivering faster loading pages on mobile. This token is used to retrieve a client site ID to help deliver these pages.

Further information: https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/analyticsjs/cookie-usage?hl=en-US

Expires: 30 seconds – 1 year

Data sent to: USA

Categories: Non-Essential, Marketing

 

Cookie Set By: Google reCAPTCHA

Name: PREF, NID, HSID, APISID, SID

Purpose:  These cookies are used by Google to help protect this Website from “spambots”. Used on filling out forms. Without these cookies we would not be able to send the contact form to us.

Further privacy information: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en

Expires: 30 days

Data sent to: Browser, data and time requests to USA

Categories: Essential, Functional

Cookie Set By: YouTube

Name: PREF*VSC*VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE*remote_sid*

Purpose: YouTube is used by the website to store and show video content. These cookies are set by YouTube to track usage of its services. The YouTube Cookies are only installed when you press play.

Expires:

PREF – * Expires after eight months, VSC – * expires at the end of your session, VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE – *expires after eight months, remote_sid – * expires at the end of your session, use_hitbox- * expires at the end of your session.

Data sent to: USA

Categories: Non-Essential, Marketing

 

Cookie Set By: Mailchimp

Name: _AVESTA_ENVIRONMENT, MC_USER_PROFILE, _ga, mp_b36aa4f2a42867e23d8f9907ea741d91_mixpanel, OptanonAlertBoxClosed, __zlcmid, MC_USER_INFO

Purpose: These cookies enable Mailchimp to store a visitor’s email address if the they wish to receive our newsletters and to demonstrate how effective the newsletters have been.

Expires: Session

Data sent to: UK

Categories: Non-Essential, Preferences

Legal basis for processing: we process information about you contained in or obtained from essential cookies in our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).
Legitimate interests: ensuring our site functions properly and providing you with online services you have requested.

How to opt out of essential cookies

Most browsers allow you to block all cookies, including essential cookies. Please note, however, that if you block all cookies, parts of our website and its functionality may not work or display properly.

You can delete existing cookies from your browser by clearing your browsing data and ensuring that the option to delete cookies is selected.

For more detailed information on how to accept and reject cookies, including guidance for specific browsers, please see the section below entitled How to accept or reject cookies

More information

Google Analytics cookies are classified as first party cookies as they are set by our website domain, although Google collects and processes information from our use of Google Analytics. To find out more about how Google handles information collected from Google Analytics, see Google Analytics’ privacy policy, which is available here: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245

For information on how Google uses data from cookies it uses, please visit www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/

How to opt in or out from analytical cookies

See the section below entitled How to accept or reject cookies

To opt out of Google Analytics tracking across all websites in general, you can do so here: http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout

Processing information about you contained in or obtained from analytical cookies

Legal basis for processing: we process information about you contained in or obtained from analytical cookies in our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).
Legitimate interests: analysing how individuals use our website to help us improve our website and business. For further information on how we use the information gathered from our use of analytical cookies, including profiling, please see the section entitled Our use of automated decision making and profiling in our privacy policy, which is available here:

Targeting (or advertising) cookies

Targeting (or advertising) cookies record information about your visit to and use of our website, for advertising purposes.

How to opt in or out from advertising cookies

See the section below entitled How to accept or reject cookies

Processing information about you contained in or obtained from advertising cookies

Legal basis for processing: we process information about you contained in or obtained from advertising cookies in our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation)
Legitimate interests: displaying advertisements to you about our products and services. For further information on how we use the information gathered from our use of advertising cookies please see our privacy policy, which is available here.

OTHER TECHNOLOGIES

Web beacons

We and any marketing companies we use also embed web beacons in our marketing emails and on our website. Web beacons are small GIF image files which enable us to track your receipt of our marketing emails, how often you view our adverts or website pages, your location, IP address and browser information. Web beacons are activated whenever you open a marketing email or access a page on our website which contains a web beacon. Web beacons transmit data when you view them but are not capable of accessing any other information on your computer. Web beacons are not stored on your hard drive unless you download a GIF image containing them.

Some (but not all) browsers enable you to restrict the use of web beacons by either preventing them from sending information back to their source (for example, when you choose browser settings that block cookies and trackers), or by not accessing the images containing them (for example, if you select a ‘do not display images (in emails)’ setting in your email server).

How to opt in or out

See the section below entitled How to accept or reject cookies

Legal basis for processing: we process the information we gather from the use of web beacons in our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interest: analysing the effectiveness of our email marketing campaigns and for tracking of our email marketing to monitor performance of our marketing campaigns. For further information on how we use the information gathered from our use of web beacons, including profiling please see the section entitled Our use of automated decision making and profiling in our privacy policy, which is available here.

HOW TO ACCEPT OR REJECT COOKIES

There are a number of different ways in which you can accept or reject some or all cookies and similar technologies. Some of the main methods of doing so are described below:

You are welcome to block the use of some or all of the cookies we use on our website. However, please be aware that doing so may impair our website and its functionality or may even render some or all of it unusable.

You should also be aware that clearing all cookies from your browser will also delete any cookies that are storing your preferences, for example, whether you have accepted cookies on a website or any cookies that are blocking other cookies.

You can find more detailed information about cookies and adjusting your browser settings by visiting www.allaboutcookies.org

Accepting or rejecting cookies

Browser settings

You can accept or reject some or all cookies (for example, blocking all third party cookies) by adjusting your browser settings. If you do not know how to do this, the links below set out information about how to change your browser settings for some of the most commonly used web browsers:

• Google Chrome: https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95647?hl=en-GB
• Mozilla Firefox: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/delete-browsing-search-download-history-firefox?redirectlocale=en-US&redirectslug=Clear+Recent+History
• Microsoft Internet Explorer: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/278835/how-to-delete-cookie-files-in-internet-explorer
• Apple Safari: https://support.apple.com/kb/PH5042?locale=en_US
• Opera: https://www.opera.com/help

Some browsers, such as Chrome and Firefox, allow you to change your settings to browse in ‘incognito’ mode, limiting the amount of data placed on your machine and automatically deleting any persistent cookies placed on your device when you finish your browsing session. There are also many third party applications which you can add to your browser to block or manage cookies.

Existing cookies

To clear cookies that have previously been placed on your browser, you should select the option to clear your browsing history and ensure that the option to delete or clear cookies is included when you do so.

Google Ad Settings

You can manage and opt out of personalisation of advertisements by Google by visiting Google’s ad settings page here and by:

• Unticking the button entitled ‘Also use Google Account activity and information to personalize ads on these websites and apps and store that data in your Google Account’; and
• Switching the ‘Ads Personalisation’ setting off (i.e. by ensuring the switch at the top of the page is set to the left/grey and not the right/blue).

Alternatively, you can install a free browser plugin here: https://support.google.com/ads/answer/7395996

Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on

You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the browser add-on which is available here.

Web beacons

You can opt out of our use of web beacons in our marketing emails by unsubscribing from our newsletter.

Disconnect for Facebook

You can install a browser add-on tool called ‘Disconnect Facebook pixel and FB tracking’. This will stop Facebook tracking you on third party websites. You can install the tool here:

• For Chrome: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/disconnect-facebook-pixel/nnkndeagapifodhlebifbgbonbfmlnfm?hl=en
• For Firefox: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefox/addon/facebook-disconnect/

European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance Tool

You can opt out of Facebook and other companies that participate in the Digital Advertising Alliance in Europe from showing you interest based ads by visiting http://www.youronlinechoices.com, selecting your country, clicking ‘Your Ad Choices’, then locating Facebook (and any other companies you want to block) and selecting the ‘Off’ option.

OTHER GENERAL LINKS TO EXTERNAL WEBSITES

Visitors are provided with the option to navigate to a variety of external websites where we have a presence. When the visitor selects the option to view the content from these websites, they are taken away from the website and to the other site, where a variety of cookies may be used throughout the visit. We are not responsible for any cookies used once the visitor has left this website.

• LinkedIn: Refer to privacy policy at LinkedIn
• Twitter: Refer to privacy policy at Twitter
• YouTube: Refer to privacy policy at YouTube
• Google:Refer to privacy policy at YouTube

CONTACT

If you have any questions about this cookie policy or our treatment of your personal data, please write to us by email to privacy@wessexecoenergy.com or by post to:

Daniel Cole, Director, Wessex Ecoenergy Ltd,  21 Buttermarket, Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset, United Kingdom, DT1 3AZ.

Alternatively you can contact us by telephone on +44 (0)1305 250429

 

This document was last updated 13th May 2018