PRIVACY POLICY

Your right to privacy with Australian Power & Gas
 
When it comes to your privacy, we must comply with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the National Privacy Principles, which set out standards and rules for the use, collection, disclosure and access of your personal information, which is information that can be used to identify you, such as your name or any information attached to your name.
 
What personal information can we collect?
 
We can only collect personal information that relates to our business activities and is in accordance with the law. We’ll always let you know the purpose for collecting your information before or at the time we collect it, except where that’s not practical, such as when we receive an unsolicited email from an enquiring customer.
 
We’ll take all reasonable steps to make sure the information we collect is accurate, complete and up-to-date.
 
Complaints relating to our privacy management practice can be raised with our Privacy Officer whose contact details are below. We also have a complaints handling procedure that will ensure the complaint is dealt with in an efficient and effective way to maximise customer satisfaction. You can obtain a copy of that procedure on our website or by calling us on 133 298.
 
In order to provide our products and services to you, we’ll collect your name, address, date of birth, telephone numbers and email address. Other personal information used for identification purposes such as your licence, passport or medicare numbers may be collected, but we won’t use this information to identify you in our own system.
 
If you don’t want us to use, collect, disclose or access your personal information, please let us know at the time we request it or at any time by contacting our Privacy Officer on the details provided below.
 
Why will we collect your personal information?
 
We may collect personal information from you in order to:
1. supply you with our products and services;
2. provide you with information about our products and services;
3. confirm the identity of a person prior to answering customer service or account management issues;
4. allow you to take part in promotions, surveys or competitions that we conduct from time to time; or
5. confirm your eligibility to receive government rebates and concessions.
 
How do we use your personal information?
 
We will only use your personal information to supply you with our products, services or information, or for a related purpose, (except in the case of sensitive information, where it will be a directly related purpose) to the extent permitted by law. We will keep your consent to use this information for any other purpose.
 
In order to be able to provide you with our products and services, we may share your personal information, to the extent that is necessary for us to provide you with our products and services, with:
1. network operators that we work with to supply energy to you;
2. service providers that assist in providing our products and services to you, including organisations that assist with credit checks, meter reading, billing, customer service, debt collection, technology and security services;
3. professional advisers including lawyers, marketers, business advisers and auditors;
4. credit-reporting and fraud-checking agencies; or
5. other contractors that assist us in providing our products and services to you.
 
We may also disclose personal information to a related body corporate or as required by law.
 
We’ll always try to gain your consent to use your personal information (other than sensitive information) for direct marketing relating to our products and services. Where that’s not practical, and where you’ve not previously indicated that you don’t want to receive direct marketing materials, we will only send them to you:
1. where we do not charge you to opt out of receiving direct marketing materials;
2. where we prominently advise you of your right to opt out from further direct marketing; and
3. where we provide our contact details.
How do we protect your personal information?
 
All our employees, contractors, service providers and advisers are contractually obliged to respect the privacy of your personal information. Where your personal information is stored electronically to protect this information we will use secure servers, encryption of electronically transmitted data and disaster recovery procedures. Hard copy personal information will be kept secured in restricted areas.
 
How can you access or update your personal information?
 
If you wish to know what information we hold about you or think the information about you might not be accurate, please let us know. The law may in certain circumstances require us to limit your access to your personal information.
 
Privacy on our website
 
Voluntary submission
 
We will not collect personal information about any individual website user except with an individual’s consent. For example, when you register on our website in order to receive information or advice, we may ask you for personal information. You always have the option not to provide the information we request. If you choose not to provide the information we request, you may be unable to access certain options and services.
 
Cookies
 
A cookie is a data file that certain websites write to your computer’s hard drive. A cookie can contain information, such as a user identification code, that the site uses to track the pages you have visited. We use cookies solely to track user traffic patterns throughout our website and to allow access to certain sections of the site. We use this data on an anonymous basis and we do not correlate this data with the personal information of any user. Most website browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually change your browser settings to display a warning before accepting a cookie, or to refuse all cookies. However, if you choose to disable the receipt of cookies from our website, you may not be able to use certain features of the site.
 
Hyperlinks
 
Where our website contains hyperlinks to other websites, we do not warrant or make any representations in relation to the privacy policies or practices of the operators of those sites.
 
Transferring personal information overseas
 
We may send your personal information overseas for the purposes set out in this policy in the following circumstances:
1. to comply with our contractual obligations to you or a third party (the contract being in your interest);
2. where the overseas organisation receiving the personal information is required to handle that information in a manner substantially similar to that set out under the National Privacy Principles or does so under a binding contract with us that requires their compliance with the National Privacy Principles;
3. you have consented to the transfer; or
4. the transfer is for your benefit and it’s impractical to seek your consent, where your consent is likely to be given.
 
Whenever we send personal information overseas in this manner we will continue to comply with all Australian legal requirements in relation to its use and storage and local legal requirements if they are more onerous.
 
Variations to our Privacy Policy
 
We may from time to time update this policy, but you can download the latest version from our website or request one by contacting us on the details set out below.
 
Where can I get further information about privacy?
 
Mail: Australian Power & Gas Company Limited – Privacy Officer
Locked Bag 5004
Royal Exchange NSW 1225
Phone: 133 298
Office of the Privacy Commissioner www.privacy.com.au