Privacy Policy

1. About PowerOut

PowerOut is an independent website providing electricity outage information collected from publicly available sources.

PowerOut is not affiliated with, operated by, or endorsed by any electricity distribution network operator, electricity supplier or other utility company unless explicitly stated.

2. Information We May Collect

The information collected by PowerOut depends on how you use the website and which features are available at the time.

This may include:

• Technical information about your device and browser
• IP address and basic network information
• Pages and features accessed on the website
• Search requests made through the website
• Information voluntarily provided when contacting PowerOut
• Information provided when subscribing to optional outage alerts, such as your email address and subscribed postcode

We do not intentionally collect sensitive personal information through the normal use of the PowerOut website.

3. IP Addresses and Technical Information

Like most websites, PowerOut's web server may record technical information associated with requests made to the website.

This may include your IP address, browser type, operating system, request time and the page or resource requested.

This information may be used to:

• Maintain and secure the website
• Diagnose technical problems
• Identify malicious or abusive activity
• Monitor service performance
• Understand general website usage

4. Search Information

PowerOut may record information about searches made through the website in order to operate and improve features such as outage searches and historical data.

Where possible, searches will be stored and analysed in a way that minimises the amount of personal information associated with them.

Search information may also be retained in aggregated or anonymised form for statistical and analytical purposes.

5. Email Notifications

PowerOut provides an optional email alert service that allows you to receive notifications about electricity outages affecting a postcode you have subscribed to.

When you subscribe to outage alerts, we collect your email address and the postcode or postcodes you have chosen to monitor. We may also store information required to verify your email address, manage your subscription and process unsubscribe requests.

Depending on the information available from the relevant electricity network operator, alerts may be sent when a new outage is detected, when an estimated restoration time changes, when an outage is restored, or when a previously affected postcode is no longer affected.

Alerts are generated using outage information collected by PowerOut and may be affected by delays, missing information or inaccuracies in the underlying data. We cannot guarantee that every outage or change will result in an email notification.

Your alert email address will only be used to provide the requested alert service and for essential communications relating to your subscription. We will not use notification email addresses for unrelated marketing unless you have separately agreed to receive it.

You can unsubscribe from an alert subscription at any time using the unsubscribe link provided in alert emails, or by contacting PowerOut.

6. Cookies

PowerOut may use cookies or similar technologies that are necessary for the operation of the website.

For example, cookies may be used to maintain a session, remember a preference or support a feature of the website.

If non-essential cookies, analytics or advertising technologies are introduced, the relevant information and consent mechanisms will be provided where required.

7. How We Use Information

Information collected by PowerOut may be used for the following purposes:

• Providing and operating the website
• Providing requested features and services
• Maintaining website security
• Detecting and preventing abuse
• Diagnosing technical problems
• Improving website performance and usability
• Understanding how the service is used
• Communicating with users where they have contacted us
• Providing and managing optional outage email alerts

8. Legal Basis for Processing

Where UK data protection law applies, PowerOut will process personal information using an appropriate lawful basis.

Depending on the circumstances, this may include:

• Legitimate interests — for example, operating, securing and improving the website.
• Consent — where consent is required, such as certain optional cookies or communications.
• Contract — where processing is necessary to provide a service that you have requested.
• Legal obligation — where processing is necessary to comply with a legal requirement.

9. Sharing Information

PowerOut does not sell personal information to third parties.

Personal information may be shared with service providers where this is necessary to operate PowerOut.

These providers may include hosting providers, email delivery providers, security services and other technical providers. For example, an email delivery provider may process your email address in order to deliver an alert requested through PowerOut.

Where third-party providers process personal information on behalf of PowerOut, appropriate safeguards will be considered and applied as required by applicable data protection law.

10. Third-Party Websites

PowerOut may contain links to external websites, including electricity network operators and other third-party services.

Once you leave PowerOut, the privacy practices of that external website will apply.

PowerOut is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of external websites.

11. Data Retention

Personal information will not be retained for longer than is reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

Information relating to an active outage alert subscription will be retained for as long as necessary to provide that service. When a subscription is cancelled, we will retain or delete the associated information in accordance with our operational requirements and applicable legal obligations.

Some non-personal or anonymised information, including historical outage data, may be retained for longer periods as part of the PowerOut service.

12. Your Rights

Depending on the circumstances and applicable data protection law, you may have rights concerning your personal information.

These may include the right to:

• Request access to your personal information
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request deletion of your information
• Object to certain processing
• Request restriction of processing
• Request transfer of certain information
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent

These rights are subject to applicable legal conditions and exemptions.

13. Contacting Us

If you have a question about this Privacy Policy or would like to exercise a data protection right, please contact PowerOut.

Email: hello@powerout.co.uk

14. Complaints

If you are unhappy with how PowerOut has handled your personal information, please contact us first so that we can investigate your concern.

You also have the right to complain to the UK's data protection regulator, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

More information about making a complaint can be found on the ICO website.

15. Changes to This Policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time as PowerOut develops or as legal and regulatory requirements change.

The latest version will always be published on this page.