Privacy statement
Protecting your personal information is an obligation BC Hydro takes seriously.
BC Hydro only discloses customer personal information to third parties in accordance with applicable laws. BC Hydro serves customers in accordance with the Electric Tariff regulated by the British Columbia Utilities Commission and in compliance with the Hydro and Power Authority Act. If you have any questions about how your personal information is handled, please contact us or call BC Hydro at 604 224 9376 (Greater Vancouver), 1 800 224 9376 (Other Areas).
What is considered personal information
Under FOIPPA, personal information includes recorded information about an identifiable individual, such as name, address, phone number, email address and credit card information. Business contact information is not considered "personal" information.
What information we collect from you
In order to use this website, a user may be asked to first complete a registration and/or login form. During registration/login, a user is required to provide contact information (such as a name and email address). This information is used only to contact the user about the services on our site for which he/she has expressed an interest. It is optional for the user to provide demographic information and unique identifiers, but encouraged so we can provide a more personalized experience on our site.
Keep your user ID and password confidential. Be wary of emails that ask for personal information. Never provide your password, personal information numbers or login information via email. We will not ask you for personal information via email except in response to an email you have sent to us. If you receive an unsolicited email asking for personal information please contact us.
Please also note that when you send us electronic mail, we collect your email address, your internet IP address and your message so that we may reply to you. We recommend that sensitive personal information not be sent unencrypted over the Internet or by e-mail.
In addition, when you visit our website, the web server collects a small amount of information to facilitate the operation and security of our website. This information may include browser type, your domain address from your Internet service provider and IP address. We use this information to optimize our website and make system improvements. In some cases, we may associate your IP address with other information you provide when using our website, such as your login information.
Cookies
bchydro.com uses both persistent and session cookies. These are files that your web browser stores on your computer. The persistent cookie remains on your computer after your session is completed. It does not store any personally identifiable information. It stores a unique identifier so we may track our website visitors at an aggregate level; a persistent cookie is also used to remember you next time you visit but only if you choose "remember me" on the log in form (and this is completely optional). You may delete the cookie by clearing it from your browser. The session cookie remains only when you are logged into bchydro.com. It enables the website to know who you are when moving from one web page to the next. This cookie automatically gets erased when you log out or close your browser.
Contests & surveys
From time-to-time our site may have a contest or request information from users via surveys. Participation in these surveys or contests is voluntary and you have a choice whether or not to disclose any information. Information requested may include contact information, such as name and shipping address, and demographic information. Contact information will be used only to notify the winners and award prizes. Survey information will be used on an aggregated (not individually identifiable) basis only, for purposes of monitoring and/or improving the use and satisfaction of this site.
Surveys
We use surveys to better understand the customer experience on bchydro.com and in our call centre. Survey results are collected by our survey vendors via telephone calls or emails and aggregated into general reports to determine customer experience. The survey does not save personal information such as names or email addresses and IP addresses are not logged. Please do not provide your personal information or the personal information of any third party in response to any open-ended questions. The collected data is stored by our survey vendors, the host companies, on servers in Canada.
Children
We occasionally run contests that are open to minors (under 18 years old). Minors will require consent from their guardians or parents to participate in these contests.
Testimonials and user feedback
We often receive feedback from users who want to share their experiences or stories with us. We occasionally publish this content. We will only identify users who consent to publication of their stories.
Event registration & order forms
We request information from you on our event registration or order forms. Here you must provide contact information (such as name and shipping address) and financial information (such as credit card number and expiration date). This information is used for billing purposes and to fill your orders. If we have trouble processing your order, this contact information is used to get in touch with you. We may use an outside shipping company to ship orders, and a credit card processing company to bill users for goods and services. These companies do not retain, share, store or use personally identifiable information for any secondary purposes.
Security
For your account on bchydro.com, we use industry standard Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption technology (128-bit), to protect your personal information. All of our online services go through a vigorous security review to ensure you stay protected.
Links to other websites
bchydro.com contains links to other websites. Please be aware that the privacy policies of the other websites differ from BC Hydro's. BC Hydro is in no way responsible for content that appears on those sites, or your privacy once you have clicked through to other sites.
What choices are available to you
Registration to access additional features on this website is optional. If you choose not to register, certain sections of the website will not be accessible. Registration and login are required to access your online account. If you have chosen to access your BC Hydro account online, you may, at any time, permanently delete your account from online access.
Email communication you choose to receive from us
With the exception of transactional emails (e.g. confirmation of online registration, account and bill notifications, emails directly related to your business account), we will not send you any email unless you opt-in to receive communications from us. If you opt-in, you will receive information we believe will be of interest to you. If you decide that you are no longer interested in receiving email from us, simply unsubscribe by clicking the unsubscribe link in every email and following the simple instructions.
In some cases BC Hydro sends outbound emails and although we limit the personal information used, some personal information may be sent. Customers acknowledge that by signing up for a MyHydro Profile and linking their account online, they may receive account-related email notifications. Emails may be sent and stored outside of Canada depending on the email service provider chosen by the customer.
Text message or short message service (SMS)
BC Hydro is collecting your personal information (mobile number and email address) in support of its mandate under the Hydro and Power Authority Act, the Clean Energy Act, and the BC Hydro Electric Tariff regulated by the BC Utilities Commission under the Utilities Commission Act. Your information will only be used to send you messages about energy conservation and related promotions.
No data will be stored outside of Canada. If you have any questions about how your personal information is handled, please contact us or call BC Hydro at 604 224 9376 (Greater Vancouver), 1 800 224 9376 (other areas).
If you decide that you are no longer interested in receiving mobile alerts from us, simply text "STOP" to "POWER" (76937) to unsubscribe. Standard message and data rates apply.
Changes to our privacy policy
From time to time, we review and revise our privacy policy to better reflect the changing nature of the web and ensure your personal information remains fully protected.
Contact us
If you have any questions or concerns regarding your privacy, please contact us.
