This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, store, hold, use and disclose personal information that we receive from you. By viewing and using this site you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to this Privacy Policy you should stop accessing and using the site. Our Privacy Policy deals with the following:

The Privacy Act 2020

We are bound by the Privacy Act 2020 (the Act). The Act sets out the way in which we may collect, store, hold, use, and disclose your personal information.

Collection of your personal information

Customers

We collect certain items of personal information from you to allow us to deliver electricity services to you. The collection of this personal information also allows us to contact you in relation to your electricity supply when necessary.

When a customer or a customer's electricity retailer, registered electrical contractor or other relevant party requests a service from us (e.g. to obtain a connection or supply of electricity), we collect some or all of the following personal information from customers:

• name; 
• postal address; 
• telephone number; 
• address of premises at which our service is provided; and 
• type of service requested.

At times, we may also collect records of a customer's electricity consumption, and if applicable, a customer's electricity load profile. We may also occasionally collect and use customer data provided by electricity retailers (“traders”) under the electricity information exchange protocol for customer information, EIEP4. We may use this data primarily to contact a customer, where this is necessary. Any information we receive from a trader is treated as confidential information.

General

When you visit our website, we may also collect general user information such as your internet protocol address, browser type and internet service provider details. We use this personal information to administer the site and to gain a better understanding of our users. We use “cookies” on our website. A cookie is a small piece of data that is stored on your computer. Cookies help us provide you with better functionality and allow us to analyse usage on our site. You may adjust your browser preferences to disallow or restrict cookies.

Our website includes links to third-party websites. When you click on one of these links, you will be subject to that third party's privacy policies. We are not responsible for the actions of any third-party websites, or for how that third party may collect, store, hold, use or disclose any personal information that you may provide.

Use of your personal information

In general, we may use your personal information for one or more of the following purposes:

• to identify our customers; 
• to provide and improve services to our customers; 
• to maintain services provided to our customers; 
• to consider applications for employment; 
• for internal business purposes such as preparing invoices; and
• to comply with our legal and professional obligations.

We may use your personal information for management or statistical purposes. On these occasions we will use the data to analyse and examine trends and demographics to help us offer you improved services. Data will be aggregated and all personal information will be de-identified so you are not personally identified.

We will not use your personal information for any other purpose other than the purposes as set out above unless we have your express consent, or unless we believe on reasonable grounds that use of the information for that other purpose is necessary:

• to prevent or lessen a serious  threat to:
  •  public health or public safety;  or
  • your life or health or the life or health of someone else;
• for the protection of public revenue; 
• for the conduct of proceedings before any court or tribunal (being proceedings that have been commenced or are reasonably in contemplation); 
• for the enforcement of a law that imposes a pecuniary penalty; or 
• to avoid prejudice to the maintenance of the law by any public sector agency, including prejudice to the prevention, detection, investigation, prosecution, and punishment of offences.

We may be required to disclose your personal information to third parties, including agents or third-party contractors, who assist us in providing our services (such as our third-party data storage or online storage operators) in certain circumstances, both within and outside New Zealand, including:

• in undertaking work for you, according to your instructions; or
• as required by law.

If we need to transfer your personal information outside of New Zealand, and, if relevant, the European Commission has not provided an adequacy decision in relation to the proposed transferee, we will ensure that the proposed transferee provides sufficient safeguards and that the rights and remedies in relation to the personal information remain available, or we will obtain your express consent to the transfer.

Protection of your personal information

We will take reasonable steps to ensure that all personal information we collect, store, hold, use or disclose is accurate, complete and up-to-date. We may store your personal information on computer databases and/or in hard copy, including with third-party data storage operators or in online storage located within or outside New Zealand. When you give us your personal information, you consent to us storing this information overseas and in third-party facilities. We will take all reasonable steps to ensure the safe security and privacy of your personal information.

We will also take reasonable measures to ensure your personal information is protected from unauthorised access and misuse. However, due to the nature of email and the internet, we cannot guarantee the privacy or confidentiality of your personal information.

We will keep your personal information for as long as we have a relationship with you and for a period after this that we must do so for legal or business reasons – for example, to comply with audit obligations. After that period, we will comply with our legal obligations in relation to your personal information, which will generally mean deleting that information.

Your rights of access to personal information we hold about you

The Act sets out your rights in respect of any personal information about you that we hold. Under the Act, you have the right to contact us to review and/or request that we correct your personal information. You can therefore request us to provide you with access to your personal information.

We will comply with any request to access the personal information held to the extent required by the Act. There is no fee for making such a request. However, we may charge you a reasonable fee for providing this access. We will endeavour to respond to your request within 10 working days (as that term is defined in the Act).

You can request to review and/or request to correct the personal information you have provided to us by emailing Wellington Electricity Lines Limited at [email protected].

We may refuse access to any personal information requested in the circumstances set out in the Act that include where:

• disclosure of the information would:
  • be likely to pose a serious threat to life, health, or safety of any individual, or to public health or public safety; or
  • create a significant likelihood of serious harassment of an individual; or
  • include disclosure of information about another person who is or may be the victim of an offence and the disclosure and that person would be caused significant distress;
  • involve the unwarranted disclosure of the affairs of another individual; 
• the information does not exist or, despite reasonable efforts to find it, cannot be found; or 
• disclosure of the information would be likely to prejudice the maintenance of the law, including the prevention, investigation and detection of offences, and the right to a fair trial.

If we do not allow you to access your personal information, we will provide you with the reasons for our decision and provide you with information concerning your right to make a complaint to the Privacy Commissioner in relation to the refusal.

Privacy Policy amendments

We may change this Privacy Policy at any time. Any amended Privacy Policy will be posted on our website and will be effective from the date that it is posted. By continuing to use our website, you will be deemed to have accepted the amended policy.

How to contact us

You may contact us by emailing Wellington Electricity Lines Limited at [email protected] to:

• obtain more information about the way we manage personal information that we hold; or 
• request access to personal information we hold about you.

For further privacy information, please refer to the Privacy Commissioner's website (http://www.privacy.org.nz/).