Cookies

Cookies on Ofgem.gov.uk

Cookies are small text files placed on your computer or mobile phone when you browse a website. Almost all websites use them.

Our website uses cookies. They help us to provide, protect and improve your online experience with us.

For example, we use cookies to remember:

your search settings
if you have accepted our terms and conditions.

Types of cookies we use

Necessary cookies

These are cookies that enable our website’s core functionality. You can disable these by changing your browser settings, but this could affect your experience of particular website functions.

Should you wish to remove or not use necessary cookies from our website, you can learn how to do this in ‘Turning Cookies Off’ below.

Cookie	Description
CookieControl	Removes the cookie banner from appearing on all pages once a user has given permission to use cookies.
has_js	Tells the browser that JavaScript is enabled and can be run on the website.
alert_	Saves which banners have been closed by the user and stops them from reappearing.
SSESS%ID%	Drupal session identification cookie.
cfduid	Set by CloudFlare on behalf of Piktochart. According to CloudFlare it is used to override any security.

Analytics cookies

These cookies help us understand how people use our website, which helps us improve your experience. The data we collect using analytical cookies is anonymised.

The tool we use is Google Analytics. To find out more about the cookies Google uses visit Google’s Cookie Privacy and Terms. You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing this add-on.

Cookie	Description
_ga	Set by Google Analytics and used to distinguish users.
_gid	Set by Google Analytics and used to distinguish users.
_gat	Used to throttle request rate.
SIDCC	Security cookie from Google to protect users’ data from unauthorised access.
SID, SAPISID, APISID, SSID	Unique identifiers and login information relate
_gat_piktov3	Temporary cookie deleted once Piktochart is loaded.
cf_use_ob	Set by Cloudflare on behalf of Piktochart
HSID, NID, PREF, VISITOR_INFO1_L IVE, CAL, CONSENT, GAPS, GEUP, LOGIN_INFO, T	Used by Google for YouTube videos, Google Maps, and other related Google products.

User research cookies

These cookies help us to gather feedback from you to improve the website. This includes surveys, heat maps and occasionally recorded sessions, which help us to understand how you use the website.

Cookie	Description
_hjid	Set by Hotjar so subsequent visits to the site, or to other pages will be recorded as the same random, unique user
_hjIncludedInSam ple	Whether to include the current user ID in the sample to generate funnels
IDE	Advertising cookie set by Google.

Managing cookies

All major browsers allow you to switch off and manage the cookies they accept and store. To find out how to use these options, please follow the appropriate link for your browser:

We regularly review our cookie policy. We last updated our cookie policy on 1 April 2020.

When you visit our website, a cookie message will appear on the left hand side of the page asking you to accept or reject our recommended settings. In keeping with ICO requirements, you will not be able to browse the website until you have made a decision.

The table below provides a summary of cookies that turn on or off when you accept or reject our settings.

Cookie category	Accept recommended settings	Reject all
Necessary	Y	Y
Analytics	Y	N
User research	Y	N

Your rights

If you would like to exercise any of your privacy or data protection rights in relation to our cookie use and/or request information about Ofgem's privacy policies, please contact our Data Protection Officer at dpo@ofgem.gov.uk. Alternatively write to us at:

The Data Protection Officer

Ofgem

10 South Colonnade

Canary Wharf

London

E14 4PU

You have a right to complain to the Information Commissioner about how we have handled your information. You can contact them at:

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

Online: Live chat