Boiler Upgrade Scheme Privacy Notice - Property Owners
Guidance
- Publication date
- Scheme name
- BUS
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This privacy notice tells property owners what to expect when we collect your personal information under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS).
It applies to information we collect about:
- property owners who have a low carbon heating technology installed under the BUS at their property, referred to as ‘the property owner’ throughout
- individuals who sign up to receive newsletters and regular correspondence
- people who contact Ofgem with a query or right of access request regarding the BUS and BUS-funded installations of low carbon heating technology
This privacy notice only covers the processing of personal information relating to BUS.
To find out more information on how Ofgem processes personal information, refer to the Ofgem Privacy Policy.
Controller
The controller for the processing of any personal information as outlined in this privacy notice is the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority, (GEMA). For ease of reference this privacy notice refers to the administrative office of GEMA, ‘Ofgem’ throughout.
What personal information do we collect?
We receive your personal information indirectly from installers who seek BUS support for low carbon heating installations as part of our administration of the BUS.
This information includes:
- name of the property owner
- email address of the property owner, where one exists
- telephone number of the property owner, where one exists
- address of the property owned by the property owner that is intended to have a BUS-funded low carbon heating installation installed at it, ‘the installation address’
- home address of the property owner, if different from the installation address
- details of the existing heating system in the installation address, where applicable
- documents proving the property at the installation address qualifies as an eligible new-build under regulation 7 of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (England and Wales) Regulations 2022 (BUS regulations) (where applicable)
- confirmation as to whether or not the property at the installation address is being used as social housing
- data contained on the Energy Performance Certificate of the property at the installation address
- confirmation as to whether or not the property at the installation address is connected to the gas grid
We collect the following information directly from you after we receive a BUS application from an installer which names you as a property owner for the purposes of the BUS:
confirmation as to whether or not:
- you consent to the installer making a BUS application on your behalf
- the property at the installation address is being used as social housing
- you have received a grant from public funds for any of the costs of the purchase or installation of the BUS-funded low carbon heating technology
- the BUS-funded installation was funded through the Energy Company Obligation scheme
- Where our routine ID and credit reference verification checks fail, further personal information in the form of:
- a digital copy of a document for the purpose of verifying your identity, this will be one of the following:
- the full signature and photo page of your valid passport
- your valid UK driving licence (photocard or paper)
- your current national identity card
- a digital copy of a document for the purpose of verifying your identity, this will be one of the following:
- a digital copy of a document for the purpose of verifying your home address, this will be one of the following:
- a domestic utility bill from the last 3 months
- a council tax bill from the last 3 months
We will also collect information directly from individuals who sign up to our newsletter(s), respond to our customer satisfaction (CSAT) surveys or are part of any Ofgem working group related to the BUS. We will collect and store your name and email address in order to send these to you, as well as your responses to questions posed relating to our performance in administering the scheme(s).
Registered users can request for their information to be removed from the newsletter distribution list at any time by clicking unsubscribe within the newsletter or by emailing BUS.Enquiry@ofgem.gov.uk.
Why we need to collect and process your information
We only collect information that we need in order to carry out our functions in relation to the BUS which include, but are not limited to, the functions below:
- administering the scheme, this includes assurance activities
- assessing BUS voucher applications
- to confirm the property owner has provided consent for the installer to make a BUS application on their behalf
- verifying property owner’s identity through third party credit checking agencies
- assessing BUS voucher redemption applications
- making BUS payments
- undertaking any actions against non-compliance, suspected or otherwise, scheme abuse and counter-fraud actions we deem necessary in accordance with the BUS regulations
- reporting if required of non-compliance in BUS reporting arrangements
Your personal information will not be used for profiling, that is any computerised processing which may use personal information to evaluate certain things about an individual, for example any decision relating to your BUS installation.
In some cases we use data analytics software to:
- identify scheme abuse or suspected fraud
- improve the services we provide
- monitor compliance with the BUS regulations
In order to inform future policy development of our Environmental and Social Schemes your information may be shared internally within Ofgem.
When do we collect your information as the property owner
We collect your information when you:
- visit our website - you can find out how we do this through the use of cookies by viewing ‘Cookies we use’ section at the end of this page
- engage with us when we carry out our statutory and administrative functions
- submit information and data to us via the BUS portal
- use our services, for example subscribing to our RSS feeds, e-newsletters, social media sites, email alerts or requesting a publication from us
- email, fax, or telephone us, or send information to us in paper format
- contact us in relation to scheme administration, general enquiries, information requests and complaints
How and when we will disclose your information
We only collect information that we need in order to effectively administer the government’s Environmental and Social Schemes which includes the BUS. The BUS is administered in line with the requirements under legislation and licence conditions, as detailed below. Any data you provide will not be transferred outside the European Economic Area.
We will only disclose your personal information in the following circumstances:
- where the disclosure is required by law, statutory direction, court orders, or is necessary for the purposes of the administration or development of the BUS
- where you give us explicit permission to disclose it
- for the processing and sharing of relevant information during audits
We will only share your information with the following organisations or official bodies as required:
- third party suppliers, appointed by us in connection with our scheme administration. This may include research companies or agencies appointed to conduct surveys on our behalf. We will notify you of this in writing before any survey goes ahead and provide you with the opportunity to decline to take part
- Action Fraud in England or Wales when we have found instances of suspected fraud
- the Microgeneration Certification Scheme, its associated certification bodies, The Home Insulation and Energy Systems Quality Assured Contractors Scheme and the Renewable Energy Consumer Code for the purposes of:
- identifying suspected scheme abuse, fraud and cases of non-compliance on the BUS
- helping to ensure that installation work is carried out to the required installation and consumer protection standards
- meeting the requirements of the BUS
These organisations may share your information with their contractors or sub-contractors for these purposes.
These organisations’ contractors and sub-contractors may contact you for the purposes described above:
- the installer to help ensure the functioning of the scheme including, but not limited to our functions in determining when BUS voucher applications are properly made, assessing the eligibility of an installation, assessing the eligibility of a BUS voucher application, assessing the eligibility of a BUS voucher redemption application and during any compliance-related communication with installers
- the property owner or local authority of the property in relation to their own properties
- third-party auditors who audit the information provided to us. We require such third-parties to agree to treat your information in accordance with this privacy policy and the UK GDPR
- Qlikview, where we use their software platform to conduct data analytics
- Huddle or Egress, where we use their platform to securely share data with other organisations
- The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), who may issue Ofgem a notice that legally compels Ofgem to disclose specified information collected for the purposes of administering the BUS which includes, but is not limited to:
- surveys and statistical purposes (to publish official statistics and to fully monitor the rollout and progress of the scheme)
- quality assurance
- forecasting expenditure
- wider purposes connected with analysis, research, monitoring, evaluation, development and understanding of the BUS scheme and DESNZ’s policies
DESNZ may share your information with its contractors or sub-contractors for these purposes. DESNZ’s contractors and sub-contractors may contact you for the purposes described above.
DESNZ have also published a privacy notice covering how they use personal data.
- The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
- The Welsh Government and their approved contractors for the Welsh Government to report on and monitor devolved heat policy in Wales
- The Scottish Government and their approved contractors for the Scottish Government to inform devolved heat policy in Scotland
- The Environment Agency
- The Energy Savings Trust (EST) (including the EST Scotland)
- Trading Standards and the Serious Fraud Office for the investigation of investigation of suspected fraud and trading standards offences
- Distribution Network Operators, (DNOs), who may require data for the purpose of forecasting energy usage on their networks (network visibility)
- Independent Distribution Network Operators (iDNOs), who may require data for the purpose of forecasting energy usage on their networks (network visibility)
- Local Authorities in England and Wales (upon request), who require information for their Net Zero Strategies, clean air obligations and other functions within their remit
- National Grid (Electricity Systems Operator), who may require Ofgem to share your information to ensuring a secure supply of electricity across Great Britain
- Third-party credit checking agencies GBG, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, to verify the information you provide to us including name, date of birth and home address
- Universal Language Solutions Ltd should there be a requirement for the provision of written and/or spoken translation services from English into Welsh and from Welsh into English
Legal basis for processing your information
We collect and process your information under the ‘Public Task’ (UK GDPR, Article 6(1)(e)) legal basis for processing as part of our remit as the BUS administrator, and for purposes arising from Ofgem’s functions conferred by law, including:
- Utilities Act 2000 (as amended)
- Energy Act of 2008 (as amended)
- The Boiler Upgrade Scheme Regulations 2022
We would not be able to fulfil our obligations as the administrator of the BUS without collecting your information.
We may process your information for the purpose of conducting surveys. Where we do so, this is necessary for the purposes of legitimate interests pursued by us within the meaning of article 6(1)(f) GDPR. Where you agree to participate in a survey, we will also process your information based on your consent.
How long do we keep your information?
Your personal information is deleted when we no longer need it for our functions in administering the BUS. As such, it is retained by Ofgem for the duration of the scheme and a period of 7 years thereafter.
The digital copies of the proof of ID and proof of home address documents you submit will be deleted when we no longer need them for our verification purposes, we will only retain your information for as long as required.
Your rights
If we hold information about you, you have the right to:
- be informed about the data we hold about you
- access the information we hold about you
- have your personal information corrected if it is incomplete or inaccurate
- ask us to restrict how we process your information
- object to certain ways we use your information
- in some circumstances, you may have a right to object to Ofgem processing your information
To see the full suite of new consumer rights available to you under UK GDPR, please refer to the Ofgem Privacy Policy or the ICO website.
Further information
To find out more information on how Ofgem processes personal data, please refer to the Ofgem Privacy Policy.
How to contact us
If you would like to:
- make a Freedom of Information or Environmental Information Regulations, see information requests
- make a complaint about Ofgem, see complaints about Ofgem
- make a subject access request, see information requests
- exercise any of your rights and/or request information about Ofgem privacy policy please contact our Data Protection Officer by email on dpo@ofgem.gov.uk or alternatively write to us at
The Data Protection Officer
Ofgem
10 South Colonnade
Canary Wharf
London
E14 4PU
Complaints to the Information Commissioner
You have a right to complain to the Information Commissioner. If you want to raise a concern about how we have handled your information, you can report it direct to the Information Commissioner’s Office at the following address:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Online: Live chat
Changes to this privacy notice
We keep our privacy policy under regular review. This privacy notice was last updated on 12 September 2024.
Cookies we use
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