This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, and disclose personal information in connection with your use of Origin Home and Energy websites (including www.originhomeenergy.com), Origin Home and Energy mobile applications, and/or myOrigin (collectively, the “Sites”), and personal information we collect from you or third parties through any other means to provide our services or perform other business activities (collectively, the "Services").

 

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully to understand how we will treat your personal information. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, do not use the Sites or Services. This Privacy Policy may change from time to time; the date the policy was last revised is identified in Section 10. Your continued use of the Sites and/or Services after we change the Privacy Policy means you accept those changes, so please check back periodically for updates.

 

We may collect information that personally identifies, relates to, describes, or is capable of being associated with you (“personal information”), including:

 

Identifiers, including name, physical address, email address, phone number, social security number, driver’s license or other government identification information, account identifiers and login credentials, and credit and identity information relating to data used to identify an individual.

 

Characteristics of protected classifications under applicable laws, including age and date of birth.

 

Commercial information, including payment card or bank account information, account history relating to an individual’s purchases, service profile information relating to an individual’s purchases and interests, feedback information, communication preferences, customer service and communication history, information related to home ownership or energy usage, and utility provider.

 

Internet or other electronic network activity information, including IP address, log data, analytics data, application data, device ID, and other data collected through cookies and similar technologies.

 

Geolocation data, including general geographic location or more precise location when permitted by law.

 

Audio, electronic, visual, thermal, olfactory, or similar information, including, where permitted by law, recordings of phone calls between us and individuals and audio, image, and video recordings of visitors to our offices or events.

 

Professional or employment-related information, including the business or organization an individual represents, their title with that business or organization, and information relating to their role with the business or organization.

 

Sensitive Personal Information, including social security number, driver’s license or other government identification information, precise geolocation data, and account login credentials. Each type of Sensitive Personal Information may also fall under another category of personal information.

 

Demographic information, including age and date of birth.

 

Inferences are drawn from other personal information or data, including our predictions about interests and preferences and related service profile information.

 

HOW WE COLLECT INFORMATION

 

We gather personal information through various means, including (A) information provided directly by you; (B) information automatically collected; and (C) information received from third parties.

 

A. Information You Provide To Us

 

You directly provide personal information to us when you engage with our Sites or Services. This includes activities such as using our Sites or Services, creating an online account, making purchases, requesting information, subscribing to newsletters, entering sweepstakes or promotions, completing surveys, seeking customer support, or communicating with us through various channels. Whether it's interacting with Origin Home and Energy representatives or visiting our retail store kiosks, the information you share directly contributes to our data collection process.

 

B. Information Automatically Collected

 

When you interact with our Sites, we utilize technologies like cookies, clear GIFs, pixel tags, and log files to automatically collect personal information. These technologies, along with third-party services like LeadID, passively gather data about users' interactions with our Sites, including email engagements and responses to online advertisements.

 

 

We may also automatically collect the following information about you:

1. Energy Usage Information: Details about your energy usage and related data as elaborated in the "NOTICE OF ACCESSING, COLLECTING, STORING, USING AND DISCLOSING ENERGY USAGE INFORMATION" below.

2. Computer or Device Information: Your Internet Protocol ("IP") address or other unique identifier, and information from the computer, mobile device, tablet, or other device you use to access the Sites, including browser type, device type, system type, and the domain name from which you accessed the Sites.

3. Usage Information: Information about your use of the Sites, including visit dates and times, visited content, areas, or pages, website or app referrals, post-Sites navigation, visit duration, revisit frequency, as well as other click-stream or usage data. For legal compliance, we may also capture or record your interactions to confirm your information submission.

4. Via Our Third-Party Service Providers: Utilization of third-party service providers to support our Sites. Some of these service providers may use technologies like cookies, web beacons, pixel tags, log files, Flash cookies, or HTML5 cookies to receive, collect, and store information.

5. Use of Third-Party Analytics and Technologies: Deployment of third-party analytic and tracking tools, such as Google Analytics for Display Marketing, to better comprehend user demographics, behavior patterns, and content effectiveness. These tools may utilize cookies, web beacons, pixel tags, log files, Flash cookies, or other technologies to collect and store information, which may be combined with data from other sources.

To delve into our interest-based advertising and your advertising options concerning information collection and usage, please refer to the "How We Use Your Information" and "Your Choices and Opting Out" sections below.

Information You Provide Through Third-Party Websites or Services: If you link or connect to us via a third-party website or service (e.g., social media account), we may automatically receive certain information about you based on your registration and privacy settings on those platforms. This may encompass your name, username, demographic details, updated contact information, location, interests, and publicly observed data like online activity.

C. Information Collected from Other Sources

We may procure personal information from other sources as outlined below:

1. From Our Partners and Service Providers: Utilization of third-party service providers to support our Sites and Services and conduct other business operations on our behalf. This may entail performing credit checks, processing credit card payments, and obtaining personal information from these third parties.

2. From Other Third Parties: Acquisition of personal information about you from other third-party sources, including commercially available sources such as data aggregators and public databases. This information may encompass your name, demographic data, utility usage details, interests, and publicly observed data like online activity.

D. Combination of Information

We may amalgamate the personal information received from and about you, including information you provide, automatically collected data through the Sites and/or Services, as well as data collected from other online or offline sources, including third-party sources and your installed solar system.

 

HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION

 

We may utilize the personal information collected from you for the following purposes:

 

1. Providing our Sites and/or Services to you, ensuring seamless access and functionality.

 

2. Analyzing, enhancing, operating, and maintaining the Sites, Services, and related systems, as well as innovating new products and services.

 

3. Fulfilling your requests for information, products, or services, and communicating with you as needed.

 

4. Planning, implementing, and evaluating energy-use and efficiency initiatives, such as demand response programs.

 

5. Evaluating your home's suitability for a solar system installation.

 

6. Enabling account-related actions, including tracking solar system installation progress, managing payments, accessing billing history, calculating post-solar savings, monitoring solar production, updating account and contact details, and accessing solar system agreements.

 

7. Fulfilling contractual obligations and enforcing contractual rights, including billing and collection.

 

8. Notifying you about changes to our Sites and/or Services.

 

9. Delivering personalized content, targeted offers, and advertisements on our Sites, as well as across other platforms like websites, mobile applications, social media, or online services. This may also include direct mail, email, and telemarketing communications regarding offers, contests, events, news, programs, and retail opportunities from us and/or selected third parties.

 

10. Assessing the effectiveness of our marketing initiatives.

 

11. Utilizing your data in an aggregated, non-specific format for analytical and demographic purposes.

 

12. Any other purposes disclosed at the time of information collection.

 

Moreover, if you utilize the Sites and/or Services to integrate with third-party platforms, and grant Origin Home and Energy permission to access and utilize information about you, we will interact with these third-party services as per your directives.

 

We handle Sensitive Personal Information in the following manner:

 

1. Fulfilling requests for goods or services.

2. Tailoring personalized content for you and other users.

3. Conducting credit checks and managing credit card transactions.

4. Evaluating your home's eligibility for a solar system installation.

 

B. Utilization of Your Information for Interest-Based Advertising

 

We engage third-party services to gauge and target advertisements concerning our products and services that align with your online preferences. To facilitate these endeavors, we authorize these external entities to employ cookies, web beacons, pixel tags, and akin technologies to gather specific data and insights regarding your online engagements.

 

Moreover, we may present interest-based advertisements across platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and other social media networks or websites. This process is facilitated through tools such as Facebook Custom Audiences, Twitter Tailored Audiences, or similar business solutions. By leveraging these tools, we can tailor our ads based on your interactions with our brand, without sharing your personal information with these social media platforms. For details regarding your options concerning interest-based ads, refer to the "Interest Based Advertising Choices" segment below.

 

DISCLOSURE OF YOUR INFORMATION

 

A. Personal Information Disclosed by You

 

When engaging with the Sites, you have various opportunities to interact, share, and consume content. Your activities may involve actions like completing surveys, offering reviews or ratings for products or services, making inquiries about or purchasing items, participating in online communities, or interacting with our content by sharing it on your social media profiles. Any information you choose to disclose through these channels, whether on blogs, message boards, chat rooms, or other public areas associated with the Sites or linked third-party platforms, becomes publicly accessible. Exercise caution when sharing personal information in these public domains.

 

B. Personal Information Disclosed by Us

 

We may share your personal information for business purposes, including:

 

Affiliate Sharing: Information may be shared with our affiliates and subsidiaries to support business operations.

 

Service Providers: We may disclose information to third-party contractors and service providers who assist in our business operations, ensuring they maintain confidentiality and only use the information for specified purposes.

 

Business Transfers: In the event of a sale or acquisition of assets, your information may be transferred to the acquiring entity. Additionally, in bankruptcy or reorganization proceedings, your information may be considered an asset and subject to transfer.

 

Marketing Collaborations and Third-Party Partners: We may share your information with online and email advertisers or other third-party vendors who support our advertising efforts, utilizing technologies like cookies and web beacons to enhance our online campaigns.

 

Demand Response Programs: We may share your information with utilities and distributed energy resource providers to facilitate your participation in grid services and demand response programs. For further details, refer to the section titled "NOTICE OF ACCESSING, COLLECTING, STORING, USING AND DISCLOSING ENERGY USAGE INFORMATION" below.

 

Compliance with Legal Requirements: Your information may be accessed and disclosed to comply with court orders, laws, or legal processes, including responding to subpoenas, judicial proceedings, or government/regulatory inquiries.

 

Enforcement of Terms: We may disclose your information to enforce our terms of service and other agreements, such as for billing and collection purposes, or to safeguard the security of our Sites, servers, and network systems.

 

Safety Measures: If deemed necessary to protect our rights, property, or safety, or those of our customers or others, we may access and disclose your information. This may involve sharing information with other companies and organizations to prevent fraud and reduce credit risk.

 

Aggregate or Anonymous Data: We may share aggregate, anonymous, or de-identified non-personal information with third parties for marketing or analytics purposes.

 

Other Disclosures: Your information may be disclosed as indicated to you at the time of collection.

 

YOUR CHOICES AND OPTING OUT

 

A. Cookies, Tracking Options, and California Do Not Track Disclosures:

 

Certain sections of our Sites rely on cookies. You have the option to adjust your device or browser settings to limit tracking or decline cookies, although this may impact your ability to access certain features or fully utilize our offerings. For guidance on deleting/disabling cookies or managing tracking preferences, refer to your device's settings or your browser's "Help" section.

 

Our Sites may not recognize "do not track" requests from some or all browsers. We may use cookies or similar technologies for more relevant advertising and to link data collected across your devices.

 

B. Interest-Based Advertising Choices:

 

To understand and manage your preferences for receiving relevant advertising on our Sites or other online platforms, please consider the following options:

 

For information and opt-out tools regarding interest-based advertising by Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) participating companies, visit http://www.aboutads.info/choices/.

 

To opt out of interest-based advertising by Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) member companies, visit http://www.networkadvertising.org/choices/.

 

To opt out of targeted advertising based on your mobile device ID, visit http://www.aboutads.info/appchoices.

 

For preventing data use by Google Analytics, use the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on available at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout/.

 

You can adjust privacy and advertising settings on your mobile device to control the receipt of relevant advertising. Even if you opt out, you may still receive non-customized advertising from us or other third parties.

 

C. Unsubscribing from Our Marketing Communications:

 

To opt out of non-essential marketing communications or be added to our Do Not Call or Do Not Mail List:

 

For email offers, follow unsubscribe instructions in emails or email us or write to us.

 

For direct mail offers, email us or write to us.

 

To opt out of telemarketing, email us with "Do Not Call" in the subject line, call customer care, ask during calls, or mail us.

 

Affiliate-specific marketing communications require individual opt-outs.

 

D. Regarding Other Third-Party Communications:

 

Third parties we disclose your information to may have their own privacy policies; visit their websites for details. Service providers processing your data are not considered third parties.

 

E. Accessing or Updating Your Information:

 

Customers can create accounts and contact us for corrections or deletions, subject to legal requirements and accuracy concerns.

 

NOTICE OF ACCESSING, COLLECTING, STORING, USING, AND DISCLOSING ENERGY USAGE INFORMATION:

 

In accordance with the California Public Utilities Commission's regulations on privacy and security protections for energy usage data, we may share customer information without consent for the following purposes:

 

1. Providing or billing for electrical power services;

2. Offering services mandated by state or federal law or authorized by the California Public Utilities Commission;

3. Planning, implementing, or evaluating energy management, demand response, or energy efficiency programs;

4. Complying with lawful warrants, court orders, or law enforcement requests, with prior notice unless prohibited by law;

5. Providing information to emergency responders in life-threatening situations.

 

THIRD-PARTY CONTENT, LINKS, AND PLUG-INS:

 

Our Sites may contain links to third-party partners, who may collect information about you. We do not control these third-party links or their data practices, so please review their privacy policies directly for clarification.

 

Additionally, our Sites may offer social media plugins allowing interaction with social media platforms. Your use of these plugins and provision of information to social media sites are subject to their respective privacy policies. We are not responsible for the data practices of these third-party sites.

 

CHILDREN'S PRIVACY:

 

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under sixteen. If such information is inadvertently received, we will make efforts to remove it promptly.

 

DATA SECURITY:

 

While we employ security measures to safeguard your information, we cannot guarantee complete security over internet transmission. Please be aware of this when sharing information online.

 

CHANGES TO OUR PRIVACY POLICY:

 

Any updates to our Privacy Policy will be posted here, with notices provided on relevant website and app homepages. Significant changes allowing broader use of personal information will be communicated to users. It is your responsibility to ensure we have your current email address and to check the Privacy Policy periodically for updates. Your continued use of our Sites and Services after policy changes indicates acceptance of those changes.

 

**Additional U.S. State Privacy Disclosures**

 

These disclosures provide further insight into our handling of personal information for residents of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, and Virginia. For comprehensive details on our data practices, please refer to our Privacy Policy. Unless specified otherwise, terms defined in the Privacy Policy remain consistent in these Disclosures.

 

**Additional Personal Information Disclosures**

 

**Sales, Sharing or Targeted Advertising:**

In the past year, we may have sold, shared, or disclosed personal information for business and marketing partnerships, online advertising networks, social networks, analytics providers, and demand response programs. However, we do not sell Sensitive Personal Information or process it for targeted advertising.

 

**De-identified Information:**

We may create de-identified data from personal information, ensuring it cannot reasonably identify individuals or households. This data is maintained and used accordingly, with no attempt to reidentify unless required by law.

 

**Your Privacy Choices**

 

Residents of the mentioned states have certain rights:

 

- **Right to Know:** Access details about personal information collected, sources, purposes, disclosures to third parties, and categories sold.

- **Right to Access & Portability:** Obtain a copy of collected personal information in a portable format.

- **Right to Correction:** Correct inaccuracies in personal information.

- **Right to Control Over Sensitive Personal Information:** Manage collection and processing of Sensitive Personal Information.

- **Right to Deletion:** Request deletion of maintained personal information.

- **Right to Opt-Out of Sales or Sharing:** Direct us not to sell personal information.

- **Right to Control Automated Decision-Making / Profiling:** Opt-out of automated decision-making or profiling.

- **Right to Appeal:** Appeal decisions on privacy rights requests. If unsatisfied, you may contact the state Attorney General.

 

Exercise of these rights may impact product or service pricing, quality, or availability. However, discriminatory treatment for exercising these rights is prohibited, though exceptions may apply within legal bounds.

 

**Submitting Privacy Rights Requests**

 

To exercise your privacy rights, you can:

 

1. Visit our Privacy Preference Center and fill out the online form.

2. Call us at 1-855-478-6786.

 

Before proceeding, we may need to verify your identity and residency in states offering these rights. Typically, we verify your identity via email authentication or matching provided information with our records. Ensure your request includes essential details like name, contact information, and address.

 

We aim to process opt-out requests within 15 business days and other privacy requests within 45 days, subject to applicable exceptions and extensions. In some cases, we may reject requests if you're not a qualifying resident or identity verification fails.

 

**Submitting Authorized Agent Requests**

 

You may use an authorized agent to submit requests on your behalf, provided we can verify their authority. We typically require a valid power of attorney or a signed letter authorizing the agent's representation.

 

**California “Shine the Light” Disclosures**

 

Residents of California can request information on how we disclose personal data to third parties for direct marketing purposes. To opt out, email us.

 

**Minors**

 

We don't sell personal information of consumers under 16 years old unless we receive affirmative authorization from the minor or their guardian. Minors under 18 can request content removal by contacting us directly.

 

**California-Specific Disclosures**

 

For California residents:

 

- **Categories of Personal Information We Collect:** Identifiers, characteristics of protected classifications, commercial information, internet activity, geolocation data, audiovisual information, professional data, sensitive information, demographic data, and inferred data.

- **How We Use Personal Information:** Various purposes including providing services, analyzing and improving services, marketing, and aggregated analytics.

- **Third-party Selling and Sharing:** We may sell or share personal information, excluding mobile data, for everyday business purposes.

- **Retention of Personal Information:** We retain personal information for as long as needed to fulfill its purpose, comply with legal obligations, or resolve disputes. Upon expiration, we delete or de-identify personal data.