Privacy Policy
Last updated: 11 April 2026 | Version 2.0 | Compliant with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018
Welcome to uksolaradvice.com. This Privacy Policy explains exactly how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information when you visit our website, subscribe to our content, or contact us. We are committed to being transparent about our data practices and to complying fully with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
1. Who We Are and How to Contact Us
Website: https://uksolaradvice.com
Email: [email protected]
Effective date: 11 April 2026
We are an independent UK online resource providing clear, practical guidance on UK solar panels and renewable energy. Our mission is to help UK residents understand solar PV systems, energy storage, Smart Export Guarantee, MCS installation standards, energy efficiency so they can make more informed decisions. We are not a financial services firm, law firm, or regulated adviser. We do not sell your data to any third party.
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at [email protected]. We aim to respond to all enquiries within 5 working days.
You also have the right to contact the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) directly at ico.org.uk if you have concerns about how we handle your personal data.
2. What Personal Data We Collect
We collect the following categories of personal data, for the purposes described in Section 3 below.
2.1 Information You Actively Give Us
- Contact enquiries: When you email us or fill in our contact form, you provide your email address and any other information you choose to include. We use this solely to respond to your enquiry.
- Newsletter subscription: When you subscribe to our newsletter, you provide your email address. We never add subscribers without explicit, informed consent.
- Voluntary feedback: Any views, preferences, or additional information you voluntarily share with us.
- Correspondence content: The content of any emails or messages you send us, including any personal details within those messages.
2.2 Information Collected Automatically
When you visit our website, we automatically collect limited technical information:
- IP address: Your Internet Protocol address. This is a number that identifies your device and general location. We use this for website security and aggregate analytics only.
- Browser type and version: The web browser you use (for example, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge).
- Device information: Whether you accessed the site from a desktop computer, tablet, or mobile phone.
- Operating system: Your device's operating system (for example, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android).
- Pages visited: Which pages and articles on our site you viewed and for how long.
- Referral source: How you arrived at our site (for example, via a search engine, a direct link, or a social media platform).
- Search terms: If you arrived from a search engine, the keywords you used (in aggregate form).
This data is collected via cookies and server log files. It does not identify you personally and is used only in aggregate statistical form.
2.3 Cookies
We use cookies as described in our Cookie Policy. Cookies are small text files stored on your device. We use essential cookies (required for the website to function), analytics cookies (to understand how visitors use our site), and advertising cookies (used by Google AdSense). You can manage or delete cookies via your browser settings. See our Cookie Policy for full details.
2.4 Information from Third Parties
We may receive limited information from third-party services:
- Google Analytics: Provides aggregate statistics on website usage. No personally identifiable information is shared with us at an individual level.
- Google AdSense: Uses cookies to serve relevant advertisements. See our Cookie Policy for details.
- No other third-party data sharing: We do not purchase, receive, or combine personal data from external data brokers or providers.
3. How We Use Your Personal Data
We only use your personal data for the following purposes, and only where we have a valid legal basis under UK GDPR.
3.1 To Respond to Your Enquiries (Legal basis: legitimate interests / consent)
When you contact us, we use your email address and the content of your message to reply. We do not use this information for any other purpose. We retain enquiry records for 3 years after our last correspondence.
3.2 To Send Our Newsletter (Legal basis: consent)
If you subscribe to our newsletter, we send you occasional emails with new articles, guidance updates, and relevant UK news on UK solar panels and renewable energy. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email. Unsubscribing removes you from our mailing list within 24 hours. We use a third-party email service provider to send newsletters; they are contractually bound to process your data only on our instructions.
3.3 To Analyse Website Usage and Improve Our Content (Legal basis: legitimate interests)
We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use uksolaradvice.com. This helps us identify which articles are most useful, where readers encounter difficulties, and how we can improve the site. Data is collected in aggregate form only. Analytics data is retained for 26 months.
3.4 To Maintain Website Security (Legal basis: legitimate interests)
We monitor website traffic and server logs to detect and prevent malicious activity, spam, and unauthorised access. This includes reviewing IP addresses and access patterns.
3.5 To Serve Relevant Advertising (Legal basis: legitimate interests / consent for non-essential cookies)
Google AdSense uses cookies to display advertisements relevant to your browsing patterns on our site and other websites. You can opt out of personalised advertising at youronlinechoices.com.
3.6 To Comply with Legal Obligations
In certain circumstances, we may be required to retain or disclose your data to comply with UK law, court orders, or regulatory requirements.
4. Legal Basis for Processing
Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. Our processing bases are:
- Consent: Where you voluntarily subscribe to our newsletter or contact us with a specific enquiry. You can withdraw consent at any time.
- Legitimate interests: Where processing is necessary for our legitimate interests (website security, analytics, service improvement) provided these are not overridden by your rights.
- Legal obligation: Where required by law, for example in response to a lawful request from a regulatory body or law enforcement agency.
5. Who We Share Your Data With
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data. We may share your data with the following categories of recipients, only where strictly necessary:
- Website hosting providers: Our web hosting company may have limited access to server logs containing technical data. They are contractually required to protect your data.
- Email service providers: If you subscribe to our newsletter, your email address is held by our email delivery service. They process data only on our instructions.
- Analytics providers: Google Analytics processes aggregate data from our site. See Google's privacy policy for how they handle data.
- Legal and regulatory authorities: If required by law, court order, or regulatory obligation, we may disclose relevant data.
- Professional advisers: In the event of a legal claim or regulatory investigation, we may share data with our legal advisers.
6. Data Retention Periods
We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy:
- Contact enquiries: 3 years from date of last correspondence.
- Newsletter subscribers: Until you unsubscribe. Upon unsubscribe, your email address is deleted within 30 days.
- Analytics data (via Google Analytics): 26 months.
- Server log data: 90 days maximum.
- Cookie consent records: 1 year.
When the retention period expires, data is securely deleted or anonymised.
7. International Data Transfers
Our servers are located within the United Kingdom. If we use service providers that transfer data outside the UK, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the ICO, or adequacy decisions where applicable.
8. Your Rights Under UK GDPR
You have the following rights in relation to your personal data. To exercise any of these rights, email [email protected]. We respond within one month.
- Right of access (Article 15): You can request a copy of all personal data we hold about you.
- Right to rectification (Article 16): You can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
- Right to erasure (Article 17): You can request deletion of your data where there is no overriding legitimate basis for processing ("right to be forgotten"). This applies to newsletter subscriber data and contact enquiry data.
- Right to restriction (Article 18): You can ask us to restrict processing while a complaint is being resolved.
- Right to data portability (Article 20): You can request your data in a machine-readable format (JSON or CSV).
- Right to object (Article 21): You can object to processing based on legitimate interests. We will stop unless we have compelling legitimate grounds.
- Rights related to automated decision-making (Article 22): We do not use automated decision-making or profiling that produces significant effects on individuals.
- Right to withdraw consent: Where processing is consent-based, you can withdraw consent at any time.
- Right to lodge a complaint: You have the right to complain to the ICO at any time. We would, however, appreciate the chance to address your concerns before you do — please contact us first.
9. How We Protect Your Data
We take data security seriously. Our security measures include:
- SSL/TLS encryption: All data transmitted between your browser and our server is encrypted using HTTPS.
- Secure hosting: Our website is hosted on a professionally managed server with up-to-date security patching.
- Access controls: Access to website backend systems is restricted to authorised personnel only, using strong passwords and two-factor authentication.
- Regular monitoring: We monitor our website for suspicious activity and vulnerabilities.
No method of data transmission or storage is completely secure. While we take appropriate measures, we cannot guarantee absolute security. You are responsible for keeping your own devices and accounts secure.
10. Children's Privacy
Our website is not directed at, or intended for use by, children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected data from a child under 18, we will delete it immediately. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us at [email protected].
11. Third-Party Links
Our website contains links to external websites, including official UK government sources such as GOV.UK, HMRC, the FCA, NHS, Ofgem, and other relevant regulatory bodies. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external websites. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any external sites you visit.
12. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. When we make material changes, we will:
- Update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page.
- Post a prominent notice on our website for 30 days.
- Email newsletter subscribers if the changes materially affect how we use their data.
We recommend reviewing this page periodically to stay informed of any changes.
13. Official Information Sources We Reference
Our content is informed by official UK government and regulatory sources. Key authoritative sources include:
Our editorial approach is to cross-reference claims against these official sources wherever possible.
14. Complaints and Contact
If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://uksolaradvice.com/contact.html
We aim to resolve all complaints within 5 working days. If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to contact the Information Commissioner's Office:
- Website: ico.org.uk
- Address: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF
- Helpline: 0303 123 1113