Privacy Policy
SA Power Networks view the personal privacy of its customers as a very important issue. SA Power Networks is committed to the protection of your personal information. This Privacy Policy is provided to make you aware of how SA Power Networks collects, uses and manages personal information that it receives from its customers.
Our Privacy Policy contains the following information:
- The Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2001;
- Collection, use and disclosure of your personal information;
- Disclosure of your information;
- Protection of your personal information;
- Your rights of access to personal information we hold about you;
- How to contact us.
Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2001
New privacy laws, in the form of changes to the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) ("the Privacy Act"), regulate the way in which many private sector organisations including SA Power Networks collect, use, keep secure and disclose personal information. The private sector provisions aim to give people greater control over the way information about them is handled by requiring organisations to comply with ten National Privacy Principles or an approved privacy code. The new privacy laws commenced operation for many organisations, including SA Power Networks, on 21 December 2001.
The National Privacy Principles cover such areas as collection, use and disclosure of personal information, data quality and security and access and correction rights for individuals.
Collection, use and disclosure of your personal information
When you request a service from SA Power Networks, for instance, to obtain a connection or for provision of electricity we collect the following personal information from you: your name, your postal address, your telephone number; address of premises at which SA Power Networks' service is provided (if applicable); type of service requested; payment arrangement; credit card details, where payment is made electronically. We obtain this information from you so we can provide you with a connection and contact you as necessary. We cannot provide a connection if you do not give us this information.
Where your personal information is not collected directly from you, it may be obtained from your electrical retailer. Your electrical retailer generates the billing information for SA Power Networks. Information provided to SA Power Networks by your electrical retailer would normally include your name and address, and periodic details as to your electricity consumption.
Over time, we may also collect records of your electricity consumption, your payment history, and if applicable, your load profile.
Your personal information is kept by SA Power Networks for billing purposes and to ensure efficient service is provided to you as a consumer. Similarly, your information will be kept for quality control purposes, should you call us again, we can check your records in order to provide efficient and appropriate service to you.
When you submit feedback or questions via the internet or email, or contact us for information we will request your name and email address. We will use this information solely to respond to your inquiries.
From time to time SA Power Networks is required by law to make disclosures to the Technical Regulator or for the purposes of review by the Essential Services Commission of South Australia (ESCOSA). Where possible this information will be provided on an aggregated basis with no personal identifiers, however, ESCOSA has a right to access SA Power Networks' records for inspection purposes if it deems it necessary.
We may provide you with information with respect to related products or services. You will be given an option to opt out of receiving information we provide by ticking appropriate boxes on the relevant forms. Promotional materials will not be sent to you unless your prior consent has been obtained.
When you enter a contest or other promotional feature, we may ask for your name, address and email address so we can administer the contest and notify winners.
In exceptional circumstances, we may keep sensitive personal information on a customer which the customer or third parties, such as health authorities, provide to us with the person's consent, which relates to electricity outages, where an individual has special health needs (for example, dependence on a dialysis machine). Such information will be kept separately and not disclosed without individual's prior written consent.
From time to time we may use your personal information for management or statistical purposes. In that case all personal information will be de-identified and congregated so that you personally will not be identified in that information.
Information collected will not be disclosed to any other organisation other than our mailing houses which distribute the information to you.
Protection of your personal information
We do not share, sell or rent any identifiable personal information to any third party without your permission.
Where SA Power Networks contracts out some of its activities, for example data processing or analysis, we will take reasonable steps so that your information is duly protected.
We store your information on computer databases as well as in hard copy. We will take all reasonable steps to ensure safe security and privacy of your information. We take reasonable measures so that your personal information is protected from unauthorised access and misuse.
Your records are kept whilst you are connected and otherwise for the periods required by law and on expiry of that period they will be destroyed. Records of personal information no longer required will either be destroyed or permanently de-identified.
Yours rights of access to personal information we hold about you
You can ask us to provide you with access to personal information we hold about you. We will comply with any such request to the extent required by the Privacy Act. There is no fee for making such a request. However we may charge you a small administrative fee for providing access to your personal information. We will endeavour to respond to your request within 14 days. Requests must be made in writing to the mailing address provided below.
Privacy concerns, more information and our contact details
By calling our Customer Relations Group you can:
- complain to us if you believe that your personal privacy has been breached;
- get more information about the way we manage personal information that we hold; and
- request access to personal information we hold about you.
SA Power Networks
1 Anzac Highway
Keswick, SA 5035
Phone: 131 261
Fax: 61 8 8404 5193
Email: customerrelations@sapowernetworks.com.au