Puget Sound Energy Privacy Policy
Page Content
Privacy Policy
Last Revised: Nov. 9, 2012
Maintaining your privacy and trust are important to us at Puget Sound Energy and our subsidiaries and affiliated companies ("PSE"). This privacy policy describes how we collect information that directly identifies or is directly associated with an individual ("personal information") on this website (the "Site"), and the ways in which we may use and disclose that information. We are the sole owner of personal information that we collect on the Site." or "We"). This privacy policy describes how we use and disclose information we collect about you on the websites of PSE (collectively, the "Sites") and other online services where we post this policy. This Policy does not apply to websites or services that display or link to different privacy statements. If you link to other web sites, please review the privacy policies posted on those sites. We will not sell, share or rent personal information in ways that conflict with this policy.
We may change this policy at any time, and will notify you of changes by indicating on the policy the date of its last update.
Read more
1. What information about me does PSE collect on the Site?
We may collect personal information in various ways on our Sites. This section summarizes the personal information that we collect on the Site and describes how we collect it.
A. Passive Collection
When you visit our Sites, we automatically collect information websites typically collect. This may include your Internet service provider, Web browser, the time of your visits and the pages visited, and the IP addresses of your computer. We use this information to analyze trends, to improve the security and efficiency of our Site and online services, and to otherwise administer and improve our Site and our services.
An example would be statistical reports that tell us how many visitors to the Site are using mobile devices and which are the most popular browsers. This helps us provide a more user friendly online experience by making sure the Site works well with the most commonly used devices.
B. Cookies
We may also automatically collect information using "cookies." A cookie is a small file, stored on your hard drive by a website. We may use cookies to keep users logged in to the Site, serve pages to users more quickly on subsequent visits, understand users' interaction with our Site, track users' paths for security purposes and customize our users' experiences on our Site.
Please also note that some of our business partners may use cookies on our Site. We have no access to or control over these cookies.
C. Active Collection
Our Site contains several features and services that collect information that you voluntarily provide to us. We may collect personal information such as your name, postal address, email address, and phone number. We may also collect information such as username, password and demographics information.
2. How does PSE use information collected on the Site?
We may use personal information that you provide to us for the purposes described in this Policy or disclosed to you on our Site or in connection with our services, and to:
- provide and deliver products and services you request;
- contact you about your online account, your energy account, the Site and our other products and services;
- respond to your comments or requests;
- operate, develop and improve the Site and our products and services;
- inform you about service and product offers and promotions from PSE and our selected partners that you may find of interest; and to process and deliver contest entries and rewards.
3. What personal information is shared with third parties?
We do not share your personal information with third parties other than as follows:
- with your consent, for example, when you agree to our sharing your information with other third parties for their own marketing purposes subject to their separate privacy policies;
- with third party vendors, consultants and other service providers who work for us and need access to your information to do that work;
- to (i) comply with laws or to respond to lawful requests and legal process, (ii) to protect the rights and property of PSE, our agents, customers, and others including to enforce our agreements, policies and terms of use or (iii) in an emergency to protect the personal safety of PSE, our customers, or any person;
- in connection with or during negotiation of any merger, sale of company assets, financing or acquisition of all or a portion of our business to another company.
We may also share aggregated or anonymized information in a form that does not directly identify you.
An example would be when PSE tells the news media, or regulatory agencies, the number of web visitors using the outage map during a storm. This helps us demonstrate one of the ways we communicate important information to customers.
4. What choices do I have in the use of personal information?
You may opt-out of promotional email from PSE by following the instructions in those emails. You may also email webmaster@pse.com to request to be taken off PSE's email list.
5. What security precautions are taken to protect personal information collected on the Site?
We take reasonable steps to help protect personal information about you that we collect on the Site. Despite our security safeguards, however, we cannot guarantee that personal information will be protected from interception, misappropriation, misuse or alteration, or that it will not be disclosed or accessed by accidental circumstances or by unauthorized actions. If you have any questions about the security of our Site, you may email webmaster@pse.com for more information.
6. How can I update or correct personal information associated with me?
If you have registered an online account with PSE, as a customer, job seeker, or business partner, you may directly edit the information you have provided by signing into the account. If you are unable to access the online account or have questions about updating your information, please follow the instructions provided at the account sign-in location, or email webmaster@pse.com with your questions. Email messages may be forwarded to Customer Care or to another, appropriate PSE contact. Please allow three business days for a response to your email message. Call Customer Care at 1-888-225-5773 if immediate response is required.
7. Who can I contact with questions about this Site?
Questions or comments about our Site may be directed to webmaster@pse.com, or you may call Customer Care at 1-888-225-5773; 1-800-962-9498 (TTY); 1-866-831-5161 (TRS). You may also write to us at Puget Sound Energy, PSE.com Webmaster, Communications, P.O. Box 97034 EST-11W, Bellevue, WA 98009-9734.
PSE Customer Notices: Notice Concerning Customer Information
This notice describes how Puget Sound Energy handles your private information (such as your name, address, telephone number and other personal information), collected by virtue of the customer-utility relationship.
Read more
PSE's business practices are regulated by the state Utilities and Transportation Commission. The UTC has regulations which limit how PSE may disclose or sell your private customer information.
UTC regulations require PSE to obtain the customer's written or electronic permission before disclosing or selling any private customer information to affiliates, subsidiaries or other third parties for purposes of marketing services or products. In other words, before we provide your name, service address or other private information to any service or product provider who intends to market services or products to you, we must obtain your permission to do so first. If you choose not to give us permission, we will not provide any of your personal information to these third parties.
We may, however, insert marketing information into our billing packets. PSE also may share aggregated information, which does not allow you to be personally identified or contacted (for example, information on demographic and site usage), with third parties such as partners and advertisers, without your authorization. This information will not contain any material which could personally identify any individual person, or customer.
We respect your privacy. For more information about our privacy policies, please visit PSE.com or contact us at 1-888-225-5773.
Download PDF: Notice Concerning Customer Information
Page Content
Privacy Policy
Last Revised: Nov. 9, 2012
Maintaining your privacy and trust are important to us at Puget Sound Energy and our subsidiaries and affiliated companies ("PSE"). This privacy policy describes how we collect information that directly identifies or is directly associated with an individual ("personal information") on this website (the "Site"), and the ways in which we may use and disclose that information. We are the sole owner of personal information that we collect on the Site." or "We"). This privacy policy describes how we use and disclose information we collect about you on the websites of PSE (collectively, the "Sites") and other online services where we post this policy. This Policy does not apply to websites or services that display or link to different privacy statements. If you link to other web sites, please review the privacy policies posted on those sites. We will not sell, share or rent personal information in ways that conflict with this policy.
We may change this policy at any time, and will notify you of changes by indicating on the policy the date of its last update.
Read more
1. What information about me does PSE collect on the Site?
We may collect personal information in various ways on our Sites. This section summarizes the personal information that we collect on the Site and describes how we collect it.
A. Passive Collection
When you visit our Sites, we automatically collect information websites typically collect. This may include your Internet service provider, Web browser, the time of your visits and the pages visited, and the IP addresses of your computer. We use this information to analyze trends, to improve the security and efficiency of our Site and online services, and to otherwise administer and improve our Site and our services.
An example would be statistical reports that tell us how many visitors to the Site are using mobile devices and which are the most popular browsers. This helps us provide a more user friendly online experience by making sure the Site works well with the most commonly used devices.
B. Cookies
We may also automatically collect information using "cookies." A cookie is a small file, stored on your hard drive by a website. We may use cookies to keep users logged in to the Site, serve pages to users more quickly on subsequent visits, understand users' interaction with our Site, track users' paths for security purposes and customize our users' experiences on our Site.
Please also note that some of our business partners may use cookies on our Site. We have no access to or control over these cookies.
C. Active Collection
Our Site contains several features and services that collect information that you voluntarily provide to us. We may collect personal information such as your name, postal address, email address, and phone number. We may also collect information such as username, password and demographics information.
2. How does PSE use information collected on the Site?
We may use personal information that you provide to us for the purposes described in this Policy or disclosed to you on our Site or in connection with our services, and to:
- provide and deliver products and services you request;
- contact you about your online account, your energy account, the Site and our other products and services;
- respond to your comments or requests;
- operate, develop and improve the Site and our products and services;
- inform you about service and product offers and promotions from PSE and our selected partners that you may find of interest; and to process and deliver contest entries and rewards.
3. What personal information is shared with third parties?
We do not share your personal information with third parties other than as follows:
- with your consent, for example, when you agree to our sharing your information with other third parties for their own marketing purposes subject to their separate privacy policies;
- with third party vendors, consultants and other service providers who work for us and need access to your information to do that work;
- to (i) comply with laws or to respond to lawful requests and legal process, (ii) to protect the rights and property of PSE, our agents, customers, and others including to enforce our agreements, policies and terms of use or (iii) in an emergency to protect the personal safety of PSE, our customers, or any person;
- in connection with or during negotiation of any merger, sale of company assets, financing or acquisition of all or a portion of our business to another company.
We may also share aggregated or anonymized information in a form that does not directly identify you.
An example would be when PSE tells the news media, or regulatory agencies, the number of web visitors using the outage map during a storm. This helps us demonstrate one of the ways we communicate important information to customers.
4. What choices do I have in the use of personal information?
You may opt-out of promotional email from PSE by following the instructions in those emails. You may also email webmaster@pse.com to request to be taken off PSE's email list.
5. What security precautions are taken to protect personal information collected on the Site?
We take reasonable steps to help protect personal information about you that we collect on the Site. Despite our security safeguards, however, we cannot guarantee that personal information will be protected from interception, misappropriation, misuse or alteration, or that it will not be disclosed or accessed by accidental circumstances or by unauthorized actions. If you have any questions about the security of our Site, you may email webmaster@pse.com for more information.
6. How can I update or correct personal information associated with me?
If you have registered an online account with PSE, as a customer, job seeker, or business partner, you may directly edit the information you have provided by signing into the account. If you are unable to access the online account or have questions about updating your information, please follow the instructions provided at the account sign-in location, or email webmaster@pse.com with your questions. Email messages may be forwarded to Customer Care or to another, appropriate PSE contact. Please allow three business days for a response to your email message. Call Customer Care at 1-888-225-5773 if immediate response is required.
7. Who can I contact with questions about this Site?
Questions or comments about our Site may be directed to webmaster@pse.com, or you may call Customer Care at 1-888-225-5773; 1-800-962-9498 (TTY); 1-866-831-5161 (TRS). You may also write to us at Puget Sound Energy, PSE.com Webmaster, Communications, P.O. Box 97034 EST-11W, Bellevue, WA 98009-9734.
PSE Customer Notices: Notice Concerning Customer Information
This notice describes how Puget Sound Energy handles your private information (such as your name, address, telephone number and other personal information), collected by virtue of the customer-utility relationship.
Read more
PSE's business practices are regulated by the state Utilities and Transportation Commission. The UTC has regulations which limit how PSE may disclose or sell your private customer information.
UTC regulations require PSE to obtain the customer's written or electronic permission before disclosing or selling any private customer information to affiliates, subsidiaries or other third parties for purposes of marketing services or products. In other words, before we provide your name, service address or other private information to any service or product provider who intends to market services or products to you, we must obtain your permission to do so first. If you choose not to give us permission, we will not provide any of your personal information to these third parties.
We may, however, insert marketing information into our billing packets. PSE also may share aggregated information, which does not allow you to be personally identified or contacted (for example, information on demographic and site usage), with third parties such as partners and advertisers, without your authorization. This information will not contain any material which could personally identify any individual person, or customer.
We respect your privacy. For more information about our privacy policies, please visit PSE.com or contact us at 1-888-225-5773.
Download PDF: Notice Concerning Customer Information