COAST ELECTRIC POWER ASSOCIATION

WEB SITE PRIVACY POLICY

The purpose of this policy is to describe the practices that govern the collection, maintenance, use, and disclosure of personal information on the Coast Electric Power Association (CEPA) website.  While you can browse through our website without providing us any information about yourself, when you do request online services, you will need to provide your personal information.  This policy describes CEPA’s privacy practices concerning how we collect and use that information.  This policy applies only to information collected, maintained and used by Coastepa.com and does not apply to the collection and use practices of web sites which users connect to through coastepa.com links, nor does it apply to information that may be posed on coastepa.com that is provided by third parties. 

COLLECTION OF INFORMATION:

• Web server log information – This is basic information that does not identify any specific individual that is collected on all user visits such as the domain from which Coastepa.com was accessed, IP address, type of browser or operating system, date, time, duration of access, pages visited, links visited, and the address of the web site from which coastepa.com was accessed.  This information is automatically (involuntarily) collected and used to help CEPA improve our website and maintain the availability and usefulness of the web site.  Users cannot opt-out of collection of this information and it is not reviewable or correctable by the user because it is not personally identifiable information.

• Cookies – Cookies are another means by which coastepa.com collects similar basic information on all user visits that does not identify any specific individual and that shows how individual users utilize the web site.  Cookies are bits of information collected by the web server and transferred back to the authorized user’s computer hard drive.  This information is used to help tailor or personalize the authorized user’s next visit and to otherwise manage and improve the web site.  This information is automatically (involuntarily) collected and no attempt is made to identify any specific individual.  Users may not opt out of the collection of this information but may be able to set their browsers to alert the user of the creation of a cookie and/or means to deny acceptance of a cookie.  This information is not reviewable or correctable by the user because it is not personally identifiable information. 

• Personal information – Personal information is any information that may be used to identify an individual including, but not limited to, a first and last name, email address, home/postal/physical address, birth date, gender, social security number or other information that may be required to provide a service you requested.  Failure to provide the requested information may preclude the delivery of the service or information requested.  This information is voluntary and the user can opt-out of providing this information by simply not providing it as requested.  The user can also opt-out of future use of this information for any other purpose such as notification of new services or information by indicating their desire in an email to call@coastepa.com, phone call or letter to CEPA.  Any personally identifiable information provided can be reviewed and corrected by the authorized user.

DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION:

CEPA does not sell the information about our member’s account to any third party.  Account information will only be used in the following ways:

• CEPA may share and disclose non-public information (such as name and mailing address) to our affiliates if, in our opinion, this would be in the best interest of the membership.

• Information about delinquent or charged-off accounts may be shared with credit bureaus, reporting agencies and collection agents.

• To verify the existence of the member’s electric service.

• To communicate with the member and handle requests made by the member.

• To compile research or statistical information that does not identify any member as an individual.

• To contact members about our products or services offered by one or more of our affiliates.  (Affiliates will only receive the information needed to provide the contracted service.)

• To fulfill request by our members for information on other services.

• To comply with court orders or regulatory proceedings.

INFORMATION SECURITY:

CEPA has implemented best business practices for technical, administrative, and physical security in order to protect its legal interests against loss, unauthorized access, destruction, misuse, modification, and improper disclosure of all information collected and maintained by CEPA and we periodically review these best practices to ensure they continue to meet our high standards for security and confidentiality.  CEPA restricts access to members' non-public information to those employees who need to know that information to provide electric and/or related services to members.  To protect our members’ privacy, CEPA makes every effort to partner only with companies that agree to maintain strong confidentiality protections.  The information we provide will be limited to the specific information that is needed to fulfill the purposes of our agreement.  CEPA does not permit these companies to sell or otherwise disclose to third parties the information that is provided to them.

Updated November 12, 2010

 

 

PRIVACY POLICY

COAST ELECTRIC POWER ASSOCIATION

Policy No. 111.1

PRIVACY POLICY

I.          POLICY OBJECTIVE

To assure the continued privacy and confidentiality of member non-public information.

II.         POLICY CONTENT

Prospective members must complete the application process to receive service from Coast Electric.  By applying or receiving service from Coast Electric, each member instructs us to create a user identification file for them.  Also, by becoming a member of Coast Electric, it is understood that we may revise this policy at any time and that we may use the members’ non-public information in the manner described below.

A.        SOURCES OF INFORMATION: Coast Electric Power Association collects non-public information about its members from various sources including, but not limited to, the following sources:

• Applications or other forms (information such as name, address and social security number).

• Member transactions with Coast Electric, our affiliates, or others (information such as account balance and payment history). “Affiliate” means one or more companies that contractually perform services for Coast Electric Power Association and its members.

• Consumer reporting agencies (information such as credit history).

• Electronic communications, i.e., telephone, email and internet applications or products and services.  Information may be received from “cookies” stored on an individual’s computer.  (Cookies are small files stored on a computer to simplify and improve a user’s web experience.)

B.         USES OF INFORMATION: Coast Electric Power Association does not sell the information about our member’s account to any third party.  Account information will only be used in the following ways;

• Coast Electric Power Association may share and disclose non-public information (such as name and mailing address) to our affiliates if, in our opinion, this would be in the best interest of the membership.

• Information about delinquent or charged-off accounts may be shared with credit bureaus, reporting agencies and collection agents.

• To verify the existence of the member’s electric service.

• To communicate with the member and handle request made by the member.

• To compile research or statistical information that does not identify any member as an individual.

• To contact members about our products or services offered by one or more of our affiliates.  (Affiliates will only receive the information needed to provide the contracted service.)

• To fulfill request by our members for information on other services.

• To comply with court orders or regulatory proceedings.

C          SECURITY AND CONFIDENTIALITY: Coast Electric Power Association restricts access to members' non-public information to those employees who need to know that information to provide products or services to members. Coast Electric Power Association maintains physical, electronic and procedural safeguards to protect members' non-public information and we periodically review these safeguards to ensure they continue to meet our high standards for security and confidentiality.  To protect our members’ privacy, Coast Electric Power Association makes every effort to partner only with companies that agree to maintain strong confidentiality protections.  The information we will provide will be limited to the specific information that is needed to fulfill the purposes of our agreement.  Coast Electric Power Association does not permit these companies to sell or otherwise disclose to third parties the information that is provided to them.

D.        MEMBER NOTIFICATION:  Copies of this policy are available on our Web site or at any of our district offices.  We will notify our membership of any material changes through written, electronic or other means permitted by law.

III.       RESPONSIBILITY

It will be the responsibility of the Chief Executive Officer and staff to implement this policy.  It is the responsibility of all employees to protect the privacy and maintain the confidentiality of member non-public information.  Questions regarding release of information should be directed to the Vice-President of Finance and Administration.

Approved: June 28, 2004                                       

Modified: June 21, 2007