1. Who we are

Better Connections Limited (trading as Better Connected) is an energy consultancy registered in England and Wales (company number 07294707). Our registered address is 231 Elliott Street, Tyldesley, Manchester, M29 8DG. Our principal trading address is Barn 1, Somerford Business Court, Holmes Chapel Road, Somerford, Cheshire, CW12 4SN.

We are the data controller for the personal data we collect and process in connection with our services. If you have any questions about how we handle your personal data, please contact us at [email protected] or by post to our trading address above.

2. What this policy covers

This Privacy Policy explains how Better Connections Limited collects, uses, stores and shares your personal data when you visit our website (betterconnected.biz), contact us, or engage us to provide energy consultancy services. It also explains your rights under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This policy should be read alongside our Cookie Notice, which sets out how we use cookies and similar technologies on our website.

3. Data we collect and why

3.1 Website visitors. When you visit our website, we may collect:

• Technical information such as your IP address, browser type and pages visited, collected automatically via server logs for security and performance purposes
• Information you provide when submitting our contact form, including your name, email address, phone number, company name and details of your enquiry

The legal basis for this processing is our legitimate interest in operating a secure and functional website and responding to business enquiries (Article 6(1)(f) UK GDPR), and where you have given consent via the contact form submission (Article 6(1)(a) UK GDPR).

3.2 Clients and prospective clients. In the course of providing energy consultancy services, we collect and process:

• Contact details including name, job title, email address and telephone number
• Company information including registered name, company number, VAT number, and registered and trading addresses
• Energy supply data including meter point references (MPAN and MPRN), consumption data, existing contract terms and billing information
• Financial information necessary to assess or arrange energy contracts, including information relevant to credit assessments where required by suppliers
• Correspondence and records of instructions given to us

The legal basis for this processing is the performance of a contract to which you or your organisation are party, or steps taken at your request prior to entering a contract (Article 6(1)(b) UK GDPR), and our legitimate interests in operating our business and providing the services you have engaged us to provide (Article 6(1)(f) UK GDPR).

3.3 Supplier and third party contacts. We hold contact details for representatives at energy suppliers and other third parties we work with in the ordinary course of our business. This is processed on the basis of legitimate interests.

4. How we use your data

We use the personal data we collect to:

• Respond to enquiries and provide energy consultancy and advisory services
• Negotiate and arrange energy supply contracts on your behalf
• Manage ongoing contract administration, bill validation and consumption monitoring
• Comply with legal and regulatory obligations
• Maintain records required for our business operations
• Send service related communications, including contract renewal reminders and updates relevant to your supply
• Improve our website and services

We do not use your personal data for automated decision making or profiling in a way that produces legal or similarly significant effects.

5. Marketing communications

We may contact existing clients with information about our services that may be relevant to them. We will always give you a clear opportunity to opt out of such communications. We do not send unsolicited marketing emails to individuals without a prior business relationship or your explicit consent.

If you no longer wish to receive any communications from us, please contact us at [email protected] and we will update your preferences promptly.

6. Who we share your data with

We share your personal data only where necessary and with appropriate safeguards in place. Recipients may include:

• Energy suppliers: to obtain quotes, submit contract applications and manage your supply on your behalf. This is the core purpose of our service and is carried out with your instruction and authority.
• Meter operators and data collectors: where required for supply registration and metering purposes
• Third party software providers: including CRM, form processing and communication tools used to operate our business. These are engaged as data processors and are contractually bound to process data only on our instruction.
• Professional advisors: such as solicitors or accountants where relevant to our legal or financial obligations
• Regulatory authorities: where we are required by law to disclose information, including Ofgem and HMRC

We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We do not share your data for third party marketing purposes.

7. International transfers

Where we use third party service providers that process data outside the UK, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with UK GDPR requirements, including standard contractual clauses where applicable.

8. How long we keep your data

Category	Retention period	Reason
Client contract records and correspondence	6 years from end of contract	Legal and regulatory obligations and applicable limitation periods
Enquiry and contact form submissions	2 years from last contact	Legitimate business interest in maintaining contact history
Energy supply and billing data	6 years from last transaction	Regulatory requirements and potential billing disputes
Website server logs	90 days	Security and fraud prevention
Marketing preferences and opt-out records	Indefinitely	To honour opt-out requests

9. Your rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

• Right of access: to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to rectification: to request that inaccurate data is corrected
• Right to erasure: to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances
• Right to restriction: to request that we limit how we use your data
• Right to data portability: to receive your data in a structured, commonly used format
• Right to object: to object to processing based on legitimate interests, including for direct marketing
• Rights related to automated decision making: we do not carry out solely automated decision making with significant effects

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us in writing at [email protected] or by post. We will respond within one calendar month of receiving your request. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

10. Cookies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies. Please refer to our Cookie Notice for full details of what we use, the purpose, and how you can manage your preferences.

11. How to complain

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal data, please contact us in the first instance so we can try to resolve your concern. If you remain dissatisfied, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection matters.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the version number and effective date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of our website or services following any update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

If any change materially affects how we process your personal data, we will notify you directly where we hold your contact details.

13. Contact us

Better Connections Limited
Barn 1, Somerford Business Court
Holmes Chapel Road, Somerford
Cheshire CW12 4SN

Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0845 217 7525