Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy is provided to make you aware of how CitiPower and Powercor collect, use and manage personal information that is received from you. Our Privacy Policy deals with the following:

  • The Privacy Act 1988 (Cth);
  • Collection, use and disclosure of your personal information;
  • Protection of your personal information;
  • Your rights of access to personal information we hold about you; and
  • How to contact us.
The Privacy Act 1988 (Cth);

CitiPower and Powercor are bound by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (the Act), which contains the National Privacy Principles (Principles). The Act sets out the way in which we may collect, use, keep, secure and disclose your personal information.

Collection of your personal information

Customers

We collect certain items of personal information from customers to allow us to deliver electricity services to those customers. The collection of this personal information also allows us to contact our customers in relation to their electricity supply when necessary. If this personal information is not collected, we will be unable to provide electricity services to customers.

When a customer or a customer’s electricity retailer, registered electrical contractor or other relevant party requests a service from us (eg to obtain a connection or supply of electricity), we collect some or all of the following personal information from customers:

  • Name;
  • Postal address;
  • Telephone number;
  • Address of premises at which our service is provided; and
  • Type of service requested. 

In exceptional circumstances, we may also collect and maintain sensitive personal information about a customer. This information will only be collected from the customer (or third parties, such as health authorities), where a customer has special health needs requiring special electricity supply arrangements, such as dependence on a dialysis machine.

At times, we may also collect records of a customer’s electricity consumption, and if applicable, a customer’s electricity load profile.

Customer telephone calls are recorded for quality, security and compliance purposes. If you do not wish your call to be recorded, please inform the customer service advisor.

Recruitment and employment

If a person applies for a job with us, we will collect some or all of the following personal information and health information from that person:

  • Name and contact details;
  • Employment application;
  • Curriculum vitae, including employment history; and
  • Details of any relevant medical conditions.

GPS technology in equipment used by employees performing work on the electricity network may be activated and accessed by CitiPower and Powercor to obtain information about employees’ location in the field on Code Red days, Total Fire Ban days and Escalation Events. This information will not be used other than to locate employees for their health and safety, to allocate employees to the most appropriate location on Code Red days, Total Fire Ban days and Escalation Events, and will not be retained.

How we use your personal information

In general, we may use your personal information for one or more of the following purposes:

  • To identify our customers;
  • To provide and improve services to our customers;
  • To maintain services provided to our customers;
  • To consider applications for employment; and
  • To comply with our legal obligations.

We may use your personal information for management or statistical purposes. On these occasions we will use the data to analyse and examine trends and demographics to help us offer you improved services. Data will be aggregated and all personal information will be de-identified so you are not personally identified.

We will not use your personal information other than as set out above unless we have your express consent, or unless:

  • You would reasonably expect us to use the personal information for that other purpose;
  • There are reasonable grounds to believe that disclosure is necessary to prevent a threat to life or health;
  • We suspect that unlawful activity is or has been engaged in and we will use the personal information or data to investigate the suspected unlawful activity; or
  • The use is authorised by law or reasonably necessary to enforce the law. These uses may include where we are required to provide information in response to subpoenas or warrants or other legal processes.
Disclosure of your personal information

We will only disclose your personal information to:

  • In the case of customers: our agents and contractors who we contract with to provide and improve services to you;
  • In the case of potential employees: our psychometric testing service providers, medical providers, employment agency and recruitment suppliers and our external recruitment database service provider;
  • Any regulator or government authority or agency who has the right to access our records; and
  • Any other organisation or person who you have provided us with consent to disclose your personal information to. 
Protection of your personal information

We will take reasonable steps to ensure that all information we collect, use or disclose is accurate, complete and up-to-date.  We may store your personal information on computer databases and/or in hard copy and we will take all reasonable steps to ensure the safe security and privacy of your personal information.

Recruitment personal information and health information which is provided to us through our website will be stored electronically by our external recruitment database service provider.

We will also take reasonable measures to ensure your personal information is protected from unauthorised access and misuse.

We will continue to hold customer personal information while we supply electricity to you and otherwise for the periods required by law. 

We will continue to hold recruitment personal information and health information for 18 months from the date that information was provided to us.

Records of personal information no longer required will either be destroyed or permanently de-identified.  

Your rights of access to personal information we hold about you

You can request us to provide you with access to your personal information that we hold. We will comply with any request to access the personal information held to the extent required by the Act. There is no fee for making such a request, however we may charge you a small administrative fee for providing this access. We will endeavour to respond to your request within 14 days. 

You can access or modify the personal information you have provided to us by callingCitiPower on 1300 301 101 orPowercor on 13 22 06.

Exceptions to the requirement for us to provide you with access to your personal information are set out in the Act, but amongst others include:

  • Where providing access will pose a serious threat to life or health of any individual or pose an unreasonable impact on the privacy of an individual;
  • Where the information relates to existing legal proceedings between us and you and the information would not be discoverable in the process of those legal proceedings; or
  • Where providing access would be unlawful, may prejudice an investigation of possible unlawful activity, may prejudice enforcement of laws, or denying access is specifically authorised by law.

If we do not allow you to access your personal information, we will provide you with the reasons for our decision.

Privacy concerns, more information and our contact details

By calling CitiPower on 1300 301 101 or Powercor on 13 22 06 you can:

  • Make a complaint if you believe that your personal privacy has been breached;
  • Obtain more information about the way we manage personal information that we hold; and
  • Rrequest access to personal information we hold about you.

For further privacy information, please refer to the Australian Privacy Commissioner's website which is at www.privacy.gov.au. 

 

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