LAST UPDATED: September 25, 2023
EFFECTIVE: September 25, 2023
1. WHAT IS GREEN BUTTON?
The Green Button Download My Data protocol allows account holders to access their Energy Data in a standardized format. The Green Button Connect My Data protocol allows account holders to share their electricity usage, billing, and utility account information (“Energy Data”) with authorized third parties (an “Authorized Party”). The Green Button Connect My Data Service is an energy industry standard for enabling access to, and secure sharing of, an account holder’s Energy Data. There is no cost to use Green Button Connect My Data.
2. APPLICABILITY OF THIS GREEN BUTTON PRIVACY POLICY
As a general rule Alectra Utilities Corporation (Alectra) collects and uses personal information for the purpose of distributing electricity and in accordance with its Privacy Policy.
This Green Button Privacy Policy applies to Alectra account holders who consent to share their Energy Data with an Authorized Party. By consenting to use the Green Button Connect My Data Service, you consent to the transfer of your Energy Data to an Authorized Party that you designate. If you do not consent to sharing your Energy Data with an Authorized Party, then you should not opt to use the Green Button Connect My Data Service.
The Green Button Connect My Data Service will permit the Authorized Party to download your Energy Data. Alectra will only share your Energy Data with an Authorized Party you have so authorized. After you have authorized access to your Energy Data, that access will only be permitted as part of the Green Button Connect My Data Service. Alectra will NOT share any information regarding your login credentials to the My Alectra portal, or any other information not associated with the Green Button Connect My Data Service with an Authorized Party.
Once authorized, the Authorized Party will have access to all of the historical electricity usage data associated with your account, to a maximum of 24 months of history. The Authorized Party will also have access to your billing and utility account information, which includes personally identifiable information, as well as any program enrollment associated with the account, such as Ontario Electricity Support Program.
ONCE AN AUTHORIZED PARTY HAS ACCESS TO YOUR ENERGY DATA, ALECTRA WILL NO LONGER HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER ACCESS TO, OR USE OF, YOUR ENERGY DATA. ALECTRA IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR HOW AN AUTHORIZED PARTY USES YOUR ENERGY DATA, OR ANY DAMAGES OR LIABILITIES YOU MAY INCUR AS A RESULT.
When you authorize access of your Energy Data to an Authorized Party you will have the option to specify either a defined time period for authorization, or you may choose a time period without expiry. If you specify a defined period of authorization, the authorization will expire at the end of that time period. If you choose ‘No Expiry’ as the authorization period, then the authorization will not expire unless you submit a revocation of the authorization to Alectra. Until such revocation, your Energy Data will continue to be shared with the Authorized Party on an ongoing basis and without further notice to you.
Alectra cannot guarantee that the Authorized Party will maintain the confidentiality or privacy of your Energy Data once it has access and cannot guarantee that the Authorized Party will not use your Energy Data improperly. The control, use, and disclosure, of your Energy Data to which access has been authorized will be subject to the privacy policies of the Authorized Party, and not this Green Button Privacy Policy or Alectra’s Privacy Policy.
Alectra may use information from your account to communicate with you about potential changes to the Green Button Connect My Data Service or to this Green Button Privacy Policy.
3. INTERNATIONAL DATA PROCESSING
Once you have authorized access to your Energy Data, the Authorized Party may transfer or permit it to be stored or processed in jurisdictions outside of Canada, where privacy laws, regulations, or data protection standards may not offer the same level of protection. For more information about how and where your Energy Data will be stored, used or processed, you will need to contact the Authorized Party prior to authorizing access to your Energy Data.
4. HOW TO DESIGNATE ACCESS TO AN AUTHORIZED THIRD PARTY
There are two methods that can be used to authorize access to your Energy Data to an Authorized Party.
The first method is to sign into your Alectra ‘My Alectra customer portal using your My Alectra login credentials, where you will be able to authorize an Energy Data Transfer. If you don’t have access to your account via the My Alectra portal and you would like to set this up, you may register for My Alectra or contact Alectra Customer Service for assistance.
The second method is to complete an online Green Button Connect My Data Authorization Form and submit it to Alectra Customer Service. Both methods require appropriate authentication and authorization before Alectra will process the access to an Authorized Party.
5. YOUR CHOICES ABOUT YOUR ENERGY DATA
Using the Green Button Connect My Data Service is entirely voluntary. At any time, you may revoke your authorization to share Energy Data with an Authorized Party by either: (i) viewing the existing authorizations in your My Alectra portal and selecting “Cancel” for any or all of those authorizations, or (ii) contacting Alectra Customer Service at 1-833-ALECTRA (1-833-253-2872).
When you cancel an authorization, Alectra will disable access to your Energy Data by the Authorized Party within 24 hours of receipt of the cancellation. The cancellation will not apply to Energy Data previously downloaded by the Authorized Party and that Authorized Party will continue to have access to all Energy Data previously shared. If you want the Authorized Party to delete any of your Energy Data they have accessed, you will need to contact them directly to make that request.
6. CHANGES TO THIS POLICY
Alectra reviews its policies from time to time to ensure they reflect adherence to laws, regulations, and current practice. Alectra reserves the right to change this Green Button Privacy Policy at any time. Alectra will notify customers of any future changes to this policy.
7. CONTACT US
If you have any questions about this Green Button Privacy Policy, you can address your enquiry to Alectra’s Privacy Officer at the following coordinates:
Privacy Officer
2185 Derry Road West,
Mississauga ON L5N 7A6
privacy.officer@alectra.com