1. Who We Are
The data controller responsible for your personal data is:
Future Smart Electrical Essex Ltd
MIT Barn, Coptfold Hall Farm, Writtle Rd, Margaretting, Ingatestone, Essex, CM4 0EL
Email: hello@futuresmartelectrical.co.uk
Phone: 01245 526296
We are registered in England and Wales. Our activities are regulated by NAPIT and we hold MCS, OZEV, and F-Gas accreditations.
2. Data We Collect
We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:
- Identity data: first name, last name, title
- Contact data: email address, telephone number, postal address
- Property data: property address and type (where relevant to a quote or job)
- Technical data: IP address, browser type and version, time zone, browser plug-in types, operating system and platform, and other technology on the devices you use to access our website
- Usage data: information about how you use our website, products, and services
- Marketing and communications data: your preferences in receiving marketing from us and your communication preferences
- Transaction data: details about payments and services you have purchased from us
We do not collect any Special Categories of Personal Data (such as data about your race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, health, or biometric data), nor do we collect data about criminal convictions or offences.
3. How We Collect Your Data
We collect data through the following means:
- Direct interactions: when you fill in a contact or quote form on our website, call us, email us, or engage us for services
- Automated technologies: as you interact with our website, we may automatically collect technical and usage data via cookies, server logs, and similar technologies
- Third parties: we may receive data from analytics providers (e.g. Google Analytics), advertising networks (e.g. Google Ads), and search information providers
4. How We Use Your Data
We use your personal data for the following purposes:
- To respond to enquiries and provide quotes for our electrical, solar, EV charging, and air conditioning services
- To fulfil contracts for services you have engaged us to carry out
- To send you service-related communications (e.g. appointment confirmations, job completion certificates)
- To send you marketing communications where you have consented or where we have a legitimate interest to do so
- To improve our website, services, and customer experience
- To comply with legal and regulatory obligations (e.g. NAPIT, MCS, OZEV record-keeping requirements)
- To detect and prevent fraud or other illegal activity
- To manage our business operations and internal administration
5. Legal Basis for Processing
Under UK GDPR, we rely on the following lawful bases to process your personal data:
Contract
Processing is necessary to perform a contract with you or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract (e.g. providing a quote, carrying out electrical work).
Legitimate Interests
Processing is necessary for our legitimate interests — such as improving our services, marketing similar services to existing customers, and preventing fraud — where those interests are not overridden by your rights.
Legal Obligation
Processing is necessary to comply with a legal obligation, including regulatory requirements under NAPIT, MCS, and OZEV schemes.
Consent
Where we send you marketing communications to new contacts or use non-essential cookies, we rely on your consent. You may withdraw consent at any time.
6. Data Sharing
We do not sell your personal data. We may share your data with:
- Service providers: third-party companies that provide IT, system administration, and related services on our behalf (e.g. website hosting, email delivery, CRM software). These parties process data only on our instructions.
- Regulatory bodies: NAPIT, MCS, OZEV, and other accreditation bodies where required to maintain our certifications or report completed work.
- Professional advisers: lawyers, accountants, and insurers where necessary.
- Analytics and advertising: Google Analytics and Google Ads to measure website performance and the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns. Data is anonymised or pseudonymised where possible.
- Law enforcement: where required by law, court order, or governmental authority.
All third parties are required to respect the security of your personal data and to treat it in accordance with the law. We do not allow our third-party service providers to use your personal data for their own purposes.
8. Data Retention
We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.
- Enquiry / quote data: retained for up to 2 years from the date of enquiry if no contract is entered into
- Customer / contract data: retained for 7 years from the end of the contract to comply with HMRC and regulatory requirements
- Electrical installation records: retained for a minimum of 6 years as required by NAPIT and BS 7671
- MCS installation records: retained for a minimum of 10 years as required by the MCS scheme
- Marketing data: retained until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent
9. Your Rights Under UK GDPR
Under UK data protection law, you have the following rights:
Right of Access
Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you (Subject Access Request).
Right to Rectification
Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
Right to Erasure
Request deletion of your personal data where there is no compelling reason for its continued processing.
Right to Restriction
Request that we restrict processing of your personal data in certain circumstances.
Right to Portability
Request transfer of your personal data to you or a third party in a structured, machine-readable format.
Right to Object
Object to processing of your personal data where we rely on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes.
Withdraw Consent
Where processing is based on consent, withdraw that consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.
Right to Complain
Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at hello@futuresmartelectrical.co.uk. We will respond within one calendar month. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.
10. Data Security
We have implemented appropriate technical and organisational security measures to prevent your personal data from being accidentally lost, used, accessed, altered, or disclosed in an unauthorised way. These include:
- SSL/TLS encryption for all data transmitted via our website
- Access controls limiting who within our organisation can access personal data
- Regular review of our data processing activities and security practices
- Use of reputable, GDPR-compliant third-party processors
In the event of a personal data breach that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify the ICO within 72 hours and, where required, notify you directly.
11. Third-Party Links
Our website may include links to third-party websites, plug-ins, and applications (including Google Maps, Facebook, and Instagram). Clicking on those links or enabling those connections may allow third parties to collect or share data about you. We do not control these third-party websites and are not responsible for their privacy statements. We encourage you to read the privacy policy of every website you visit.
12. Children's Privacy
Our website and services are not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such data, please contact us immediately at hello@futuresmartelectrical.co.uk and we will take steps to delete it.
13. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.
Your continued use of our website after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
14. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:
Future Smart Electrical Essex Ltd
MIT Barn, Coptfold Hall Farm, Writtle Rd, Margaretting, Ingatestone, Essex, CM4 0EL
You also have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection issues. Visit ico.org.uk or call 0303 123 1113.