PRIVACY POLICY

CompareSolar.co.uk

Effective Date: 16 February 2026

1. Introduction

Welcome to CompareSolar.co.uk. We are committed to protecting your personal data and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share your personal information when you visit our website, use our services, or otherwise interact with us.

We comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR), and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025. We encourage you to read this policy carefully to understand your rights and our obligations.

2. Who We Are

CompareSolar.co.uk is operated by:

Company Name: The Media Den Limited

Company Number: 14235678

Registered Office: F29 Flexspace Newton Aycliffe Incubation Centre, Durham Way South, Aycliffe Business Park, Newton Aycliffe, DL5 6XP

Email: info@comparesolar.co.uk

ICO Registration Reference: ZB429917

For the purposes of data protection legislation, The Media Den Limited is the Data Controller. This means we are responsible for deciding how and why your personal data is processed.

2.1 Our UK GDPR Representative

We have appointed GDPRLocal as our UK Representative under Article 27 of the UK GDPR. If you wish to exercise your data protection rights or have any queries about how we handle your personal data, you may contact our representative:

Representative: GDPRLocal

Address: 1st Floor Front Suite, 27-29 North Street, Brighton, England, BN1 1EB

Telephone: +44 1772 217800

Website: https://gdprlocal.com

3. Our Services

CompareSolar.co.uk is a lead generation and comparison service for the solar energy sector. We help homeowners find suitable solar panel and battery storage installers by matching them with trusted, vetted installation companies from our network of over 100 approved installers across the United Kingdom.

When you submit your details through our online form, we use our proprietary matching algorithm to identify up to three installers best suited to your requirements based on factors including your geographical location, property type, roof type, and the nature of your enquiry. Your details are then shared with these matched installers so they can contact you directly to discuss your requirements and provide quotes.

4. Information We Collect

4.1 Information You Provide to Us

When you complete our online enquiry form, we collect:

• Your full name
• Email address
• Telephone number
• Postcode and/or full address
• Property type (e.g., detached, semi-detached, terraced, bungalow, flat)
• Roof type and orientation
• Age of your property
• Details of your solar requirements (e.g., solar panels, battery storage, or both)
• Any additional information you choose to provide about your energy needs

4.2 Information We Collect Automatically

When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain technical and usage information, including:

• IP address and approximate geographic location
• Browser type and version, operating system, and device information
• Pages visited, time spent on pages, navigation paths, and referral sources
• Date and time of your visit
• Unique device identifiers

4.3 Information from Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies (such as pixels and web beacons) to collect data about your browsing behaviour. Our website uses CookieYes as our consent management platform to manage your cookie preferences. We deploy tracking technologies from the following providers:

• Google Analytics: To measure website traffic, user behaviour, and site performance.
• Google Ads (including Enhanced Conversions): To track conversions from our advertising campaigns, measure ad performance, and optimise our campaigns.
• Google Tag Manager: To manage and deploy tracking scripts and tags across our website.
• Meta (Facebook) Pixel: To measure advertising effectiveness, build targeted audiences, and deliver relevant advertisements.
• Our bespoke internal tracking system: To monitor lead journeys, track form submissions, attribute conversions to traffic sources, and improve the quality and relevance of our installer matching service.

Please see Section 9 (Cookies and Tracking Technologies) for full details on the cookies we use and how to manage your preferences.

4.4 Information from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from third-party sources, such as advertising platforms, analytics providers, or publicly available sources, which we may combine with information we already hold about you to improve our services and the relevance of our communications.

5. How We Use Your Information

We process your personal data for the following purposes:

6. Who We Share Your Data With

We take your privacy seriously and only share your personal data where necessary to deliver our services or comply with legal obligations. We will never sell your personal data to third parties.

6.1 Solar Installers

When you submit an enquiry through our website, we share your contact details and enquiry information with up to three vetted solar installers from our network who are matched to your requirements. These installers will contact you directly to discuss your needs and provide quotes. We require all installers in our network to handle your data responsibly and in accordance with data protection law. We ensure our installers hold appropriate industry accreditations, including MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme) certification where applicable.

6.2 Advertising and Analytics Partners

We share anonymised or pseudonymised data with advertising and analytics platforms including:

• Google: Google Analytics (website analytics), Google Ads (conversion tracking and Enhanced Conversions), and Google Tag Manager (tag deployment and management).
• Meta (Facebook): Meta Pixel for advertising measurement, audience building, and campaign optimisation.

Where we use Enhanced Conversions or similar technologies, hashed personal data (such as email addresses) may be shared with these platforms to improve ad measurement accuracy. This data is transmitted in a secure, hashed format and is used solely for matching and measurement purposes.

6.3 Service Providers

We may share your data with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our business, including:

• Website hosting and IT infrastructure providers
• Customer relationship management (CRM) systems
• Email and communication service providers
• Cookie consent management (CookieYes)
• Analytics and reporting tools
• Payment processing services
• Professional advisers (legal, accounting, and audit)

All service providers are bound by data processing agreements and are required to process your data only on our instructions and in compliance with applicable data protection law.

6.4 Our UK GDPR Representative

Our appointed UK GDPR Representative, GDPRLocal, may have access to certain personal data in the course of fulfilling their role as our representative under Article 27 of the UK GDPR, including handling data subject requests and liaising with the Information Commission on our behalf.

6.5 Legal and Regulatory Disclosures

We may disclose your personal data where required by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request, or where necessary to protect our rights, safety, or property, or those of our users or the public.

6.6 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganisation, or sale of all or part of our assets, your personal data may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change and ensure your data remains protected under the terms of this Privacy Policy or an equivalent policy.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. Our standard retention periods are as follows:

• Lead and enquiry data: Retained for up to 24 months from the date of your enquiry. This allows sufficient time for installers to complete quotations and installations, and for us to assist with any follow-up queries.
• Marketing data: Retained until you withdraw your consent or unsubscribe. If you do not engage with our marketing communications for a period of 12 months, we will cease marketing to you and place your details on a suppression list.
• Cookie and tracking data: Retained in accordance with the retention periods set by each cookie or tracking technology. Google Analytics data is retained for up to 14 months. Advertising cookies typically expire between 30 days and 24 months depending on the provider.
• Internal tracking data: Retained for up to 24 months to support lead attribution, service quality monitoring, and business analytics.
• Business and financial records: Retained for up to 7 years in accordance with HMRC requirements and legal obligations.

When your data is no longer required, it will be securely deleted or anonymised so that it can no longer be linked to you.

8. Data Security

We take the security of your personal data seriously and implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect it from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or destruction. These measures include:

• Encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS) across our entire website
• Secure server infrastructure with regular security updates and monitoring
• Access controls restricting personal data access to authorised personnel only
• Regular security assessments and vulnerability testing
• Data processing agreements with all third-party processors
• PIN verification systems to validate genuine enquiries and prevent fraudulent submissions
• Secure hashing of data shared with advertising platforms via Enhanced Conversions

While we take all reasonable steps to protect your data, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, but we continually review and improve our security practices.

9. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to improve your experience, analyse website usage, and deliver relevant advertising. Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit our website.

We use CookieYes as our consent management platform. When you first visit our website, you will see a cookie consent banner allowing you to Accept All, Reject All, or Customise your cookie preferences across the categories described below.

9.1 Cookie Categories

9.2 Managing Your Cookie Preferences

You can manage your cookie preferences at any time by:

• Cookie settings: Clicking the cookie settings link in our website footer to reopen the CookieYes consent management panel, where you can toggle individual cookie categories on or off.
• Browser settings: Adjusting your browser settings to block or delete cookies. Please note that blocking certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website.
• Opt-out links: You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. You can manage your Google ad personalisation preferences at adssettings.google.com. You can manage Meta ad preferences at www.facebook.com/adpreferences.

Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website and the quality of your experience.

9.3 First-Party Analytics Cookies

Under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, first-party cookies used solely for statistical and analytical purposes to improve our website may be set without explicit consent, provided we are transparent about their use. Where we rely on this exemption for any first-party analytics cookies, we will clearly identify them in our cookie settings panel.

10. International Data Transfers

We primarily process and store your personal data within the United Kingdom. However, some of our service providers and advertising partners (including Google and Meta) may process data outside of the UK, including in the United States and other jurisdictions.

Where your data is transferred outside of the UK, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your data. These safeguards include transfers to countries or organisations that have passed the UK data protection test (as defined under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025), or the use of appropriate transfer mechanisms such as International Data Transfer Agreements (IDTAs), Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), or Binding Corporate Rules.

11. Your Rights

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

• Right of Access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you (known as a Data Subject Access Request or DSAR).
• Right to Rectification: You can ask us to correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
• Right to Erasure: You can request that we delete your personal data where there is no compelling reason for us to continue processing it.
• Right to Restrict Processing: You can ask us to suspend processing of your personal data in certain circumstances.
• Right to Data Portability: You can request a copy of your data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.
• Right to Object: You can object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes. Where you object to direct marketing, we will stop processing your data for that purpose immediately.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Where we rely on your consent to process your data, you can withdraw that consent at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before your withdrawal.
• Right to Complain to Us: Under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, you have the right to submit a complaint directly to us as the Data Controller. We will acknowledge your complaint within 30 days and work to resolve it promptly.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@comparesolar.co.uk or contact our UK GDPR Representative, GDPRLocal, using the details provided in Section 2.1. We will respond to your request within one calendar month. In complex cases, we may extend this period by a further two months, but we will inform you of any such extension within the initial one-month period.

12. Children’s Privacy

Our website and services are not intended for, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from, individuals under the age of 18. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal data from a child, we will take immediate steps to delete that data from our systems. If you believe a child has provided us with their personal data, please contact us at info@comparesolar.co.uk.

13. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, applications, or services that are not operated by us. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these third-party sites. We recommend that you review the privacy policies of any external sites before providing them with your personal data.

14. Automated Decision-Making and Profiling

Our installer matching service uses an automated algorithm to match your enquiry with suitable installers based on factors such as your postcode, property type, roof type, and enquiry details. This automated matching does not produce legal effects or similarly significant effects on you. You are under no obligation to proceed with any installer we match you with, and you are free to disregard any matches or quotes provided.

Our advertising partners (Google and Meta) may use profiling techniques to deliver targeted advertisements based on your browsing behaviour. You can manage your ad personalisation preferences using the opt-out links described in Section 9.2.

We do not use solely automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects without appropriate safeguards.

15. Marketing Communications

We will only send you marketing communications where you have given us your explicit consent to do so. You can opt out of marketing communications at any time by:

• Clicking the unsubscribe link in any marketing email we send you
• Contacting us at info@comparesolar.co.uk

Please note that even if you opt out of marketing communications, we may still send you non-marketing service communications relating to your enquiry or our legal obligations.

16. Complaints

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal data, we encourage you to contact us first so that we can try to resolve the matter directly:

Email: info@comparesolar.co.uk

We will acknowledge your complaint within 30 days and aim to provide a full response as soon as practicable.

You may also contact our UK GDPR Representative:

GDPRLocal: +44 1772 217800 | https://gdprlocal.com

If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commission (formerly the Information Commissioner’s Office):

Website: www.ico.org.uk

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

Post: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

17. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or regulatory guidance. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. Where we make significant changes, we will take reasonable steps to notify you, such as displaying a prominent notice on our website.

We recommend reviewing this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your data.

18. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data, please contact us:

Data Controller: The Media Den Limited

Email: info@comparesolar.co.uk

Registered Office: F29 Flexspace Newton Aycliffe Incubation Centre, Durham Way South, Aycliffe Business Park, Newton Aycliffe, DL5 6XP

Company Number: 14235678

ICO Registration: ZB429917

UK GDPR Representative: GDPRLocal

Address: 1st Floor Front Suite, 27-29 North Street, Brighton, England, BN1 1EB

Telephone: +44 1772 217800

Website: https://gdprlocal.com

Document Version: 1.0  |  Effective Date: 26 February 2026  |  Next Review: February 2027