Policies and Standards

 

Protection of Privacy and Freedom of Information

MFIPPA

Burlington Hydro Inc. is subject to the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA). As its name implies, the legislation has two distinct purposes and each of these carries with it a different set of requirements. Under Freedom of Information, MFIPPA establishes a process for the public to gain access to records in Burlington Hydro Inc.’s custody and control, whereas the Protection of Privacy provisions regulate the collection, use, disclosure, security and retention of personal information.

Protection of Privacy

Protecting your privacy and the confidentiality of your personal information has always been an important aspect of the way we do business. We collect information about our customers, including personal information directly from our customers and from other sources (for example, credit bureaus), to:

• Establish identity (e.g., name, address, phone number, date of birth, etc.)
• Set up an account for electricity purchase and delivery
• Confirm credit history.
  
  

We collect your information to:

• Establish and maintain responsible commercial relations and operations, including for purposes of billing and debt collection and for assessing your credit history from time-to-time to determine whether we require a security deposit
• Understand your needs and eligibility for products and services
  Develop, enhance, recommend, market or provide electricity products and services
• Manage and develop our businesses and operations
• Provide you with information about the electricity market and rates
• Meet legal and regulatory requirements.
  
  

In some cases, your information will be shared with third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf. These service providers are given only the information necessary to perform those services that we have contracted them to provide. Additionally, they're prohibited from selling, storing, analyzing or using that information for purposes other than the services they have been contracted to provide. In the event a service provider is located outside of Canada, the service provider is bound by the laws of the jurisdiction in which the service provider is located.

We don't sell or trade your information. We don't use or disclose your information for purposes other than those for which it was collected, except with your consent or in accordance with applicable laws. In order to measure our performance and develop service improvements for you, we may conduct surveys. If you don't want your personal information used for surveys, contact us and we'll withhold it.

You may request that we not collect or use your personal information. However, doing so may affect our ability to deliver electricity services to you. We'll advise you if this is the case. To learn more see our Privacy Policy Statement.

Freedom of Information

You are able to access many BHI records without making a formal request under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA). A great deal of information is routinely available and requests for information can generally be made by calling, emailing or writing BHI. Legislation is not intended to replace the normal process of providing information.

The Act should only be used by the public in cases where information is not available through the usual channels. To make a formal Freedom of Information request you must complete an Access/Correction Request Form and remit a compulsory $5.00 application fee payment. Please pay careful attention to the detailed instructions on the form when completing.