At Spark Energy, your privacy is important
to us. We are committed to maintaining the confidentiality, security and accuracy
of your personal information. This Privacy Notice (the “Privacy Notice”)
describes personal information, including social security number, collected by Spark
Energy, or its affiliates (including companies listed below, all of which are collectively
known as “Spark Energy”), and it describes how Spark Energy uses this
information and to whom it may be disclosed.
This Privacy Notice will advise you about
how we protect your social security number and other personal information. Please
read this policy carefully. From time to time, we may need to change this policy
in order to address new issues or to comply with governmental regulations. We will
make notice of such changes available to you and will post the changes on the Spark
Energy website at www.Sparkenergy.com.
What is Personal Information?
For the purposes of this Privacy Notice,
“Personal Information” means information about an identified or identifiable
individual, including an individual’s social security number. Personal Information
does not include the name, title, and business address or business telephone number
of an employee of an organization when used for business communications.
This Privacy Notice does not cover Personal
Information collected from or about our employees.
Personal Information That Spark Energy Collects
We collect and maintain different types of
personal information about individuals with whom we interact. This information includes:
- Contact and identification information,
such as name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, date and place of birth,
mother’s maiden name, social security number and driver’s license number;
- Product and service related information,
such as information on your energy needs and use (i.e. characteristics about your
home, family size, etc.);
- Credit and financial information
such as billing and credit history or payment history and employment and income
information;
- Customer relationship information,
such as customer service requests; and
- Business relationship information.
We may also collect market-related information,
which may include Personal Information, concerning market trends and activities
impacting our business. This information may include contract terms, financial information
and other information for the purpose of market analysis and strategic planning.
This information may also include information related to our media and public relations
activities and information related to our interactions with financial and other
analysts and advisors.
Where permitted or required by applicable
law or regulatory requirements, we may collect information about you without your
knowledge or consent.
How Spark Energy Collects and Uses Your Personal Information
We collect Personal Information to allow
us to manage and develop our business and operations.
Specifically, we collect your Personal Information
when establishing a business relationship with you, including enrollment for services
provided by Spark Energy, and for obtaining credit approval for the establishment
of such services.
In addition, we use your Personal Information
in the management and development of our business and operations, including, without
limitation:
- Establishing, managing and terminating
business relations with you;
- Reviewing the products and services
that we provide to you;
- Obtaining credit approval;
- Informing you of our products
and services other than those that you have specifically requested;
- Informing you of products and
services Spark Energy, or carefully selected third parties, may wish to offer you;
- Responding to your comments or
requests for information or services;
- Collecting for payment(s) due;
- Protecting Spark Energy against
error, fraud, theft and damage to our goods and property;
- Enabling us to comply with applicable
law or regulatory requirements; and
- Any other reasonable purpose to
which you consent.
How Spark Energy Protects Your Personal Information
Spark Energy will endeavor to safeguard Personal
Information using reasonable procedures to protect against the unlawful use or disclosure
of your Personal Information, and will specifically endeavor to maintain the confidentiality
and security of your social security number. We will, from time to time, modify
our procedures as needed in order to protect and maintain the security of your Personal
Information.
Access to And Disclosure Of Personal Information
The following persons and parties have access
or may be provided access to some or all of your Personal Information in order to
assist Spark Energy in establishing, maintaining and managing our business relationship
with you:
- Authorized employees of Spark
Energy;
- Authorized contractors and consultants,
including debt collection agencies, who have been hired by Spark Energy to provide
services to Spark Energy or its customers and who have agreed to abide by the terms
of this Privacy Notice; and
- Authorized parties, including
third parties who provide services to Spark Energy or on our behalf or third parties
who collaborate with Spark Energy in the provision of services to you.
In addition, your Personal Information may
be disclosed when, for example, it is:
- Permitted or required by applicable
law or regulatory requirements;
- Part of Spark Energy’s regular
reporting activities to other Spark Energy subsidiaries and affiliates;
- During emergency situations or
when necessary to protect the safety of a person or group of persons;
- Personal Information that is already
available to the public;
- To another party, in the event
of a change in ownership of all or a part of Spark Energy through some form of merger,
purchase, sale, lease or amalgamation or other form of business combination, provided
that the parties are bound by appropriate agreements or obligations which require
them to use or disclose your Personal Information in a manner consistent with the
use and disclosure provisions of this Privacy Notice, unless you consent otherwise;
and
- To any party upon your consent.
We may use or disclose your personal information
without your knowledge or consent where we are permitted or required by applicable
law or regulatory requirements to do so.
Accuracy of Your Personal Information
It is important that the Personal Information
Spark Energy holds about you is accurate and current. Spark Energy requires you
to keep us informed of changes to any of your Personal Information.
Accessing Your Personal Information
If you want to know what Personal Information
Spark Energy holds about you or wish to change Personal Information that is inaccurate
or out of date, please contact us at the address listed below. It may not always
be possible to modify or remove completely information in our databases, although
we will make reasonable efforts to do so upon your written request.
How Does Spark Energy Dispose Of Personal Information
For Personal Information that is not to be
retained by Spark Energy for any reason, we will use reasonable efforts to destroy
or arrange for the destruction of the records that contain sensitive Personal Information,
which includes your social security number.
To get more information about Spark Energy's
Privacy Notice or to update your Personal Information, please use one of the following
methods:
Spark Energy, LP
3010 Briarpark, Suite 550, Houston, TX 77042
Attention: Internet Business Services
Your Acceptance Of These Terms
By providing Spark Energy with your Personal
Information, you signify your understanding and acceptance of this Privacy Notice.
This Privacy Notice does not create or confer
on any individual or on Spark Energy any rights, or impose on Spark Energy any obligations
beyond any rights conferred or obligations imposed by applicable laws, rules and
regulations.