AGL Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 18 November 2020

1. About us

The AGL Group provides a wide range of energy and other products and services. This policy describes how we handle your personal information and credit – related information.

The AGL Group (AGL Energy Limited and its related companies) provides gas, electricity and energy-related products and services, telecommunications products and services, including broadband internet, mobile and home phone services and other products and services.

This policy describes how the AGL Group handles your personal information and credit-related information. You can find out more about the AGL Group. Some members of the AGL Group maintain individual privacy and credit reporting policies, available on the website of that AGL Group member and, if they do, that individual policy will apply instead.

2. Your privacy is important to us

We keep your information safe.  We aim to be clear and open about what we do with it.

We understand that your privacy is important to you, and we value your trust. That’s why we protect your information and aim to be clear and open about what we do with it. 

Personal Information has the meaning given in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act) and includes information that identifies you or can be reasonably linked to your identity.

Credit-related information is information about how you manage your credit, the credit that you have applied for or obtained, your payment history and creditworthiness and the information contained in your credit file.  

When we collect this information, we follow the obligations set out in the Privacy Act and the Privacy (Credit Reporting) Code 2014.

We update our privacy policy when our practices change. You can always find the most up-to-date version on our website.

3. What information do we collect?

We collect information about you when you interact with us. We may also collect information about you from other people and organisations, including other AGL Group members.

We only collect your personal information when an AGL Group member needs it to provide our products and services or to comply with the law. The kinds of information that we collect depends on how you interact with us. Here are some examples.

Information we collect from you

We collect the name and contact details (landline, mobile, email) of AGL Group member customers and their authorised representatives as well as shareholders, business contacts, job applicants, contractors and others. We may also collect:

• If you are a customer: Your date of birth, address (supply and mailing if different), address history (where relevant), concession details (where applicable), other forms of identification (such as driver’s licence or passport), payment details, ABN (if applicable) and information about your property that you tell us
• If you have an energy plan with us: The items referenced in 'if you are a customer' as well as information about your use of our energy products and services including energy usage and consumption information. For example, how much energy you use and when you use it. We may also collect information about appliances used and the timing and efficiency of use where you have sensors or other technology installed.
• If you have a telecommunications plan with us: The items referenced in 'if you are a customer' as well as information about your use of our telecommunications products and services including phone and internet usage, such as the time and duration of your communications, as well as information that we may be required to collect by law or at the request of a government agency.
• If you are an authorised representative on another person’s account: First name, last name, date of birth, telephone number, address and the relationship with our customer.
• If you are a shareholder: Your tax file number, if you provide it.
• If you apply for a job with us: Information that you provide about your right to work, employment history, qualifications and ability.

We collect information when you interact with us using the channels we make available to you – online, through our app, direct contact with our contact centre, social media, and using voice tools (including Amazon Alexa and Google Home).

If you give us personal information about other people, we will assume that they have agreed that you can do this. 

Information we collect from others

• When you get a quote to apply to open an account with us: Your credit history information.    
• We collect credit-related information from credit reporting bodies about you when you set up an account with us or when your account is in default.  This information can be found on your credit file, including the fact that you have applied for credit, the amount and type of credit, details of your current and previous credit providers, start and end dates of credit arrangements, and information about listings on your credit file including defaults and court judgments.
• We collect credit-related information from other AGL Group companies, from public sources, and from other third parties including government agencies such as the Australian Financial Security Authority which manages the National Personal Insolvency Index.
• When you use our websites mobile apps and platforms: Your IP address, device identifiers and information about how you use our websites such as session information and login attempts. We use web analytics services to do this. These services include: Google Analytics, Google AdSense, DoubleClick, Adobe or Microsoft. 
• When you participate in market research: Information about you and your responses from the service provider that conducted the research.
• When you engage with our sales partners: Your name, address and contact details, so we can contact you about products you may be interested in.
• If you are a business contact for our customers or service providers: Your name, job title and contact details.
• If you are an existing customer of another AGL Group member: Your date of birth, your customer number with the AGL Group member, your preferences regarding direct marketing and telemarketing, information regarding complaints, hardship attributes, billing and payment information, and your usage and consumption information. We may also collect certain sensitive information (such as whether you require priority assistance, where that reveals health information), with your consent.
• If you are a shareholder: To comply with the law and manage your shares in AGL, we may collect details about your investment from our shareholder register service provider. You can find more information on our Shareholder Services page.
• If you apply for a job with us: Professional background, qualifications and memberships, and references from your former employers. Where it is relevant to the role, we may also collect screening check information (such as background, medical, drugs and alcohol, criminal records, bankruptcy, directorship and company checks), and abilities testing, including psychometric testing. 
• When you participate in programs involving smart home, electric vehicle, or distributed energy products: Usage information.

Sensitive information

The Privacy Act protects your sensitive information, such as information about your health or ethnicity. Where we need this information for your account (for example, to ensure continuous service to your property or to assist with translation services), we’ll ask for your permission — except where otherwise allowed by law.

4. How do we use your information?

We use your information to deliver our products and services, manage our business and comply with the law. We also use your information for other reasons, such as to better understand you and your needs.

We collect and use your information, so we can:

• confirm your identity
• provide you with the products and services that you have asked for, including customer support
• handle payments and refunds
• communicate with you about your account
• manage your credit arrangements with us
• manage accounts that are overdue, including where we sell debt
• participate in credit reporting systems
• respond to applications, questions, requests or complaints that you have made to us
• maintain and update our records and carry out other administrative tasks
• research the usage of, and to develop and improve the capabilities of, our services
• improve customer experience and do market research 
• if you are a shareholder, manage your shareholding
• if you have applied to work with us, assess your application
• investigate possible fraud and illegal activity
• comply with laws, including assisting government agencies and law enforcement investigations, and
• manage our business and assets.

An AGL Group member may also collect and use personal information to assist other AGL Group members with any of the above activities. If we don’t have your personal information, we may not be able to do these things. For example, we may not be able to deliver the products or services you have asked for or respond to your questions.

Direct marketing

We, and other AGL Group members, may also use your personal information to tell you about products or services that any of us think you might be interested in, including products and services offered by other members of the AGL Group. We, and other members of the AGL Group, may send you marketing messages in various ways, including by mail, email, telephone, SMS, and digital marketing including advertising through any AGL Group apps, websites, social media or third-party websites.

If you tell us how you would prefer to be contacted, we will contact you in that way where we can. 

If you don’t want to receive direct marketing messages, you can opt out by:

• filling out a Do Not Contact form (for AGL customers)
• contacting our Customer Solutions Team (call 131 245 (AGL Energy), (08) 9420 0300 (Perth Energy), 1300 361 676 (AGL Telecommunications) or 13 14 16 (Southern Phone Company), or see section 9 below), or
• following the instructions in any marketing communication you receive from us (for example, using the ‘unsubscribe’ link in an email or responding to an SMS as instructed)

Please note that we may still send you important administrative and safety messages even if you opt out of receiving marketing communications.

The way we use data

We’re always working to develop and improve our products and services, and improve our processes to ensure that they and we better meet your needs.

New technologies let us combine information we have about our customers and users with data from other sources, such as other AGL Group members, third-party websites or the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

We also collect information about people that does not identify them such as website and advertising analytics, and data from service providers. 

We analyse this data to help us learn more about our customers and improve our products and services. Where we work with partners or service providers to do this, we do not pass on personal information about you.

5. Who do we share your information with?

We share your information for the purposes set out in section 4, with our service providers, and to comply with the law. When we do this, we take steps to keep your information safe.

We share your personal information with other people and companies where we need to for the purposes set out in section 4. This includes sharing:

• with other members of the AGL Group, to carry out any of the purposes set out in section 4
• with our installation, maintenance and fulfilment partners and other third party service providers (including marketing and analytics companies), so they can make installations and maintain products and services that we offer
• with other energy companies, telecommunications companies and other companies (like those that own or operate poles and wires or telecommunications infrastructure) that help us deliver our products and services, or to migrate your service if you change energy providers or transfer your phone number or internet connection if you change telecommunications service providers
• with our wholesalers and other customers from whom you may acquire our services
• with credit reporting agencies to process new applications, assess and manage applications for credit, manage overdue accounts, and review your creditworthiness
• with insurance investigators
• with companies that assist us with providing smart home, electric vehicle and distributed energy products and services, so that you can use these products and services
• with people that you have asked us to give your information to, such as your authorised representatives or legal advisors 
• if you have applied to work with us, with your previous employers to confirm your work history
• to comply with laws and assist government agencies and law enforcement.

We also share personal information with people and organisations that help us with our business, such as professional advisors, IT support, and corporate and administrative services including mercantile agents (including debt collectors) and debt buyers. We only do this where it’s needed for those services to be provided to us. When we do this, we take steps that require our service providers to protect your information.

The credit reporting bodies we use include: