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Privacy notice for GMCA retrofit schemes

This privacy notice tells you what to expect when we collect your personal information through the referral letters. This privacy notice also sets out your rights as a data subject.

Who we are

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) is made up of the ten Greater Manchester councils and the Mayor of Greater Manchester. We work with other local services, businesses, communities, and other partners to improve the city-region.

Local Energy Advice Demonstrator Project

The Local Energy Advice Demonstrator Project (LEAD) is designed to pilot new innovative approaches to providing local in-person and remote energy advice. LEAD is intended to run from October 2023 to March 2025. The aim of LEAD is to help Greater Manchester residents better understand how to make energy efficiency improvements to their home, with a particular focus on harder-to-treat properties and harder-to-reach residents as outlined by the funders, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the North West Net Zero Hub. In Greater Manchester, LEAD will utilise new and existing channels of engagement, outlining a clear pathway for individuals from retrofit advice to installation of measures and what funding may be available.

Energy Company Obligation Scheme

The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) is a government energy efficiency scheme designed to tackle fuel poverty and help reduce carbon emissions. The scheme works by placing an obligation on medium and large energy suppliers to deliver energy efficiency measures to low-income, fuel-poor, and vulnerable household. The current version of the scheme (ECO4) runs until 31 March 2026. ECO4 focuses on whole house retrofits, aiming to encourage installation of insulation and renewables, as well as upgrading inefficient heating systems. You can find out more information about ECO4 on the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets’ (Ofgem) ECO Scheme webpage and in their ECO4 Delivery Guidance.

Great British Insulation Scheme

The Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) continues ECO4’s focus on reducing fuel poverty and energy bills but aims to deliver rapid installation of energy efficiency measures to a wider pool of households in the least efficient homes. GBIS runs until 31 March 2026. GBIS mainly focuses on the delivery of single measures (rather than whole house retrofits). You can find more information about GBIS on Ofgem’s Great British Insulation Scheme webpage and in their Draft Great British Insulation Scheme Delivery Guidance.

Local Authority Flexible Eligibility Scheme

Through the main eligibility criteria for ECO4 and GBIS, households may be eligible if they receive specific benefits. The flexible eligibility (Flex) element of the schemes is for use by Local Authorities (LAs) and provides alternative routes to identify eligible households. This allows participating LAs to refer households they consider to be living in fuel poverty or on a low income and vulnerable to the effects of living in a cold home, but who may not qualify for the schemes via the standard eligibility criteria.

LAs can make a joint referral for both ECO4 Flex and GBIS Flex, as the eligibility criteria are similar. If a supplier decides to take the referral forward, a retrofit assessor would determine which of the schemes is suitable and the specific measures that would benefit the property.

As part of the Flex schemes, Citizens Advice and NHS healthcare professionals can refer householders to their LA. These third parties should be aware that a referral to ECO4 and GBIS Flex does not guarantee that measures will be installed. By referring a household, the third party is stating, based on the evidence they have seen, that the household may be eligible to receive measures.

You can find more information on ECO4 and GBIS Flex on Ofgem’s ECO Local Authorities webpage and in their Great British Insulation Scheme and ECO4 Local Authority Administration Guidance.

GMCA ECO4, GBIS, and LA Flex Approved Installer List

We have developed a list of three qualified installers who will deliver good quality ECO4, GBIS, and LA Flex funded measures in a timely manner, with due consideration for the needs of eligible households in Greater Manchester.

We will manage the approved installer list, including householder feedback as part of regular monitoring to ensure good customer service is maintained.

How we will use your information

We collect your personal information for the following purposes:

  • To confirm eligibility for households in relation to LEAD, ECO4, GBIS, and LA Flex as set out by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the North West Net Zero Hub, and Ofgem.

  • To provide information to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the North West Net Zero Hub, and Ofgem for audit purposes.

What information we will use

We may collect the following details in order to process your information for the purposes of LEAD, ECO4, GBIS, and LA Flex:

  • Name

  • Address

  • Telephone number

  • Email Address

  • Date of birth

  • Tenure

  • Occupancy details of a household

  • Income related information

  • Transactional, e.g., banking transactions for income evidence, etc.

  • Health related information

  • If you are from an ethnic minority background

  • If you are a non-native English speaker

What is the lawful basis we are relying on?

Under Article (6)(1)(a) ‘Consent’ and Article (9)(2)(a) ‘Consent for special category data’ of the UK GDPR, the GMCA is processing data for the purpose of LEAD.

Under Article (6)(1)(e) ‘Public Task’ and Article 9(2)(g) ‘Public Interest’ of the UK GDPR, the GMCA is processing data that has a lawful basis set out in legislation relating to ECO4, GBIS, and LA Flex and which the GMCA believes will result in improved energy efficiency of housing, and economic and health benefits for the residents of Greater Manchester.

Withdrawal of consent

If you change your mind before a Retrofit Assessment of your home has been started, you can withdraw from LEAD by contacting us. We will also instruct anyone to whom we have provided your information to delete it. Please note that, once a Retrofit Assessment of your home has begun, you are unable to withdraw your consent for your data being shared under LEAD. Your information will only be used as the law allows.

How we ensure the security of your information

We are committed to the security of the information we collect. We aim to ensure that there are appropriate physical, technical, and managerial controls in place to protect any personal information you may provide to us, for example our network is protected and monitored. Within our offices, all of our staff receive training on handling data securely.

Where we use external companies to collect or process data on our behalf, we carry out comprehensive checks on them before we work with them and ensure that contracts are in place that set out our expectations and requirements.

How long we will keep your information

In accordance with Ofgem regulations, we will be required to hold your information for seven years. Data will be securely destroyed when no longer required.

Sharing your information with other parties

We will only, where necessary, share appropriate related details with:

  • the LEAD delivery partners to enable them to carry out a retrofit assessment of your home;

  • the installers to enable them to obtain funding and carry out works to your home;

  • your Local Authority; and

  • anyone else where there is a requirement in law, or we have your prior consent.

Sending data overseas

We do not send any information we collect about you outside the United Kingdom.

Automated decision making

LEAD, ECO4, GBIS, and LA Flex do not make or use automated decisions.

Access to information and correction

For more details on how the GMCA will use data, please visit the GMCA website: https://www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/who-we-are/accounts-transparency-and-governance/privacy-policy-and-data-protection/

You have the right to request and correct information we hold about you. For more details, please refer to the “What are my rights of access to my information?” section of the GMCA’s Privacy Policy and Data Protection (above).

If you wish to make a request, please contact us at:
Email - officeofdpo@greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk
Postal - Office of the DPO, GMCA, Tootal Buildings, 56 Oxford Street, Manchester, M1 6EU
The GMCA will only be able to comply with your rights in relation to the information we have collected.

How you can make a complaint

If you are not satisfied with how the GMCA is using the information we hold about you, please contact our Data Protection Officer by emailing officeofdpo@greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk.

If you are still not satisfied with the GMCA’s response to any request to exercise your individual rights or if you believe that the GMCA is not processing your personal data in accordance with the law, you can contact the Information Commissioners’ Office at https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/ We would, however, appreciate the chance to deal with your concerns before you approach the ICO, so please contact us in the first instance.