Cookie policy
Cookies and similar technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies to collect information and store your online preferences to create a smoother browsing experience. A 'cookie' is a piece of information stored on your computer that records how you've used a website. Some cookies are necessary for our website to function. Some allow us to monitor how our customers and visitors use our website, so we can make improvements to its design, layout and functionality. Some cookies recognise your computer and remember non-personal information each time you use the site, so you can just pick up where you left off each time.
Session vs Persistent
‘Session cookies’ (including ‘sessionStorage’) expire at the end of a browser session, i.e. when a user exits their browser. ‘Persistent cookies’ (including ‘localStorage’) are stored for longer on a device and allow websites to do things such as remember user preferences in-between sessions. Persistent cookies can be deleted by erasing your browser’s data and history.
‘First-party’ vs ‘Third-party’
First-party cookies are set directly by the website the user is visiting (in this instance So Energy), whereas third-party cookies are set by a domain other than the one the user is visiting.
Managing your consent
You can manage your cookie preferences at any time by enabling or disabling a specific set of cookies from this browser through clicking the ‘Cookie Preferences’ link at the bottom of our pages.
The cookies we may use on the website are categorised as:
Strictly necessary cookies (always on): These cookies are essential for the site’s basic functionality, and so are automatically enabled. Your personal information will not be stored by these cookies. You can set your browser to notify you about or block them, but this will impact your experience when using our website.
Performance cookies: These cookies collect information on how you use the website, for instance which pages you visit most often, which device you are using or what areas of the page you interact most with. The information collected by these cookies is anonymised. We use them to measure performance and improve how the website works.
Functional cookies: These cookies help us to create a more personal experience, potentially with enhanced functionality, when you use the site. It may be that these cookies have been set by us or by a third party whose services we’ve added to our site. If you don’t allow these cookies, it may impact your experience.
Advertising cookies: Our advertising partners may set these cookies throughout our site, and they may then be used by those companies to build a profile of you and your interests in order to show you relevant interests on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, and are based on your browser and internet device. If you do not accept these cookies, you’ll experience less targeted advertising.
If you don't want us to use your cookies, you can change the settings of your browser preventing it from accepting cookies, or to notify you when a website tries to put a cookie on your computer. See www.aboutcookies.org for more information on deleting or blocking cookies. Please bear in mind, if you do disable cookies you might not be able to use some of the products or services on our website.
First-party cookies
| Name | Description | Session or Persistent | Cookie Category | Tracking type | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| myaccount_ banner-dismissal_* | Determines if a user has closed a specific banner within My Account so it doesn't appear again and disrupt their experience | Persistent | Strictly Necessary | cookie | 1 - 365 days |
| myaccount _remember-me_long_lived _refresh_token | Keeps you signed into your account if you tick the "Remember me" checkbox during login | Persistent | Strictly Necessary | cookie | 35 days |
| website_refresh _token_available | Determines whether you are still logged in or not (without asking the server which would increase page load time and put more load on our server) | Persistent | Strictly Necessary | cookie | 30 min |
| pwaMobile | Determines if you are in pwa mode so we can show you the best mobile experience | Persistent | Strictly Necessary | localStorage | no expiry |
| app_storage _cache | Stores account data in order to improve browsing experience and speed. | Session | Strictly Necessary | sessionStorage | browser session |
| app_storage _cache _last_updated | Timestamp for app_storage_cache, so we know what was the last time we cached your account data and whether it needs updating. | Persistent | Strictly Necessary | sessionStorage | browser session |
| lastReading Submissions | Saves time of last reading submission to prevent re-entry whilst we process this information | Persistent | Strictly Necessary | localStorage | no expiry |
| elmo_customer | Identifies that you have subscribed to Elmo Home Energy Bundle and have been referred to switch to So Energy | Persistent | Strictly Necessary | cookie | 1 hour |
| promotional _code_used | Allows us to recognise whether you have come through a promotional partner so that we can present you with consistent information | Persistent | Strictly Necessary | cookie | 1 hour |
| voucher | Logs referral voucher details so we can appropriately credit an account if eligibiltiy criteria is met | Persistent | Strictly Necessary | cookie | 1 hour |
| telesales_agent _identifier | Identify telesales agents who have taken users through our quote process | Persistent | Strictly Necessary | cookie | 1 hour |
| userStatus | Identifies whether user is logged in so that we can show the correct navigational experience and allow users to log out. | Session | Strictly Necessary | sessionStorage | browser session |
| quoteAndSwitch | Saves field values as you navigate through the stages of the quote process. | Session | Strictly Necessary | sessionStorage | browser session |
| _so_energy _session | Saves a session token which enables our server to identify your computer while using the site and differentiate it from other users. | Session | Strictly Necessary | sessionStorage | browser session |
| cookie-preferences | Allows us to remember user cookie consent preferences | Persistent | Strictly Necessary | cookie | 182 days |
| last_payment | Saves the time time of the last payment | Persistent | Strictly Necessary | localStorage | no expiry |
| website_homepage _visited | Identifies whether user has visited homepage for the first time | Persistent | Performance | cookie | 180 days |
| visitorType | Identifies whether a user is a prospect or So Energy customer | Persistent | Performance | cookie | 182 days |
| tooltip* | Determines whether a tooltip was shown before so it doesn't appear open again by default | Persistent | Functional | localStorage | no expiry |
| tenMeterDistance, highOffGround, otherObstruction, limitedSpace, additionalStatements Textarea, additionalInformation, additionalInformation Textarea, outside, medicalEquipment, equipmentTextarea, additionalTextarea, name, telephone, email, confirmEmail, frequency | Saves Smart Meter Booking Portal field values so you don't lose your data if you leave the site and later revisit to continue filling the form | Persistent | Functional | localStorage | no expiry |
| webchatMessage SentTime | Saves the time when webchat message is sent | Persistent | Functional | localStorage | no expiry |
Third-Party cookies
Our third-party service providers may also set cookies. Here are some examples of our partners and what they are used for.
| Service Provider | Description | Cookie category | More Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freshdesk Messaging | Live chat tool which allows us to provide support and respond to customer queries. | Strictly Necessary | https://support.freshchat.com/ support/solutions/articles/ 50000002310-freshdesk- messaging-cookies |
| BugSnag | Error monitoring tool that helps us identify and resolve issues on our website in real time | Strictly Necessary | https://docs.bugsnag.com/ platforms/javascript/legacy/ react/faq/#does-bugsnag -use-cookies |
| New Relic | Monitors platform performance and provides diagnostic data | Strictly Necessary | https://docs.newrelic.com/ docs/browser/browser-monitoring/ page-load-timing-resources/new-relic-cookies-used-browser/ |
| Google Analytics | Analytics tool for measuring site performance, e.g. what page you landed on, how you navigate between pages and what device you used. | Performance | https://support.google.com/ analytics/answer/181881?hl=en-GB |
| Mixpanel | Analytics tool for measuring site performance, e.g. what page you landed on, how you navigate between pages and what device you used. | Performance | https://help.mixpanel.com/hc/ en-us/articles/360001113426 -Opt-Out-of-Tracking #do-not-track-settings |
| Google Optimize | A/B testing tool which allows us to test show different experiences to website visitors and understand which works best. | Performance | https://support.google.com/ analytics/answer/181881?hl=en-GB |
| Hotjar | Understand visitor behaviour and get their feedback through tools such as heatmaps, session recordings, and surveys | Performance | https://www.hotjar.com/policies/ do-not-track/ |
| Bing (Microsoft) | Makes advertising more relevant to you and your interests and allows us to track the performance of our campaigns. | Advertising | https://account.microsoft.com/ privacy/ad-settings/ |
| Makes advertising more relevant to you and your interests and allows us to track the performance of our campaigns. | Advertising | https://www.facebook.com/ adpreferences/?entry_product= ad_preferences_delegation | |
| Google AdWords | Makes advertising more relevant to you and your interests and allows us to track the performance of our campaigns. | Advertising | https://support.google.com/ads/ answer/2662922?hl= en-GB#zippy=%2Cif-you- want-to-turn-off-ads-personalisation-for-your-browser |
| Google DoubleClick | Makes advertising more relevant to you and your interests and allows us to track the performance of our campaigns. | Advertising | https://support.google.com/ads/ answer/2662922?hl=en-GB#zippy=%2Cif-you-want-to -turn-off-ads-personalisation- for-your-browser |
You could also choose to turn off third-party advertising cookies from specific companies by visiting www.youronlinechoices.com/uk/your-ad-choices.
Social Media Cookies
These cookies are used when you share information using a social media sharing button or “like” button on our site, you link your account or engage with our content through a social networking site such as Facebook or Twitter. The social network will record that you have done this, and this information may be linked to advertising activities.
Every email we send to our customers contains small gif files, also known as tracking pixels. These are tiny graphic files that contain unique identifiers that enable us to recognise when our marketing subscribers have opened an email or clicked certain links. This allows us to record each subscriber's email address, IP address, device ID, date, and time associated with each open and click for a campaign. We use this data to create reports about how an email campaign performed and to amend future campaigns based on subscriber interactions.
Last updated: 12th January 2022