La Plata Electric Association Privacy Statement  

Overview  

Protecting your personal information is a priority for (“LPEA”), which is why we employ administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect the privacy and security of the information we collect and retain about you. This privacy statement summarizes LPEA’s data protection and privacy practices, including:  

  • how we collect, use, share, and protect the personal information that we collect from and about you when you use our products and services, communicate with us via email or SMS, or visit our websites, chat, or social media,  
  • your options regarding how LPEA collects, uses, and shares your personal information, and 
  • how you can access and request changes to the information we retain about you.  

Information We Collect  

In the normal course of business and in order to service our members, LPEA collects both personal information and non-personal information on new and existing members, website visitors, suppliers, vendors, and other third parties. LPEA may obtain information about you through several means, including:   

  • phone, fax, email, SMS, chat, and other means by which you communicate with us, 
  • LPEA websites, social media pages, and mobile applications, 
  • surveys, contests, and promotions, and  
  • our service providers and other third parties.  

The information we collect about you may include: Personal information, such as:  

  • contact information (e.g., name, postal address, email, or phone number), • 
  • usernames, IDs, and encrypted passwords for accounts you may establish on our website(s), 
  • financial and banking information, 
  • Social Security number, or 
  • driver’s license or other state identification number.  

Account information, such as:  

  • service address, 
  • energy consumption data, 
  • billing and payment history, or 
  • service history.  

Website Tracking  

When you visit our websites, LPEA may use cookies and other technologies to track details about your visit including the browser you are using, your IP address, the date and time you access the website, and which pages you visit. LPEA uses this information to analyze trends, administer our website, and improve your browsing experience. 

  • Cookies: When you visit our websites, our server may create cookies, which are small pieces of data stored on your device that are used to remember information about you and track your website activity. Cookies allow websites to operate more efficiently and can improve your browsing experience. The data we collect using cookies is not tied to your personal information and is only used in an aggregated form. Many popular browsers allow you to disable our usage of cookies. Please note that if you set your device preferences to disable usage of cookies, certain website features and content may not be available to you. 

  • Log data: When you visit our websites, our server may record information about your visit called log data. This may include your IP address and device ID, dates and times of actions you take on the website, information transferred during your visit, and information regarding any errors or functionality problems that you might have experienced. Log data assists with improving system performance and providing website visitors with localized, relevant content. 

  • Web Forms: When you visit our websites, you may be prompted to complete a web form. These forms may require you to provide personal or contact information. The information collected using web forms is used only to carry out the transactions you have requested or authorized and will not be shared with other parties. 

  • Google Analytics: LPEA websites may use Google Analytics to record traffic-related information and how you interact with our website. The data collected through Google Analytics allows us to gain insight into how users find and use websites and aids us in evaluating and improving content and website performance. To learn more about how Google technologies process and collect data, or to opt out, review Google’s Privacy and Terms. 

How Your Information is Used  

LPEA uses the information we collect to identify you, to establish, manage, and service your account, to facilitate payment, to communicate with you, and to respond to any questions and comments we receive from you. We also use this information to operate, evaluate, and improve our customer service, to protect against fraud, and to comply with legal requirements. Internal access to and disclosure of the information we retain about you is restricted to those with a legitimate business need.    

Sharing Your Information 

Your privacy is very important to us. LPEA does not sell your personal information for financial gain, nor do we share, trade, or otherwise transfer it to third parties who intend to use it to market their services and products.  There are limited circumstances in which we may share information about you including: 

  • when required by federal or state law, subpoena, or court order, 
  • for referral of past due accounts for payment collection, 
  • to investigate, prevent, or act on suspected or known illegal activities or interference with our operations, 
  • for transfer of service rights to another utility provider, and 
  • with trusted third parties who help us conduct business, pursuant to our privacy practices.  

LPEA reserves the right to share any aggregated information (i.e., non-personal information) with any third parties for any reason, unless prohibited by law.  

Accessing and Updating Your Information  

General  

If you wish to inquire about the personal information that you have previously provided us, or request that certain information be updated, corrected, or deleted, please contact LPEA using the information below: 

  • Physical or Postal Address: LPEA, 45 Stewart St. Durango, CO 81303 
  • Telephone: (970) 247-5786 

We will make every effort to respond to your requests in a timely manner.   

SmartHub   

As a member, you have the option to create a SmartHub account. Within SmartHub, you can pay bills, manage registered accounts, view billing history, report outages or streetlight repairs, view your usage, or submit a general inquiry.  You may also manage and update your information within SmartHub, via My Information, accessible under the My Profile dropdown. From the My Information screen, you can:  

  • update your login email or password, 
  • manage your registered accounts, 
  • request an update to your billing address and contact information, 
  • manage your stored payment accounts, 
  • update your security phrase, and 
  • update your paperless settings.  

It is your responsibility to provide us with complete and accurate information. If you opt not to create a SmartHub account, your service will not be impacted. If you have any additional questions regarding your account or the information maintained in SmartHub, please contact us at (970) 247-5786. For more information about the information collected through SmartHub, you may review NISC’S SmartHub Privacy Policy and Smarthub’s SMS Privacy Policy. 

My Account  

As a member, you have the option to create a My Account account.  The My Account presents detailed energy use information for your electric account(s), allowing you to effectively evaluate and manage your energy. Within the My Account, you can view and download information related to your energy consumption and generation such as detailed 15-minute interval data, on-peak and off-peak energy use, and net metering data. You may also manage and update your information within My Account, via My Profile. From the My Profile screen, you can: 

  • update your online account information, such as your username, password, name, and email, and 
  • update and associate utility accounts. It is your responsibility to provide us with complete and accurate information.  

If you opt not to create a My Account account, your service will not be impacted. If you have any additional questions regarding your account or the information maintained in the My Account, please contact us at (970) 247-5786. For more information about the information collected through the My Account, you may review our My Account Privacy Notice.  

How We Protect Your Information  

LPEA is committed to protecting your personal information. We employ administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect the information we retain about you.  No transmission of information on the Internet is entirely secure, and therefore LPEA cannot guarantee the security of the information that you choose to provide to us electronically. You are responsible for any usernames or passwords that you use to access our online services. To protect the confidentiality of this information, we encourage you to use a unique username and password for each online account, to not share usernames and passwords, and to log out of your account at the end of your visit to the website.  

Third Party Links  

LPEA’s websites may contain links to third-party websites. LPEA is not responsible for the content or privacy practices of such websites. We encourage you to use caution and review the privacy statements or policies of each website that you visit for more information.  

Children’s Privacy  

Our websites and services are generally not intended to collect personal information from individuals under the age of 13 (“Children”). LPEA does not knowingly solicit personal information or contact information from Children, nor send them requests for personal information without the consent of a parent or guardian. Under no circumstances should information that could be used to personally identify a child under the age of 13 be submitted to our websites or applications or posted to our social media pages. If a parent or legal guardian knows or suspects that LPEA has collected such personal information from or about a child, please contact us immediately at (970) 247-5786.  

Revisions to this Privacy Statement  

LPEA reserves the right to change or update this Privacy Statement at any time in order to reflect, for example, changes to LPEA’s practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. If LPEA changes its privacy practices, we will post a revised Privacy Statement on our website. You may want to visit our websites periodically to review the current Privacy Statement and notices. This Privacy Statement is not intended to and does not create any contractual or legal rights in or on behalf of any party. Contact Information If you have questions or comments regarding LPEA’s privacy practices, or would like to update your information or preferences, please call us at (970) 247-5786 or contact us by email at memberservices@lpea.coop. To protect your information, you should not send personal information such as your Social Security number via unencrypted email, as email is not inherently secure.