Policy Compass
Other topics

Renewable electricity schemes privacy notice

This privacy notice explains how we will process your personal information under the Renewable Electricity schemes (“RE schemes”) administered by Ofgem. These are the:

  • Renewables Obligation scheme in England and Wales (“RO”);
  • Renewables Obligation scheme in Scotland (“ROS”);
  • Renewables Obligation scheme in Northern Ireland (“NIRO”);
  • Feed-In Tariffs (“FIT”) scheme;
  • Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (“REGO”) scheme;
  • Smart Export Guarantee (“SEG”) scheme; and
  • Offtaker of Last Resort (“OLR”) scheme.

It applies to information we process concerning:

  • scheme applicants, scheme participants, registered users of the Renewable Electricity Register and the Central FIT Register (“CFR”), and other involved persons (e.g., agents);
  • individuals who contact Ofgem with a query, complaint or a right of access request; for example, a subject access request regarding one of the schemes; 
  • people who sign up to receive scheme newsletters, reports and updates.

To find out more information on how Ofgem processes personal data, refer to the Ofgem Privacy Policy.

Controller

The controller for the processing of any personal information as outlined in this privacy notice is the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority, (GEMA). For ease of reference this privacy notice refers to the administrative office of GEMA, “Ofgem” throughout. 

Your information

To find out more information on how Ofgem processes personal data, refer to the Ofgem Privacy Policy.

We collect information directly from you if and when you:

  • apply to become a user, operator, generator or Nominated Recipient on the Renewable Electricity Register or CFR;
  • apply for accreditation or registration under the REGO scheme;
  • applied for accreditation while the RO and FIT schemes were open;
  • contact us with an enquiry relating to the Renewable Electricity schemes and;
  • submit periodic data/output data or declarations in relation to your ongoing obligations under the schemes;
  • need to verify your identity (ID verification); 
  • are selected for audit, for example an audit of an accredited generating station;
  • when you sign up to our newsletter(s).
  • engage with us when we carry out our statutory and administrative functions;  
  • make enquiries about, and applications to the schemes; 
  • submit information and data to us via an online portal, for example the Renewable Electricity Register, the CFR or the Audit Portal;
  • email or telephone us, or send information to us in paper format;
  • visit our website, to remember you when you make repeat visits. You can find out how we do this through the use of cookies by clicking on the link here;
  • use our services, e.g. subscribe to our RSS feeds, social media sites, e-newsletters, email alerts or request a publication from us.

Depending on the circumstances we also receive/received your information indirectly:

  • when you have applied for FIT accreditation via a FIT licensee (FIT licensees are obliged to submit installation details to Ofgem via the CFR):the details listed above, as well as the contact address of the generator and information contained on your MCS installation certificate, if applicable;
  • when you applied for the RO scheme via an Agent: the Agent will have collected data from you, and then shared this with Ofgem for the purposes of gaining accreditation under the RO scheme, amending an application or claiming ROCs;
  • If you have entered into an agreement with a Rent-A-Roof organisation, when they submit an application to Ofgem they will provide us with your address;
  • when you have applied to receive a SEG export tariff from a SEG licensee: SEG licensees use the CFR to check whether an import or export MPAN is associated with an installation in receipt of FIT export payments; 
  • during regular audits of accredited generators, portfolio operators, agents, installers or Rent-a-Roof organisations: we may receive information indirectly via a third party who we have contracted to undertake auditing work on our behalf, or other third party e.g. the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero. This information may include further documentary evidence, including photographs, relating to the installed generating equipment.

Depending on the circumstances, we may collect: 

  • your name;
  • your postal address;
  • your email address and telephone number;
  • information for ID verification (including but not limited to): 
    • your name; 
    • your date of birth; 
    • your photographic identification; 
    • evidence of your home address. 
  • the address and specific location (grid reference) of the installation (which is accredited or receives scheme(s) support) (which may be your home address); 
  • the technology type or energy source of the installation; 
  • the installed capacity of the installation; 
  • the date on which the installation was commissioned;
  • Meter Point Administration Number (MPAN)/Meter Point Registration Number (MPRN) assigned to the meter(s) associated with the installation; 
  • documentary evidence in support of your application, including (but not limited to): 
    • engineering recommendation G59 certificates;
    • other relevant certificates and installation testing records;
    • planning permission statements; 
    • funding agreements;
    • schematic diagrams of the installation technology; and 
    • generation records (if applicable).

We will also collect information directly from you when you sign up to our newsletter(s), respond to our surveys or are part of any Ofgem working group related to RE. We will collect and store your name and email address in order to send these to you, as well as your responses to questions posed relating to our performance in administering the scheme(s).

We only collect information that we need in order to carry out our functions in relation to the schemes. The purposes of processing personal data include monitoring, reviewing and improving Ofgem’s performance of its legal functions related to scheme administration. Our primary functions are to administer the schemes which include but are not limited to the functions below.

In relation to the RE scheme, we collect and process your information (including disclosing it to our agents, representatives or successors, or to other public bodies or third parties) in order to, amongst other things:

  • effectively administer the RE scheme;
  • produce and send out newsletters which you have given your explicit consent to receive;
  • ensure any payments or issuance of certificates are timely and accurate; 
  • verify the eligibility of installations accredited or receiving support under the schemes; 
  • verify the volumes of renewable electricity generated by any installation; 
  • assign the correct tariff rate or ROC rate applicable to the accredited generating station or FIT installation for which support is claimed; 
  • monitor electricity supplier performance and compliance with the schemes;
  • identify fraud.

Your personal information will not be used for automated processing of personal data to evaluate certain things about an individual (e.g. direct marketing).

In some cases, we use data analytics software to: 

  • validate claims made in respect of electricity generated by an installation; 
  • identify suspected fraud; 
  • improve the services we provide; 
  • monitor compliance with the Renewable Energy Schemes scheme requirements.

In order to inform future policy development of our Renewable Energy Schemes your data may be shared internally within Ofgem. Your information will be used to review and improve our scheme administration.

We collect your information if you:

  • engage with us when we carry out our statutory and administrative functions; 
  • make enquiries about, and applications to the schemes;
  • submit information and data to us via an online portal, for example the R&CHP Register, the CFR or the Audit Portal;
  • visit our website to allow you to make repeat visits. You can find out how we do this through the use of cookies by clicking on the link here;
  • use our services, for example subscribe to our RSS feeds, e-newsletters, social media sites, email alerts or request a publication from us;
  • contact us in relation to information requests, complaints and general enquiries. 

We only collect information that we need to effectively administer the government’s Environmental and Social Schemes of which the RE Schemes are part of. We administer the Renewable Electricity Schemes in line with the requirements set out under legislation and the electricity supply licence conditions.

We will only disclose your personal information in the following circumstances: 

  • where the disclosure is required by law, statutory direction, court order, or  is necessary for the purposes of the administration or development of the government’s Environmental and Social Schemes;
  • where you give us explicit permission to disclose it;
  • for the processing and sharing of relevant information during audits. To third party suppliers, appointed by us in connection with our scheme administration. This may include research companies or agencies appointed to conduct surveys on our behalf.

We may share your information with the following organisations or official bodies:

  • third-party auditors who audit the information provided to us by you (we will require such third parties to agree to treat the information in accordance with this privacy notice and the wider Ofgem privacy policy);

  • licensed electricity suppliers (including FIT and SEG Licensees);

  • Micro-generation Certification Scheme operators (MCS);

  • the Renewable Energy Consumer Code (RECC);

  • (Independent) Distribution Network Operators (DNOs and iDNOs); 

  • Action Fraud in England or Wales or the Police in Scotland when we have found instances of suspected fraud, or otherwise to an organisation in connection with the investigation of a criminal offence or criminal proceedings;

  • The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, who has issued a notice that legally compels Ofgem to disclose specified information collected for the purposes of administering the schemes and for application and evaluation surveys;

  • Department for Transport;

  • Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation;

  • Department for the Economy (Northern Ireland);

  • Scottish Government; 

  • Welsh Government; 

  • The Environment Agency and their devolved administration equivalents in Scotland (Scottish Environment Protection Agency) and Wales (Natural Resources Wales);

  • Local Authorities in Great Britain (upon request); 

  • Trading Standards and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) 

  • Third party suppliers, appointed by us in connection with our scheme administration. This may include research companies or agencies appointed to conduct surveys on our behalf.

  • Universal Language Solutions Ltd should there be a requirement for the provision of written and/or spoken translation services from English into Welsh and from Welsh into English.

    DNOs may share a limited amount of your information e.g. your Meter Point Administration Number (MPAN), with organisations such as energy companies to help improve the operation of their distribution systems. Where this happens Ofgem will require the DNOs to process your information securely and in accordance with data protection principles.

We collect and process your personal information under the ‘Public Task’ legal basis for processing as part of our remit as the Renewable Electricity Schemes administrator (UK GDPR, Article 6(1)(e)). 

We also collect and process your data under the ‘consent’ legal basis for processing (UK GDPR Article (6)(1)(a)) for the purpose of the RE schemes newsletters only.

We would not be able to fulfil our obligations as the administrator of the schemes without collecting and using your information. We may process your information for the purpose of conducting surveys. Where we do so, this is necessary for the purposes of legitimate interests pursued by us within the meaning of article 6(1)(f) GDPR. Where you agree to participate in a survey we will also process your information based on your consent.

Newsletters are sent to you based on your consent. Where you subscribe to any of our newsletters, your consent is used as a basis to process your personal data. You can request to be taken off the distribution list at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the newsletter or by emailing renewable.enquiry@ofgem.gov.uk 

Your personal information is deleted when we no longer need it for our functions in administering the schemes. As such, it is retained by Ofgem for the duration of the relevant scheme, and for a period of 6 years thereafter. After such period, it is destroyed. 

If we hold information about you, you have the right to:

  • be informed about the data we hold about you
  • access the information we hold about you
  • have your personal information corrected if it is incomplete or inaccurate
  • ask us to restrict how we process your information
  • object to certain ways we use your information
  • in some circumstances, you may have a right to object to Ofgem processing your information

To see the full suite of new consumer rights available to you under UK GDPR, please refer to the ICO website or the Ofgem Privacy Policy. The Ofgem privacy policy also provides information on how Ofgem processes personal data. 

If you would like to:

The Data Protection Officer
Ofgem
10 South Colonnade
Canary Wharf
London
E14 4PU

You have a right to complain to the Information Commissioner. If you want to raise a concern about how we have handled your information, you can report it direct to the Information Commissioner’s Office at the following address:

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

Online: Live chat

We keep our privacy policy under regular review. This notice was last updated on 18 December 2024. 

Ofgem takes action against Delta Energy for failures affecting customers

Press release

Accessibility statement for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) service for installers

Guidance

On this page

Related linksControllerYour informationRelated links
Renewable electricity schemes privacy notice