Privacy Policy

The District of Columbia Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU), created by the Clean and Affordable Energy Act of 2008 by the Council of the District of Columbia, is charged with providing District electric and natural gas utility ratepayers with energy efficiency services. In order to provide these services, the DCSEU collects and manages customer information. Under contract to the District Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE), Vermont Energy Investment Corporation (VEIC) operates the DCSEU in the District of Columbia. The DCSEU takes its responsibility to protect this information very seriously.

The DCSEU will never sell or rent your personally identifiable information to anyone and considers it confidential.

This Privacy Policy is written to help you understand how personal information is used and allow you to make informed decisions regarding your information. This Privacy Policy addresses the following questions:

What information does the DCSEU collect?

  • Personal information that you provide—In order to take advantage of efficiency programs, incentives, and / or rebates, you may be asked to submit personal information (such as name, address, phone number, or e-mail). If you sign up for a special offer or mailing list we will only use your contact information for that purpose. If you choose to unsubscribe, your request will be honored promptly.
  • Correspondence you initiate with the DCSEU—If you contact the DCSEU, we may keep a record of that correspondence to help serve you better and continuously improve the DCSEU’s service to customers. The DCSEU may also retain comments or other content that you upload or post to the DCSEU website, www.dcseu.com
  • Information on energy usage—The DCSEU, with your consent, may collect information and/or records on the demand or consumption of energy in your home or business, including but not limited to utility records (electric, natural gas, water and sewer) or submetering data.
  • Visitor Internet traffic logs—The DCSEU collects information on visitor traffic from the DCSEU website and social media channels. This information is not tied to your personal information and is used only in aggregate form. For more details on visits to the DCSEU website, see "additional information on the DCSEU website.

How does the DCSEU use your information?

  • To personalize energy savings estimates—Based on the information you provide, the DCSEU may customize savings recommendations for you by phone, mail, or on our website.
  • To improve the DCSEU website, outreach, and marketing efforts—The DCSEU collects information about usage of the DCSEU website for system administration, to filter traffic, to look up user domains, to report on statistics, and to improve the services that the DCSEU offers. This data is not tied to your personal information and is used only in aggregate form. You can limit the data that is collected by using your browser’s cookie settings. See "additional information about the DCSEU website" to learn more.
  • To develop and improve DCSEU programs and services—The DCSEU uses customer data collected in aggregate to best serve different markets (Commercial and Institutional, Residential, Multifamily, etc.) with programs and services that meet their needs.
  • To report results to District Government—The DCSEU shares customer data in aggregate on a contractual basis to the District Department of Energy & Environment and / or other authorized agents on its behalf.
  • To promote the DCSEU’s impact—The DCSEU shares customer data in aggregate to communicate its impact through channels including, but not limited to, mass media, conferences, and research papers.

When does the DCSEU share your information with others?

  • To aid DCSEU employees in providing services—The DCSEU only shares your information when necessary to provide DCSEU services. Before sharing this information, the DCSEU requires third parties that will have access to your information to sign a protective agreement and comply with the DCSEU’s Confidential Information Management System (CIMS).
  • To promote energy efficiency—The DCSEU may share anonymized or aggregated (i.e., not personally identifiable) information with government agencies, researchers, or other entities who request access to such information. This information may be used to leverage regional, national, and international efficiency efforts for the advancement of energy efficiency through research, advocacy, and policy efforts.
  • To share efficiency success stories—In some scenarios, it may be beneficial for one customer to hear of another customer’s experience. In such instances, the DCSEU may request your permission to share specific personal information, and your information will only be used if you agree to share it. Customers can deny this request, at no penalty, and silence is never considered consent.
  • To respond to an emergency—The DCSEU may be required to provide personal information, such as address and telephone number, to emergency responders in situations involving an imminent threat to life or property.
  • To comply with law enforcement or legal services—The DCSEU discloses confidential information when such information is demanded through valid legal process, such as through a warrant or subpoena. Customers will be notified as soon as practicable under the circumstances, either before or after disclosure of the demanded information, unless such notification is precluded by court order or other law.

How does the DCSEU protect your information?

  • With secure systems and policies—The DCSEU maintains a Confidential Information Management System (CIMS) to protect customer-specific and competitively-sensitive information to comply with contractual requirements to the District Department of Energy & Environment. The CIMS includes criteria to identify confidential information and to provide specific procedures to safeguard this information against inappropriate use or disclosure.
  • With procedures, verifications, and training—The DCSEU protects your information by ensuring that employees and contractors whose jobs require access to confidential information have signed confidentiality agreements before gaining access to such information. The DCSEU provides training to employees in data collection, storage, use, retention, and disposal of information.

How can you correct information or report a privacy violation?

  • If you find incorrect or incomplete information (such as personal information or energy usage data) you have the opportunity to contact the DCSEU and request that the information be updated or revised by contacting Customer Support by e-mail at [email protected] or by phone (855) 693-2738 or (202) 479-2222.
  • If you feel that your privacy has been violated in any way, please contact Customer Support immediately at [email protected] or (855) 693-2738.

Additional information about the DCSEU website

  • Browser information—Your browser communicates standard information when you use the DCSEU website (www.dcseu.com), including your internet (IP) address and the files you request. This information is not tied to your personal information and is used only in aggregate form, unless you choose to supply the DCSEU with additional information as part of your visit (such as filling out an online form or using our online chat service).
  • Cookies—Cookies are text files that contain small amounts of information and are downloaded to your computer or mobile device when you visit a site. Cookies are useful because they allow a site to recognize a user’s device, let you navigate between pages efficiently, remember your preferences, and more. You can find additional information about cookies at www.allaboutcookies.org
  • Using cookies—The DCSEU uses cookies to help analyze web page traffic, customize services, maintain your session and signed-in status if applicable, measure promotional effectiveness, and promote trust and safety.
  • Deleting cookies—Most cookies are "session cookies," which are automatically deleted from your hard drive at the end of a session. You are always free to decline DCSEU cookies if your browser permits, although this may interfere with your use of www.dcseu.com
  • Email Lists—You may unsubscribe from DCSEU marketing communications by clicking on the "unsubscribe" link located on the bottom of the DCSEU’s e-mails.
  • Advertising—The DCSEU partners with third-party digital ad networks to manage our advertising on other sites. Our ad network partners use cookies and web beacons to collect non-personally identifiable information about your activities on this and other websites to provide you targeted advertising. The use of cookies and web beacons by any tracking utility company is not covered by this privacy statement. The DCSEU does not have access or control over these third party tracking technologies.
  • Links to third-party websites—The DCSEU website (www.dcseu.com) contains links to various other websites that are not owned or operated by the DCSEU. These other sites may have privacy policies that differ from the DCSEU’s privacy policies. The DCSEU is not responsible for their content.
  • Links from www.dcseu.com do not constitute an endorsement by the DCSEU. The DCSEU is not responsible for and does not control or monitor the content of these sites or the accuracy of information found therein. The DCSEU does not accept any responsibility for enabling the reader to link to another site in the World Wide Web or for any other site.

How can you stay informed?

  • By contacting Customer Support—For more information, contact Customer Support at [email protected] or (855) 693-2738
  • Through educational materials—This Privacy Policy is an example of how the DCSEU keeps you informed about changes to technology, how your information is used, and with whom your information is shared in order to help you make informed and responsible decisions.
  • By receiving notifications for revisions—This Privacy Policy was last updated January 18, 2017. Due to the rapid evolution of internet technology, this policy will be reviewed periodically and will be updated as appropriate. The Privacy Policy posted on this site will always be the current version. In the unlikely event that the DCSEU plans on using customers’ personal information in a manner substantially different than previous posted, customers will be notified by posting a notice on the DCSEU website for thirty days before the new use takes effect.