Privacy Policy
Last updated: July 2026
Northcentral Electric Cooperative and its affiliated companies are committed to protecting the privacy of our members, consumers, website visitors, and others who interact with us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect information when you use our website, online account services, mobile applications, payment tools, outage reporting tools, text messaging services, or other platforms where this policy is posted.
By using our services or providing information to us, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. This policy applies to information we collect in connection with electric and telecommunications services, member accounts, communications, and digital services.
Information We Collect
We collect information in several ways, depending on how you interact with Northcentral Electric Cooperative and its affiliated companies.
· Information you provide directly: such as your name, service address, mailing address, email address, phone number, account number, payment information, service requests, outage reports, forms, applications, survey responses, and communications with us.
· Information related to electric and telecommunications services: such as billing history, payment history, electric and data usage information, meter data, outage information, equipment or service details, and records needed to provide, maintain, or improve your electric and telecommunications services.
· Information collected automatically: such as IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, date and time of access, cookies, server logs, and other usage data when you interact with our website or digital services.
· Information from other sources: such as payment processors, service providers, public records, contractors, partner organizations, or other sources that help us provide electric and telecommunications services, verify information, protect our systems and networks, or comply with legal requirements.
If you choose not to provide certain information, we may be unable to establish or maintain electric or telecommunications services, process payments, respond to requests, provide outage updates, or meet legal or operational obligations.
Personal and Account Information
Personal and account information may include information that identifies, relates to, describes, or can reasonably be associated with you, your account, your property, or your electric or telecommunications services.
Website and Digital Usage Data
When you use our website, online account tools, mobile applications, or other digital services, certain usage data may be collected automatically.
This information may include your IP address, browser type and version, device type, operating system, pages visited, date and time of visit, time spent on pages, device identifiers, referring websites, and diagnostic information.
We may use cookies and similar technologies to support website functionality, remember preferences, improve performance, analyze traffic, and help protect our systems.
You can adjust your browser settings to refuse some cookies, but certain website features may not function properly without them.
How We Use Information
We use information to operate the cooperative and affiliated companies, provide electric and telecommunications services, communicate with members and consumers, and improve our services.
· Establish, manage, and maintain electric and telecommunications service accounts.
· Process applications, service requests, billing, payments, refunds, deposits, and account updates.
· Provide outage reporting, outage restoration updates, safety notices, maintenance notices, and other service-related communications.
· Operate, maintain, secure, and improve our electric and telecommunications system, website, online account tools, mobile applications, and communications platforms.
· Analyze usage, reliability, system performance, member and consumer service needs, and program effectiveness.
· Respond to questions, complaints, requests, claims, and other communications.
· Send cooperative and affiliated company news, program information, energy-efficiency information, annual meeting notices, member and consumer communications, billing notices, and other information related to cooperative and telecommunications services.
· Prevent fraud, protect safety, secure our systems, enforce policies, and comply with applicable laws, regulations, court orders, or governmental requests.
· SMS/Text Messaging Privacy: Northcentral Electric Cooperative and affiliated companies use mobile numbers, SMS opt-in information, and consent data only for requested text messaging services. We do not sell, rent, or share this information with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. We may share it only with service providers needed to deliver text messages.
Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency may vary. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.
How We Share Information
We do not sell personal information. We may share information when reasonably necessary to provide electric and telecommunications services, operate the cooperative and affiliated companies, meet legal requirements, or protect the safety and reliability of our electric and telecommunications systems. This may include sharing information with payment processors, billing vendors, outage management vendors, technology providers, contractors, engineering or vegetation-management providers, auditors, legal advisors, regulatory authorities, emergency responders, government agencies, or other service providers acting on our behalf. We may also share information with your consent or as otherwise permitted or required by law.
Your Choices and Account Information
You may review, update, or correct certain account information by signing in to your online account, if available, or by contacting us.
You may ask us to correct inaccurate information or update your communication preferences. You may also opt out of certain non-essential communications where an opt-out option is provided.
Please note that we may need to retain certain information to provide electric or telecommunications services, maintain business records, comply with legal or regulatory obligations, resolve disputes, enforce agreements, protect safety, or support system reliability.
Transfer and Processing of Information
Information may be processed at Northcentral Electric Cooperative offices, in systems operated by our service providers, or in other locations where authorized parties process information on our behalf.
When we use service providers, we expect them to protect information and use it only for the services they provide to us or as otherwise permitted by law.
We take reasonable steps designed to ensure that information is handled securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
Children’s Privacy
Our website and digital services are not intended for children under the age of thirteen. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of thirteen.
If you believe a child has provided personal information to us, please contact us so we can review and address the matter as appropriately.
Security and Data Retention
Security
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Retention
We retain information for as long as reasonably necessary to provide service, manage accounts, maintain operational and business records, comply with legal or regulatory obligations, resolve disputes, protect safety and reliability, and enforce agreements or policies.
Website and digital usage data may be retained for shorter periods unless needed for security, troubleshooting, analytics, legal compliance, or operational purposes.
Third-Party Websites and Services
Our website or digital services may link to third-party websites or services, such as payment processors, social media platforms, partner resources, or other external sites.
We are not responsible for the content, privacy policies, or practices of third-party websites or services. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing information.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, services, technology, legal requirements, or operations.
When we update this policy, we will revise the “Last updated” date and post the updated policy where this policy appears.
We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Changes are effective when posted unless otherwise stated.
Contact Us
For questions, concerns, privacy requests, or accessible-format needs, contact Northcentral Electric Cooperative at 662.895.2151 or email info@northcentralelectric.com.