Privacy policy

Last updated: 15 September 2026

The short version

We collect almost nothing. We don’t require accounts. We don’t capture leads. We don’t sell your details to installers. We don’t even store the numbers you put into the calculators - they only exist in your browser.

We set no cookies at all, and we carry no advertising. Analytics is cookieless and aggregate. The sections below explain everything in plain English.

Who we are

Energycosting is operated as an independent project. The site provides free calculators for UK home energy decisions. We are based in the United Kingdom and the site is intended for UK users.

For privacy questions, email hello@energycosting.co.uk.

What we collect

1. Calculator inputs

When you use a calculator, the values you enter (gas usage, install cost, SCOP, etc.) are processed entirely in your browser. We do not send these values to our servers. We do not store them. They disappear when you close the tab.

2. Postcode lookups

One calculator now asks for a postcode: the energy use benchmark, where it is optional and the rest of the tool works without it. Your postcode is not sent to us.

Here is exactly what happens. Your browser sends the postcode directly to postcodes.io, a free public service run by Ideal Postcodes, which returns the code of the Lower Layer Super Output Area it sits in. Your browser then sends us that area code and nothing else. We look up which type of area it is and send back the average consumption for that type.

The distinction matters because of what each one identifies. A postcode is around fifteen households and is close to an address. An LSOA is around fifteen hundred households. We built it this way round deliberately: there is nothing in our logs, at any point, that narrows you below an area of roughly fifteen hundred homes.

We do not log the area codes we receive, beyond the standard server logs described below, and we do not link them to anything else. postcodes.io is a third party and its handling of your request is covered by its own privacy terms, not ours — we never see that request.

Separately, the code contains an unused capability to look up an electricity region from a postcode via Octopus Energy’s public API. No calculator uses it. If that changes, this page changes first.

3. Server logs

Our hosting provider (Vercel) keeps standard server logs containing request paths, timestamps, and IP addresses. These are used to diagnose problems and prevent abuse. Vercel retains these logs for 30 days. See Vercel’s privacy policy for details.

4. Analytics (privacy-friendly)

We use Vercel Web Analytics to count page views and understand which calculators get used. It does not use cookies, does not track you across sites, and does not collect any personal information. IP addresses are hashed before processing and never stored. See Vercel’s analytics privacy policy for technical details.

5. Advertising — none

There is no advertising on this site, so there are no advertising cookies, no ad network, and no consent banner. The site previously carried Google AdSense; it was removed, and the banner went with it because there was no longer anything to consent to.

6. Your theme preference

If you switch between light and dark mode, that choice is saved in your browser’s local storage. It is not a cookie, it never leaves your device, and it is not sent to us or to anyone else. Clearing your site data removes it.

What we don’t do

• We don’t require accounts or sign-ins.
• We don’t capture leads or sell installer introductions.
• We don’t track you across other websites.
• We don’t use Facebook Pixel, TikTok Pixel, or any social media tracking.
• We don’t use Google Analytics. (We use a privacy-friendly alternative.)
• We don’t share calculator inputs with anyone.
• We don’t earn commission on quotes, installations, or any downstream purchase.
• We don’t set cookies — not essential ones, not analytics ones, not advertising ones.
• We don’t carry advertising of any kind.

Your rights under UK GDPR

Because we collect almost nothing, most of these rights are easy to exercise. You have the right to:

• Know what we hold about you - email us and we’ll confirm. (Spoiler: very little.)
• Request deletion of any data we hold.
• Request correction of any inaccurate data.
• Object to processing. In practice there is very little to object to — we set no cookies and hold no profile of you — but the right exists and we will honour it.
• Complain to the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) if you think we’ve handled your data badly. Their website is ico.org.uk.

Data transfers outside the UK

Our hosting and analytics provider (Vercel) may process data outside the UK. postcodes.io may too, though that request goes from your browser rather than through us. These providers operate under standard contractual clauses or equivalent frameworks that ensure UK GDPR-equivalent protection.

Children

This site is intended for adults making household decisions. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13. The calculators are not designed for or directed at children.

Changes to this policy

If we change this policy materially, we’ll update the “last updated” date at the top of the page. For significant changes affecting how we use data, we’ll show a notice on the site.

Contact

Questions, concerns, or want to exercise any of the rights above? Email hello@energycosting.co.uk. We aim to respond within 7 days.

See also: cookie policy, contact.