Cookies
What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are saved to your computer. We use cookies to remember users during a visit, upon return to the site, and are required to enable certain functionality. In addition, cookies are used to help us understand how our customers use our websites and we use this information to help plan improvements to the site enabling us to get to know you better. For example, using persistent cookies allows us to recognise you when you return to the site, identify your preferences so as to provide you with a more personalised service and speed up searches that you conduct when visiting. Below are details of how we currently use cookies, with details of how you can manage their use.
How to control the use of cookies
If you wish to restrict or block the use of cookies on your computer when you visit our website, you can do this through the cookie preference centre or your browser settings. The "Help" function within your browser should also give details of how to delete cookies already on your computer.
Some functionality on our website will not work if you disable ‘strictly necessary’ cookies in your browser. In particular, you will not be able to complete product purchases or manage your account.
How we use cookies
Both npower and third parties make use of cookies when you visit websites. The following is a description of the types of cookie that we use, why they are used and details of the individual cookies.
We use both session cookies and persistent cookies.
Session cookies are used by us to recognise a user throughout a visit. This enables us to remember information that you have entered such as the product you have selected during a purchase which can then be used at each stage of processing your purchase. Session cookies are also used to remember you when you log in for the duration of your visit.
Persistent cookies allow us to retain information and settings about a user for more than one session. These cookies stay on a computer or a device until they expire or a user removes them. They enable us to recognise a user when they return to our site, identify their preferences so as to provide a user with a more personalised service and speed up searches a user conducts when visiting the site. They allow us to tailor marketing and servicing messages to users based on what we know users have or haven’t done in previous sessions. We are able to optimise the website for a user’s return to the site knowing whether they have previously bought something or whether they may need support to complete a service transaction.
Strictly necessary cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work.
| Name | Description | Lifespan |
|---|---|---|
| np_ca | Persistent | |
| np_mc | Used to store the cookie bar acceptance choice | Persistent |
| np_mcd | Used to store the time and date when the cookie bar is accepted. Used to re-show the bar if there are changes to the cookies policy in the future | Persistent |
| BasketItemCount | Session | |
| npe | Session | |
| CookiesEnabled | Session | |
| ASP.NET_SessionId | General purpose platform session cookie, used by sites written with Miscrosoft .NET based technologies. Usually used to maintain an anonymised user session by the server. | Session |
| ProfileData | Persistent | |
| OptanonConsent | This cookie is set by the cookie compliance solution from OneTrust. It stores information about the categories of cookies the site uses and whether visitors have given or withdrawn consent for the use of each category. This enables site owners to prevent cookies in each category from being set in the users browser, when consent is not given. The cookie has a normal lifespan of one year, so that returning visitors to the site will have their preferences remembered. It contains no information that can identify the site visitor. | Persistent |
| OptanonAlertBoxClosed | This cookie enables the website not to show the cookie bar message more than once to a user. The cookie has a one year lifespan and contains no personal information. | Persistent |
| SME_Auth | Persistent | |
| np_idnv | Persistent | |
| loggedIn | Persistent | |
| cookieCheck | Persistent | |
| .ASPXAUTH | This cookie is used by sites using the .NET technology platform from Microsoft. It is commonly used to identify a logged-in user to enable access to secure areas of a site. | Persistent |
| _dc_gtm_UA-xxxxxxxx | This cookie is use to load other scripts and code into a page. | Persistent |
Functional cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
| Name | Description | Lifespan |
|---|---|---|
| atgRecSessionId | Session | |
| atgRecVisitorId | Persistent |
Performance cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance.
| Name | Description | Lifespan |
|---|---|---|
| _gclxxxx | Google conversion tracking cookie | Persistent |
| __utmb | This cookie determines new sessions and visits and expires after 30 minutes. The cookie is updated every time data is sent to Google Analytics. Any activity by a user within the 30 minute life span will count as a single visit, even if the user leaves and then returns to the site. A return after 30 minutes will count as a new visit, but a returning visitor. | Persistent |
| __utma | This cookie lasts for 2 years by default and distinguishes between users and sessions. It it used to calculate new and returning visitor statistics. The cookie is updated every time data is sent to Google Analytics. | Persistent |
| WT_FPC | Cookie set by WebTrends analytics service, used to track and report on visitor behaviour on a site for performance improvement | Persistent |
| _gali | Google Analytics – Used to distinguish users. | Persistent |
| __utmc | This is used to enable interoperability with the older version of Google Analytics code known as Urchin. When used by Google Analytics this is always a Session cookie which is destroyed when the user closes their browser. |
Session |
| __utmz | This cookie identifies the source of traffic to the site - so Google Analytics can tell site owners where visitors came from when arriving on the site. The cookie has a life span of 6 months and is updated every time data is sent to Google Analytics. | Persistent |
| _ga | This cookie is used to distinguish unique users by assigning a randomly generated number as a client identifier. It is included in each page request in a site and used to calculate visitor, session and campaign data for the sites analytics reports. | Persistent |
| _gaexp | Persistent | |
| _gat_UA-71383607-1 | This is a pattern type cookie set by Google Analytics, where the pattern element on the name contains the unique identity number of the account or website it relates to. | Persistent |
| _gid | This cookie name is associated with Google Universal Analytics. | Persistent |
| sc.InTg | Session | |
| SessionCamTestCookie | This cookie is used by SessionCam to help understand how the user interacts with the page. Sessioncam is used to replay individual customer journeys on the site. This does not display personally identifiable information, but may be recalled at an individual customer level to support analysis of specific journey issue or to investigate complaints. | Session |
| sc.UserId | This cookie name is associated with the SessionCam | Persistent |
| sc.ASP.NET_SESSIONID | This cookie name is associated with the SessionCam | Session |
| SC_ANALYTICS_GLOBAL_COOKIE | This cookie name is associated with the Content Management System as is used for web analytics to identify repeat visits by unique users. | Persistent |
| _gat_UA-121197041-1 | This is a pattern type cookie set by Google Analytics, where the pattern element on the name contains the unique identity number of the account or website it relates to. | Persistent |
| _ga | Persistent |
Targeting cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
| Name | Description | Lifespan |
|---|---|---|
| reevoo_tmp | This domain is owned by Matomy Media Group. The main business activity is: Advertising network services for placing targeting ads |
Persistent |
| reevoo_tmp | This domain is owned by Matomy Media Group. The main business activity is: Advertising network services for placing targeting ads |
Persistent |
| reevoo_tmp | This domain is owned by Matomy Media Group. The main business activity is: Advertising network services for placing targeting ads |
Persistent |
| reevoo_tmp | This domain is owned by Matomy Media Group. The main business activity is: Advertising network services for placing targeting ads |
Persistent |
| sp_t | This domain is owned by Spotify, a USA based music streaming service. Spotify provides a number of tools to embed into websites, which enable the tracking of users and non-users across domains. | Persistent |
| sp_key | This domain is owned by Spotify, a USA based music streaming service. Spotify provides a number of tools to embed into websites, which enable the tracking of users and non-users across domains. | Persistent |
| _fbp | Used by Facebook to deliver a series of advertisement products such as real time bidding from third party advertisers | Persistent |
| _gid | This domain is owned by Spotify, a USA based music streaming service. Spotify provides a number of tools to embed into websites, which enable the tracking of users and non-users across domains. | Persistent |
| _fbp | Used by Facebook to deliver a series of advertisement products such as real time bidding from third party advertisers | Persistent |
| wp_access_token | This domain is owned by Spotify, a USA based music streaming service. Spotify provides a number of tools to embed into websites, which enable the tracking of users and non-users across domains. | Persistent |
| wp_expiration | This domain is owned by Spotify, a USA based music streaming service. Spotify provides a number of tools to embed into websites, which enable the tracking of users and non-users across domains. | Persistent |
| uvc | Tracks how often a user interacts with AddThis | Persistent |
| ATN | This domain is owned by Atlas Solutions which is in turn owned by Facebook. Atlas is an online advertising business, targeting users through tracking their web activity. | Persistent |
| MUID | This domain is owned by Mircosoft - it is the site for the search engine Bing. | Persistent |
| lang | This domain is owned by LinkedIn, the business networking platform. | Session |
| lang | This domain is owned by Twitter. | Session |
| _gat_gtag_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx | Google Analytics | Persistent |
| gwcc | This domain is owned by Google. | Persistent |
| sp_landing | This domain is owned by Spotify, a USA based music streaming service. | Persistent |
| YSC | This is a YouTube cookie. YouTube collects user data through videos embedded in websites, which is aggregated with profile data from other Google services in order to display targeted advertising to web visitors across a broad range of their own and other websites. | Session |
| lidc | This cookie is owned by LinkedIn | Persistent |
| NID | This cookie is owned by Google Inc. and is used to sell advertising space. | Persistent |
| UserMatchHistory | This domain is owned by LinkedIn. | Persistent |
| fr | Contains browser and user unique ID combination, used for targeted advertising. | Persistent |
| lissc | This domain is owned by LinkedIn | Persistent |
| VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE | This cookie is used as a unique identifier to track viewing of videos | Persistent |
| bscookie | This domain is owned by LinkedIn | Persistent |
| IDE | This domain is owned by Doubleclick, Google’s real time bidding advertising exchange | Persistent |
| bcookie | This domain is owned by LinkedIn | Persistent |
| _uetsid | This cookie is used by Bing to determine what ads should be shown that may be relevant to the end user perusing the site. | Persistent |
| sp_dc | This domain is owned by Spotify | Persistent |
| wp_sso_token | This domain is owned by Spotify | Persistent |
| lang | This domain is owned by LinkedIn | Session |
| loc | Stores the visitor’s geolocation | Persistent |
| _pinterest_cm | This domain is owned by Pinterest. | Persistent |
| _ga | This domain is owned by Spotify | Persistent |
| xtc | This domain is owned by AddThis. AddThis provides web widgets that site owners embed into their pages or other content to enable visitors to create and share links to the content across social networks. They also make use of the data collected to provide advertisers and marketers with profile information for targeted behavioral advertising. | Persistent |
| This domain is owned by Facebook. It mostly collects data on the interests of users via widgets such as the 'Like' button found on many websites. This is used to serve targeted advertising to its users when logged into its services. | Session | |
| GPS | This is owned by YouTube, a Google owned platform for hosting and sharing videos | Persistent |
| AA003 | This domain is owned by Atlas Solutions which is in turn owned by Facebook. Atlas is an online advertising business, targeting users through tracking their web activity. From | Persistent |
| test_cookie | test_cookie | Persistent |
