A plain-English explanation of what data HomeBoiler.co.uk collects, why we collect it, and what your rights are. We’ve tried to make this as readable as possible while remaining accurate under UK data protection law.
- We use Google Analytics to understand how readers use the site. It’s anonymous.
- If you click an outbound link to an installer, that installer’s tracking applies — not ours.
- We don’t sell your data, run advertising profiles, or share information with third parties for marketing.
- You have rights under UK GDPR. Email us at contact@homeboiler.co.uk to use them.
Who we are
HomeBoiler.co.uk is an independent UK publication covering boiler choice, costs, and finance for homeowners. For the purposes of UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, HomeBoiler.co.uk is the data controller for any personal data collected through this website.
For data protection enquiries, contact us at contact@homeboiler.co.uk.
What data we collect
We collect as little personal data as possible. The categories below cover everything HomeBoiler.co.uk collects, why we collect it, and the lawful basis under UK GDPR.
| Data type | Why we collect it | Lawful basis |
|---|---|---|
| Anonymous analytics | To understand which articles are useful and where readers drop off | Legitimate interest |
| Cookies (essential) | To remember your cookie preferences and session | Strictly necessary |
| Cookies (non-essential) | Analytics, affiliate tracking, embedded media | Consent |
| Email correspondence | To respond when you contact us | Legitimate interest |
| Local storage | To remember the postcode you entered, if you used a tool on the site | Strictly necessary |
We don’t run user accounts, we don’t run a forum, and we don’t sell anything directly. If we add a newsletter or other features in future, this policy will be updated to reflect what’s collected.
Cookies and tracking
HomeBoiler.co.uk uses a small number of cookies and similar technologies. The main categories:
Essential cookies
These are required for the site to function. They include cookies that remember your cookie consent choices and session identifiers from our hosting infrastructure. You can’t opt out of these without breaking the site.
Analytics cookies (Google Analytics 4)
We use Google Analytics 4 to measure aggregate traffic — page views, time on page, bounce rate, traffic sources. The data is anonymised before being shared with Google. We don’t use it for advertising purposes and we don’t share it with anyone else.
You can opt out of Google Analytics across all sites by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
Affiliate tracking cookies
When you click an outbound link to an installer or retailer (such as BOXT or Heatable), an affiliate tracking cookie may be set by that company or by the affiliate network they use (typically Awin). This is how we earn the commission that funds the site. The affiliate cookie itself does not collect personal data we can read — it just tells the partner that the click came from HomeBoiler.
For full details of what these third parties collect and how, see their respective privacy policies. We’ve linked the major ones below:
Browser local storage
If you use an interactive tool on the site (such as the postcode field on the homepage), we store your input in your browser’s local storage. This data never leaves your device and is not transmitted to our servers. You can clear it any time by clearing your browser data.
Third parties we use
HomeBoiler.co.uk is a small operation. The third-party services we rely on are listed below. Each has its own privacy practices, governed by their own privacy policies.
- Google Analytics 4 — for anonymous traffic measurement.
- EasyWP / Namecheap — our website hosting provider.
- Awin — the affiliate network we (intend to) use to track outbound clicks to installer partners.
- Cloudflare or similar CDN — for content delivery and basic security.
We don’t share data with these providers beyond what’s necessary for them to provide their service. We have no advertising partners, no data brokers, and no marketing analytics platforms beyond what’s listed.
How long we keep data
Anonymous analytics data is retained by Google Analytics for 14 months by default. Email correspondence is retained for as long as needed to handle the enquiry, plus a reasonable period afterwards (typically 12 months). Browser local storage persists until you clear it.
International data transfers
Some of our service providers (notably Google) are based in the United States and may process data outside the UK and EEA. Where that’s the case, the transfer is covered by the UK International Data Transfer Agreement, the EU Standard Contractual Clauses, or equivalent safeguards as required by UK GDPR.
Your rights under UK GDPR
You have the following rights regarding any personal data we hold about you:
- Access — ask what data we hold about you.
- Rectification — ask us to correct anything inaccurate.
- Erasure — ask us to delete data we hold about you (the “right to be forgotten”).
- Restriction — ask us to stop using your data while a query is resolved.
- Objection — object to our use of your data on the basis of legitimate interest.
- Portability — ask for a copy of your data in a machine-readable format.
- Withdraw consent — for anything you consented to (such as non-essential cookies), withdraw that consent at any time.
To use any of these rights, email us at contact@homeboiler.co.uk with a brief description of what you’re asking for. We aim to respond within 30 days, which is the maximum period allowed under UK GDPR.
Complaints
If you’re unhappy with how we’ve handled your personal data and you’ve contacted us without resolution, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s data protection regulator. Their website is ico.org.uk.
Children’s data
HomeBoiler.co.uk is not directed at children. We don’t knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 13. If you believe a child has provided personal data through this site, contact us and we’ll delete it.
Changes to this policy
If we change how we collect or use data, we’ll update this page and revise the “last updated” date at the top. Material changes will be flagged in a brief note at the top of the page for at least 30 days after the change.