The careful, responsible and legally compliant handling of your personal data and its protection is important to ewz. Our privacy policy tells you the personal data that ewz processes, the purposes for which the personal data is processed, how it is protected, and the data protection rights you can assert.
Based on the principle of public access, ewz makes important information generally available on the internet. The occurrence of typical risks associated with the information made available by ewz on the internet cannot be prevented in any particular case. The websites and apps operated by ewz may therefore only be used under the following conditions and restrictions:
ewz reserves the right to change or redesign individual functionalities or information services or to remove them from the web without prior notice. Therefore, ewz cannot be held liable for consequences if certain information is no longer available or is no longer available in its previous form. ewz cannot guarantee that its electronic information services or the functionality it offers (such as a search function) can be used without interruption at all times and that the requested information can be transmitted seamlessly and without errors. ewz will do everything possible and reasonable to ensure that the information made available on its websites and apps is always up to date and complete.
ewz processes personal data exclusively in compliance with the applicable Swiss data protection standards.
Your personal data is processed primarily on the basis of the Information and Data Protection Act (IDG) of the Canton of Zurich and its implementing provisions, as well as the Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP) and the associated ordinance (DSV).
3.1 Category of personal data
ewz processes the following categories of personal data in particular:
- Personal details (in particular surname, first name and date of birth)
- Contact details (in particular postal address, email address, telephone number)
- Content data (in particular text entries, images)
- Access/authorisation data (in particular username and password)
- Data you give us so we can provide our services (in particular customer number, charging station number, OTO ID, plant number, contract data, type of property)
- Usage data (in particular metadata)
- Consumption data (in particular electricity consumption data)
- Data that ewz is legally or contractually obliged to collect
- Payment data (in particular credit card data, IBAN no.)
3.2 Purpose of processing
ewz processes personal data for the following purposes:
- In connection with the performance of public duties
- In connection with the processing of enquiries, applications, orders and notifications (e.g. move notifications or disruption notices)
- In connection with intelligent metering and control systems
- In connection with the performance of services for the supply of energy, heating and cooling, telecommunications services and with regard to the conclusion and execution of contracts
- In connection with potential calculators for solar energy and other energy-related services
- In connection with the ewz.mobil app for electromobility
- In connection with billing services
- In connection with electricity consumption and self-consumption in photovoltaic systems
- In connection with the ‘My ewz’ customer portal
- In connection with guaranteed provision of IT, building and plant security and the operation of websites, apps and platforms
- In connection with marketing and communication activities, e.g. for sending newsletters, invitations to events and information
- In connection with the use, further development and optimisation of products and services as well as for statistical purposes
- In connection with the recording of customer feedback
- In connection with the organisation and implementation of application procedures
- In connection with visits to power plants
3.3 Disclosure to third parties/outside Switzerland
ewz treats personal data as confidential and only discloses it to third parties if it is authorised to do so by a legal provision, if you as the data subject have given consent in individual cases, if it is indispensable to avert an imminent risk to life or limb in individual cases, or the necessary protection of other essential legal rights is assessed to be of greater significance. To enforce rights, specifically from contractual relationships, ewz is also entitled to disclose personal data to third parties.
ewz discloses personal data to the following categories of persons:
- Portal operators
- IT service providers
- Newsletter service providers
- Campaign and marketing agencies
- Third parties engaged to provide other services, in particular digital service providers, consulting companies, law firms
- Authorities and courts
In addition, ewz reserves the right to commission third parties to process personal data (processors). We only disclose data to the processor(s) to the extent permitted by law and only for the purposes stated in section 3.2. ewz ensures by means of suitable contractual agreements that the processors also comply with the relevant data protection provisions.
When we disclose personal data to third parties outside Switzerland, recipients are required to observe the same data protection provisions that apply to ewz. The recipients of personal data may be located on the European continent or elsewhere (worldwide). If the recipients are located in a country without an appropriate level of data protection, ewz will ensure compliance with an appropriate level of protection. ewz will ensure this compliance by concluding standard data protection clauses or other agreements/guarantees. If it is not possible to ensure an adequate level of data protection in this way, ewz may still disclose personal data abroad if the data subject expressly consents to the disclosure.
3.4 Duration of data processing
ewz only processes personal data for as long as is absolutely necessary to fulfil the processing purposes stated in section 3.2 or to achieve contractual or legal purposes (e.g. retention/documentation obligations). If the purpose for processing no longer applies, ewz will delete or otherwise anonymise the personal data without being prompted to do so.
ewz uses cookies on its websites. Cookies are small text files that are automatically stored by the web browser on the user’s internet-enabled device when visiting the website. Cookies document usage information, in particular, the date and time of access to a website as well as the Internet Protocol address (IP address).
In addition to ‘session cookies’, which are deleted automatically after your visit to our website, ewz also uses permanent cookies, which remain on your internet-enabled device even after the respective visit until you delete them.
You can set your browser so that you are informed when a cookie is transmitted to the browser. You can then decide for yourself whether you want to accept a cookie or not. If you do not want cookies, you can set your browser so that incoming cookies are only stored after your confirmation or are generally rejected. You can find more information at the following link. We recommend that you accept the cookies because they make it easier for you to navigate. If you block cookies, you may be limited in your ability to use the interactive features on this or any other website.
5.1 Adobe Analytics
When you access websites and apps, ewz collects data for anonymous statistical evaluations. The evaluations are performed primarily with the web analytics service Adobe Analytics. In particular, the following data is transmitted to the web analytics service:
- Your current IP address
- Your operating system and browser type (user agent)
- Date, time and duration of your visit
- The web pages you accessed
- Scroll depth in individual items
- General information about the internet service provider (ISP)
Personal data is not stored. The IP address is stored completely anonymously and used in this form for geolocation. Users have the option of objecting to the use of the web analytics service at any time on the website of the web analytics service provider. This has no influence on the functionalities of the website.
5.2 Mautic
Mautic is analytics and tracking software for associating and storing usage data (including the browser used, last page visited, duration of stay), which ewz only uses occasionally. The software uses this information to customise marketing measures and align them more closely with the interests of each individual user.
With Mautic, your IP address is stored locally in anonymised form on the servers of the marketing agency addvanto AG in Switzerland.
6.1 Google Ads
ewz uses Google Ads. If you access an ewz website via a Google ad, a cookie is stored on your internet-enabled device. This cookie is not used for personal identification as it does not contain any personal data. Instead, ewz (and Google) can use it to determine whether you have accessed ewz websites via an ad. Google uses these information to compile access statistics for ewz’s websites. Through these statistics, ewz can determine the total number of users who click on ewz’s advertisements and which ewz websites the respective user subsequently accessed. However, ewz does not receive any information with which you can be personally identified.
6.2 Google Analytics
For individual websites and apps, ewz uses the functions of the web analytics service Google Analytics (in German), which is operated by Google Ireland, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland.
Google Analytics is used to record data about the internet-enabled device you use (e.g. location of access to the website, browser type or language setting and device ID) and your behaviour on the websites and apps (e.g. duration and frequency of visits, content accessed, clicks on links, scrolling behaviour, etc.). On this basis, Google generates statistical evaluations for ewz about the use of our websites and apps and forecasts future use. In this context, Google Analytics uses, among other things, cookies that are stored on your computer. Google does not receive any personal data about you from ewz and does not store IP addresses, but may combine information about your usage behaviour on our websites and apps with data from other websites that you have visited and that also use Google Analytics. Google may use this data for its own purposes (e.g. to control and optimise advertising). If you have registered with Google itself, Google can also identify you and associate the collected data collected with you. Such processing of your personal data by Google is the responsibility of Google in accordance with its own privacy policy (see https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en-GB&gl=de). Google only tells ewz how our websites and apps are used.
6.3 Google Tag Manager
Google Tag Manager is used on ewz websites to integrate Google analysis and marketing services in the website and manage them. Google Tag Manager triggers other tags, which in turn may collect data. However, Google Tag Manager does not process any personal data. If you have deactivated at the domain or cookie level, it remains in place for all tracking tags implemented with Google Tag Manager.
You can find information on how Google uses data, settings and objection options in Google’s privacy policy and in the settings for displaying advertisements by Google (in German).
ewz websites and apps may contain links to social media networks. These are links to the following ewz social media pages:
- Facebook (Facebook of Facebook Ireland Ltd., 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland)
- LinkedIn (LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company Attn: Legal Dept. (Privacy Policy and User Agreement) Wilton Plaza Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland)
If you select a link to an ewz social media page, a direct connection is established between your browser and the server of the relevant social network. This notifies the relevant social network that you have visited an ewz website or app and clicked on the corresponding link. If you select a link to a social network and are logged in to your account with that social network at the same time, the content of that website or app may be linked to your profile on the network. As a result, the social network can associate your visit to the respective ewz website or app directly with your user account. If you wish to prevent this, log out of your social network account before accessing the relevant links. An association is always made when you log in to the relevant network after clicking on the link.
ewz has no influence on external web pages to which it links. ewz cannot guarantee that the information contained on external web pages is correct or free of malware (e.g. viruses) or that the external web pages comply with applicable data protection legislation. Further, ewz cannot guarantee that these links will always function properly or that they will always refer to the same content. For these reasons, ewz accepts no liability for the linked external websites.
ewz uses plugins from the video portal YouTube (YouTube LLC, 901 Cherry Ave., San Bruno, CA 94066, USA) on its websites. YouTube is a subsidiary of Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland.
When a YouTube video is played, a direct connection is established between your browser and a YouTube server in the USA. Information about your visit and your IP address are stored.
If you start a YouTube video and are logged in to your YouTube user account at the same time, the content of the website or app you visit may be linked to your YouTube profile. If you do not want this to happen, you must log out of YouTube before visiting the website.
YouTube is responsible for data processing in accordance with its privacy policy. ewz does not receive any personal data from YouTube.
For information on the purpose and scope of data collection as well as the further processing and use of your personal data by YouTube, please refer to the privacy policy of Google Inc. (which operates YouTube). There you will also find further information about your rights and settings options for protecting your privacy as well as your right to object to the creation of user profiles:
We only send you the ewz newsletter if you have subscribed to it. You can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time via a link at the bottom of the newsletter.
11.1 Access to the customer portal
Use of the services on the ewz customer portal requires registration in ‘My Account’ (a service of the city of Zurich) with the entry of personal identifiers (email, password), the entry of relevant customer data and a two-stage authentication process (by email and mobile phone number verification).
Customers who have identified themselves with the aforementioned identifiers are considered by ewz to be authorised to use the services offered.
11.2 Due diligence obligations of customers
As a customer who uses the ewz customer portal, you are obliged to keep your personal identifiers confidential and to protect this information against misuse by unauthorised persons.
11.3 User management within the ewz.ch portal
Each customer is responsible for granting access and assigning roles for use of the ewz customer portal. Customers decide for themselves and are responsible for which third parties they grant access to the customer portal. For this purpose, each administrator may approve new users on the platform. ewz is not liable for unauthorised access to the customer portal by third parties. ewz is entitled to block access to the password-protected areas if ewz has reason to believe that an unauthorised third party has gained access to the possible applications of this area.
ewz uses suitable technical and organisational security measures to protect your personal data that we store against loss, unauthorised and unlawful processing, manipulation and destruction. In order to comply with the applicable data protection regulations, ewz continuously improves and adapts its security measures to technological advancements.
Within the scope of the data protection law applicable to you, you have the following rights:
- Right of access: You have the right to request information about whether your personal data is being processed, the purposes for which it is processed, and the duration of retention.
- Right of rectification: You have the right to have your personal data added to, rectified or blocked.
- Right to erasure: You have the right to have your personal data erased.
- Right to object: You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data.
- Right of withdrawal: You have the right to withdraw your consent to the processing of your personal data and to have your personal data deleted.
Please note that the applicable data protection regulations provide for exceptions and restrictions with regard to your rights. As such, your personal data may continue to be processed and stored if ewz is legally obliged to do so in order to safeguard its own legitimate interests or if the data is necessary for the fulfilment or assertion of contractual claims.
If you have any questions about your data protection rights or you wish to exercise these rights, please contact datenschutz@ewz.ch. The processing of enquiries and requests in connection with the exercise of data protection rights generally requires the prior unambiguous identification of the person who places the request.
The entity responsible for the data collection and processing described above is the
Zurich Municipal Electric Utility (ewz)
Tramstrasse 35
8050 Zurich
Email: datenschutz@ewz.ch
ewz reserves the right to amend and add to this privacy policy at any time. The version published on the websites applies. This privacy policy was last updated on 1 September 2023.
