American Electric Power Company, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates (collectively "AEP") are committed to respecting your concerns about privacy. This Privacy Policy describes AEP's practices regarding the collection and use of your personal information.
Information Shared With Us
There are many different points at which you may share personal information with us, including:
- When signing up for our energy services
- When making payments
- When visiting our website
- When subscribing to news, alerts (including SMS or IVR alerts), and other notifications
- When filling out online forms
- When contacting us via email, our call center or online chat functions
- When you create an online account
- When applying for employment with AEP, or as an employee
- When working with us as a vendor or as an employee of a business partner
- When interacting with AEP's Economic Development team (“AEPED”)
- Through contact with or use of a third party
We automatically collect certain information about your use of AEP's online services and Mobile Apps, including your interaction with content and services available online. This information may include: your IP Address, geolocation data, operating system, browser, URLs of any pages you visit on our sites and apps, device identifiers, and other similar usage information.
In particular, AEP collects the following information:
| Categories of Information | Sources of Information | Purpose of Processing |
|---|---|---|
| Name, contact information, age, and other identifiers, including sensitive identifiers | You (as customer or potential customer, website visitor, employee, or applicant, etc.) | Provide our services, set up and administer an account, onboard you as an employee, confirm your identity, respond to questions, and marketing |
| Commercial information - Products or services purchased, obtained, or considered | You (as customer or potential customer) | Transact commerce, process transactions, marketing, detect and prevent fraud |
| Commercial information - Account information | You (as customer) | Transact commerce, process transactions, marketing, detect and prevent fraud |
| Commercial information – Property hazard data | You (as customer) | Transact commerce, process transactions, and protect our employees who may have to enter your property to service your electricity |
| Commercial information – Energy usage | You (as customer) through your communications with us and your power meter | Transact commerce, process transactions, marketing, detect and prevent fraud |
| Internet network and electronic activity device information, website usage, IP addresses, account login information, and additional traffic information. | You (as a website visitor or anyone connecting with AEP electronically) | Comply with legal obligations, improve the services and products we offer and provide to you and other consumers; to comply when necessary with any governmental entity or regulator requests for information to support national infrastructure security. For more in-depth information about cookies and similar technologies we may collect, please see the Cookies and Other Technologies Notice below. |
| Audio, electronic, visual, or similar information | You (as a caller to our call center or a visitor to one of our facilities) | For security and training purposes and only where legally permissible, we may record conversations or perform video surveillance |
| Health information | You (as a customer) | In limited circumstances and only for the purpose of providing you with broader credit, emergency notifications procedures through our medical condition certification and life support programs, and to protect your health and safety. This information is stored locally at the AEP Call center and not shared with any third parties, unless necessary to protect your health and safety. |
| Behavioral and demographic data | Trusted marketing partners | Develop and implement marketing, education, and outreach plans to improve the services and products we provide to you and other consumers |
| Business contact information | You (as customer or potential customer) |
|
| Professional or employment-related information | You (as employee or potential employee)* | Administer our human resources |
| Education information | You (as employee or potential employee)* | Administer our human resources |
| Sensitive Identifiers | You (as employee or potential employee)* | Comply with applicable legal requirements |
| Protected classifications under California or federal law | You (as employee or potential employee)* | Comply with applicable legal requirements |
*California Employees and applicants are provided with seperate privacy notices at the time of application and/or hire
How We Use the Information We Receive
We use your information in different ways and for different business purposes depending on the context in which you interact with AEP. For example, we use your information to:
- Provide services or programs you request or might find beneficial;
- Communicate with you regarding your account or to administer your account;
- Provide customer support or to answer your questions;
- Provide news and information about AEP, including information relevant to investors;
- Communicate certain additional services, some of which may be provided by third parties;
- Ensure and enhance the security of our systems and data, including the personal information that you share with us;
- Protect the safety of our employees and contractors;
- Comply with applicable legal and regulatory requirements and, where applicable, certain law enforcement requests.
- Personalize your web or application experience;
- Provide you analysis of your energy usage;
- Determine eligibility for products and services;
- Determine compliance with program terms and conditions; and
- Provide SMS and IVR, alerts and information when you sign up for our Demand Response Program, which provide alerts requesting voluntary reduction of energy during high demand periods. Please note that when participating in our Demand Response program any personal information received through the Demand Response Program itself will not be shared with any third parties or affiliates and will not be used for marketing purposes.
In summary, we use the information we collect for a variety of business purposes including to operate our business, which includes the provision of services, analyzing our performance, meeting our legal and regulatory obligations, developing, and securing the safety of our workforce, among other functions.
Legal Basis For Collecting Your Information
Under certain laws, we are required to share the legal basis or business purpose for processing the personal information you share with us. We have attempted to specifically designate those legal bases or business purposes where applicable in this policy. In addition, we may also process your personal data under the following additional circumstances:
- To comply with our legal and regulatory obligations;
- To support the protection of the nation's power grid from threat actors through the monitoring of certain information;
- For the performance of our contract with you or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract;
- For our legitimate business interests; and
- Where you have given consent for a specific use. In the event you have given your consent for a specific use, we may also have an alternative basis for processing your information for our business purposes.
Legal Basis For Retaining Your Information
We generally store your personal information for as long as you remain a customer in order to provide you with services and only for so long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected. In addition, AEP may store your personal information to resolve disputes, establish legal defenses, conduct audits, pursue legitimate business purposes, enforce our agreements and to comply with applicable laws. The criteria that we use to define the periods for storing your data have been established in accordance with the requirements of applicable laws, in addition to our own operating requirements relating to the correct management of our relationship with present and/or potential customers. AEP stores/retains personal information we collect for as long as is necessary for the purpose(s) for which we originally collected it, while considering the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the information. We may also retain personal information as required by law.
Categories of Personal Data Disclosed, Recipients, and Purpose of the Disclosures
We share certain information with third parties as listed herein, such as with vendors working on our behalf, our affiliates, and government entities who are working to protect the nation's power grid.
The following table presents the categories of personal information disclosed within the last twelve months, the category of third party to whom this information was disclosed, and the purpose of the disclosure:
| Categories of Information Disclosed or Shared | Third Parties to Whom This Information Was Disclosed or Shared | Business or Commercial Purpose of Disclosure or Sharing |
|---|---|---|
| Name, contact information and other identifiers | Service Providers Performing Services on Behalf of AEP Service providers offering services to you. |
Like many businesses, AEP uses vendors who maintain our service accounts; provide customer service; provide advertisements/promotions and contextual customization of advertisements,
marketing services; process or fulfill orders and transactions; process payments; provide marketing or advertising services; and provide analytic, legal or insurance services.
As a part of providing services on behalf of AEP, our vendors may need to process your personal information (such as your email address or your payment information) in order to fulfill a service you have requested from AEP. In addition, we may share your contact information with certain third parties who offer or market services to you. |
| Commercial information | Service Providers Performing Services on Behalf of AEP. |
See above
Note that aggregated and/or anonymized versions of this data may be provided to U.S. federal and state governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, and educational institutions for research purposes |
| Internet network and electronic activity device information |
Service Providers Performing Services on Behalf of AEP.
Government entities that have an interest in the security of energy websites and resources, such as the United States Department of Energy Office of Cybersecurity Energy, Security, and Emergency Response. |
See above
Government entities may use this information to improve the security of energy websites and resources |
| Employment information that includes sensitive identifiers such as social security number or certain demographics | Government entities, such as the IRS | Comply with applicable legal requirements relevant to employment. |
| Protected classifications under California, Virginia, or Federal Law | Government entities |
Comply with applicable legal requirements and only when required
Note that this information is usually disclosed in aggregate or anonymous form |
Sale or Sharing of Data
We share some of your personal information – specifically your name, contact information, and usage data – with third party vendors who provide or market additional services to you such as relocation information for those who have recently moved or energy related home warranties. If you elect to purchase their services, we may receive monetary value in those instances. Under California and Virginia law, this may constitute a sale within the last twelve months. As noted above, you may opt out of the sale of data by either filling out our online form or contacting us at 1-833-795-1194.
AEP does not sell your information to third parties with whom we do not have a direct relationship and without your explicit consent. However, we may share your personal information for legitimate business purposes. For example, AEP may engage in certain activities such as allowing third party cookies on our websites or sharing information with our trusted partners in order to alert you to non-affiliated products that you might find of value. You may opt out of the sharing of your information in this context by filling out our online form or contacting us at 1-833-795-1194.
Notice for California Residents
Certain national and state privacy laws provide rights for individual consumers. Under California law, for instance, a California resident has the right to request that the business disclose what personal information it collects, uses, discloses, and sells. AEP has endeavored to do that with this Privacy Policy and to share with you how may exercise your rights and what you may expect from that process.
Rights
Under California law, we cannot discriminate against you because you exercise your rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act.
You have the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information. To do so, you may visit our online form or you can broadcast a global privacy control opt-out signal that will alert us you have opted out of the sale or sharing or your personal data.
We collect very limited sensitive personal information about you as a consumer. As noted above, we may collect health information as necessary to provide you with additional protections as our utility customer. We also may collect your social security number, drivers' license number, state identification card number, or passport number to confirm your account and validate your identity and for account collection purposes. We do not sell or share this information with anyone unless necessary to fulfill your requested utility service or protect your personal health and safety. We may also collect certain demographic information about you in order to market additional services to you that would be of potential interest. You may request that we limit the use or disclosure of your sensitive personal information by visiting our website.
Keep in mind, because AEP is a public utility service provider, we may not be able to delete information that is reasonably necessary for us to provide you with utility service and other services that are reasonably anticipated as part of that relationship. We also may not be able to delete information necessary to comply with our legal obligations, fulfill the terms of our agreements with you, or enable internal uses that are reasonably aligned with the reasonable expectations of customers of AEP. Please refer to California Civil Code § 1798.105 for a detailed explanation of exceptions to the right to delete.
Method of Exercising Your CCPA Rights.
If you wish to exercise your California privacy rights, please visit our online form or call us at 1-833-795-1194. You may also designate an authorized agent to make a request under the California Consumer Privacy Act. If you utilize an authorized agent, we may require proof that the agent is acting on your behalf. We may also request certain information from you to verify your request. If you utilize an opt-out preference signal, that opt-out preference signal will be applied frictionlessly to your visit to our website.
California Employees
If you are a California resident and apply for a job at AEP or join the AEP team, we will provide you with an additional notice regarding your privacy rights and how your information is used by AEP as an applicant or an employee.
Processing of Personal Information of You as a Commercial Customers
- AEP supplies energy to commercial customers, such as office buildings, just as it does to residential customers. AEP does not sell the personal information of its commercial customers and as noted, only receives value from sharing of its residential customer information with specific customer consent. Pursuant to California law, AEP has not sold or shared personal information of its commercial customers in the last 12 months.
- AEP's Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is provided and hosted by a third party, so disclosure of business contact information in one sense is routine and has happened within the last 12 months. On the other hand, disclosure of business contact information and network and information security information to government agencies (law enforcement, for example) and to vendors involved with incident response procedures is rare and has not taken place within the last 12 months.
Notice for Virginia Residents
Rights
Under Virginia's Consumer Data Protection Act, Virginia residents may invoke certain consumer rights regarding their data. In particular, if you are a Virginia resident you may invoke the following rights:
- To confirm whether AEP is processing your personal data and access to such personal data;
- To correct inaccuracies in your personal data, taking into consideration the nature of the personal data and the purposes of the processing of the AEP personal data;
- To delete personal data provided by or obtained about you;
- To obtain a copy of your personal data that you previously provided to AEP in a portable, and to the extent technically feasible, readily usable format that allows you to transmit the data, and
- To opt out of the processing of personal data for purposes of (i) targeted advertising; (ii) the sale of personal data; or (iii) profiling.
If you wish to exercise your Virginia privacy rights, please visit our online form or contact us at 1-833-795-1194. If you utilize an authorized agent, we may require proof that the agent acts on your behalf.
Appeal
If AEP declines your request, and you wish to appeal that decision, you may submit a request or call 1-833-795-1194. In particular, per Virginia law, AEP shall designate an AEP adjudicator to review decisions made by the AEP Privacy Office regarding your consumer rights request. Under the law, once we receive an appeal by you, we have sixty (60) days to adjudicate the appeal. We will communicate the appeal decision to you directly. If we deny your rights request after an appeal, under Virginia law you may contact the Virginia Attorney General's Office at 202 North Ninth Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219 or at 804.786.2071 (https://www.oag.state.va.us/contact-us/contact-info).
*This following section solely applies in the limited context of AEPED.*
Notice for residents of the european union
It is important to understand that AEPED is not established in the European Union (“EU”) and performs no processing activities in the EU. Further, AEPED operates on a B2B business model, does not offer goods and services to data subjects in the EU, and does not monitor the behavior of data subjects in the EU.
The following information is for residents of the EU and other countries where the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or a similar law applies:
- Controller - The controller is AEPED and the contact details are stated below;
- Data Protection Officer (DPO) - AEPED is not legally required to have a data protection officer and thus does not have one; however, you may contact AEP's Chief Privacy Officer by sending an email to privacy@aep.com;
- Purpose - The purpose of the processing of each category of personal data is stated above.
- Legal basis - AEPED has several legal basis for processing the information we collect as set forth above. The primary legal basis for processing business contact information is your consent to this processing. Once a relationship has been established, AEP relies on legitimate interest in maintaining the business relationship with this potential customer in the economic development context. The legal basis for processing network and information security information is our legitimate interest in network and information security;
- Recipients - The recipients or categories of recipients of your personal data are AEPED, our and IT hosting and service providers and, if necessary, government agencies and vendors involved with incident response procedures;
- Transfer - AEPED intends to transfer your personal data to the US, where it operates. No adequacy decision and no adequate safeguards apply to these transfers. Instead, they are made on the basis of your explicit consent, as allowed by GDPR Article 49(1)(a);
- Retention - Business contact information will be retained by AEPED as long as the organization represented by the data subject is a customer or potential customer of AEPED, plus three (3) years. Due to the nature of the business, long lead times are not unusual, and AEPED may use business contact information to maintain regular, periodic contact with potential customers for many years;
- Automated decision-making - AEPED does not perform any automated decision making with regard to the information you provide to us;
-
Rights - If you are a resident of the EU, you have the right to:
- Request a copy of your personal information stored by AEPED;
- Request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal information;
- Withdraw consent to the processing of your personal information;
- Request that we stop processing your personal information;
- Request that we delete your personal data; and
- Lodge a complaint with your relevant data protection authority.
Contacting Us
If you have any questions about this Policy, or about AEP's data privacy practices, please contact us at privacy@aep.com or at 1-833-795-1194.
Children's Privacy
We do not knowingly collect any information from children under the age of 16. If we learn that a child under the age of 16 has provided us with personal information, we will delete it in accordance with applicable law. If you are a parent or guardian and believe we have inadvertently collected information from your child in a manner not permitted by law, please contact us at privacy@aep.com.
Cookies and Similar Technologies Notice
Cookies, and similar technologies such as web beacons and pixels, are used by AEP to help personalize your experience with us on our websites and mobile applications. A cookie is a small text file placed on your browser or device by a web server to store data that can be used to recall your device and individualize your experience. AEP uses these cookies and similar technologies to honor your browser preference settings, provide feedback and analysis on how our website and applications perform, and to provide interest-based advertising to you.
When you first visit our websites you will receive a banner prompt that allows you to make choices about which cookies you would like to allow.
| Types of Technology | Function of the Technology |
|---|---|
| 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. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information. |
| 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. |
| Functionality 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. |
| Targeting or advertising 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 advertisements 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. |
| Social media cookies | These are third-party cookies that connect you directly with social media networks. These cookies are managed by your preferences on those social media platforms. |
| Other Third-Party Cookies | We hire some companies to provide services on behalf of AEP, who may also place cookies when you visit our website. In some instances, we may allow for that third-party to match cookies with select partners they may have in order to provide more information about your visit to our website. |
| Web beacons and pixels | We use web beacons to help deliver cookies and count users to our website. We also utilize pixels to determine, for example, whether or not you open our electronic communications to your email address. If you wish to opt-out of receiving emails, please follow the instructions below regarding email opt-out preferences. |
Email Opt-Out Preferences
You may choose to stop receiving our marketing emails by following the unsubscribe instructions included in these emails or accessing the email preferences in your account settings page. Please note that it may take up to ten (10) business days for your opt-out request to be processed. Also, even if you opt out of marketing emails, we may continue to send you certain account-related emails, such as notices about your account and confirmations of transactions you have requested.
Third Party Links and Add-Ins
This Privacy Policy only addresses the use and disclosure of information collected by AEP through your interaction with AEP. AEP's website may link to, or embed content from, other third-party websites such as YouTube. When we link to other websites or embed their content, AEP's privacy practices no longer apply. You should refer to the privacy policy of that third party for information about their privacy policies and cookie practices.
Conflicts with Applicable Tariff or Regulations
Certain of AEP's subsidiaries are subject to state regulations governing the provision of retail electric service and have tariffs regulating such service on file in the jurisdictions in which service is provided. In the event of any conflict between this Privacy Policy and an applicable tariff and/or regulation, such tariff or regulation shall control.
Updates to This Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy was last updated May 2, 2024. We periodically update this Privacy Policy. We will post any changes on this page when updating this Privacy Policy.