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Privacy Policy

Information collection
  • Automatically Collected Information—Our website uses cookies, which are small files kept on your computer which help us provide you with a more consistent experience as you browse the site. These files are very small, and do not contain any personal information about you. You can remove cookies through your browser’s “Options” or “Preferences” screen. We also collect visitor information through our website’s log files. These files contain information such as IP address, date and number of visits, web browser used, and pages visited. We do not use this information to identify you personally.

Security
  • Our website uses a variety of hardware and software, including firewalls, digital certificates, authentication procedures, intrusion detection, and Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption technology for security purposes.

Customer information policy
  • Big Sky Gas maintains Customer Information on the customer’s behalf, for the purpose of providing utility services. As such, the Company will provide a customer with his/her Customer Information upon explicit request from the Customer. The customer’s positive identity must be verified to the Company’s satisfaction prior to its release.
  • The Company will not disclose Customer Information to a third party unless the disclosure is in accordance with an exception outlined below and is not otherwise prohibited by law.

Definitions
  • For the purpose of this Policy, Customer Information is any information purchased or compiled by the Company in the normal course of providing utility services, including but not limited to name, address, account number, type or classification of service, current or historic gas usage, expected patterns of use, types of facilities used in providing service, individual contract terms and conditions, price or current charges, billing records, or installed appliance(s) or equipment.

Proprietary customer information
  • A type of Customer Information where data attributes are such that either individually or in combination, the information presented can be attributed to a specific customer. Examples of data attributes that specifically identify a customer include but are not limited to name and address.

Aggregated information
  • A type of Customer Information where data attributes cannot be attributed to a specific customer. Energy usage evaluations for a class of customers (i.e. all residential) are an example of Aggregated Information. For the purpose of this Policy, Direct Marketing is any activity by a third party with the intent of informing individual customers about a product or service, or trying to incent a change in gas usage.

Explicit prohibitions

Notwithstanding the exceptions outlined below:


  • Per WAC 480-90-153, under no circumstance may the Company disclose Proprietary Customer Information to a third party for the purpose of Direct Marketing to Washington customers unless the customer gives the Company written permission to do so.
  • Unless legally required or with the customer’s explicit consent, the Company will not share Proprietary Customer Information protected by the password provision required per OAR 860-021-0009(6).
  • Unless legally required, the Company will honor a customer’s request to not have Customer Information shared with a third party; however a customer’s ability to opt-out of sharing Customer Information does not extend to Aggregated Information.

Exceptions
  • Legal Requirement—The Company will disclose Customer Information to the extent disclosure is legally required. This includes but is not limited to responding to requests by law enforcement officers, responding to subpoenas, and circumstances where a law, regulation, or tariff requires disclosure.
  • Third Party Contractors—The Company may disclose Customer Information to third party contractors performing work on behalf of Big Sky Gas provided that the work does not include direct marketing of non-utility products and services that Big Sky Gas is not currently offering. Third party contractors must execute a Company-approved Information Transfer Agreement, including a confidentiality agreement, prior to obtaining access to Customer Information.
  • Aggregated Information—The Company will disclose Aggregated Information to: 1)Federal or State agencies, and municipalities; 2) Industry organizations, including but not limited to, the American Gas Association (AGA).Ad Hoc Provision—Customer Information may be disclosed in limited situations if the Corporate Secretary and General Counsel both determine that sharing of Customer Information is in the best interest of the Company and its customers. The party receiving Customer Information must execute a Company-approved Information Transfer Agreement, including a confidentiality agreement, prior to obtaining access to Customer Information.
  • Ad Hoc Provision—Customer Information may be disclosed in limited situations if the Corporate Secretary and General Counsel both determine that sharing of Customer Information is in the best interest of the Company and its customers. The party receiving Customer Information must execute a Company-approved Information Transfer Agreement, including a confidentiality agreement, prior to obtaining access to Customer Information.
  • Establishing Credit for Utility Service—The Company may disclose Customer Information to other utilities when such request is in accordance with OAR 860-021-0
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MAILING ADDRESS


PO Box 650764
Dallas, TX 75265-0764


PHONE


1-855-322-9939
406-443-4412


STATE INFO



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