Bridgewise Privacy Policy & Practices
What information does Bridgewise collect?
Bridgewise collects information about the home or property:
The amount of electricity the home or property uses. Bridgewise also tracks when the home uses energy, for example by hours of the day as well as seasons of the year. We collect electricity data from Nova Scotia Power, with the participant’s consent.
Indoor environmental information such as indoor and outdoor temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide levels.
Physical information about the home or property. For example, civic address, size of the home, number of rooms, amount of insulation, and type of heating systems. These all affect the home’s energy use.
Personal information about the owners and residents of the home or property. For example, how many people live in the home and how to reach them (phone, email, contact preferences). Bridgewise also tracks how residents use energy within the home (such as how they use thermostats and hot water). Finally, we collect demographic information including age and income for research purposes. Participants do not have to provide demographic information if they do not wish to do so.
A record of interactions with the program participants. For example, the dates that participants join or leave the program, copies of emails and text messages, online help requests, and notes from phone conversations.
Why does Bridgewise collect this information?
Bridgewise uses this information to help participants better understand their home energy use. This allows them to use less energy and save money. Using less energy also reduces greenhouse gas emissions, which helps to fight climate change.
Bridgewise also measures the air quality in the home. For example, temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide levels. This helps participants to understand how healthy their home is. With this information, participants can take action to improve their health and comfort.
By using Bridgewise, participants are also helping the community. Bridgewise helps the Town of Bridgewater and its partners to better understand how our community uses energy. This information allows us to improve energy programs and services. More residents can benefit as a result. It also allows the community to achieve its goals of reducing energy poverty, making housing healthier and more affordable, and fighting climate change.
Who owns the Bridgewise data?
Bridgewise is a public service to the residents of Bridgewater. As with all public services, the Town of Bridgewater manages and controls the Bridgewise program data – this data is owned by the Town. This includes all the information about the participant and the home or property. It also includes any data about the home that they allow others to share with us. For example, electricity data from Nova Scotia Power.
Even though the Town owns this data, we can only use personal information for the services the participant allows. This includes any information that can identify them as an individual. The home’s energy use is personal information, and so is its electricity data from Nova Scotia Power. We may not share personal information without the participant’s permission.
We also summarize and analyse the home’s data and combine it with that of other homes. When we do this, we make the data anonymous. This means that it no longer contains personal information.
What is being done with the Bridgewise data?
Bridgewise collects and stores participant data. A single Bridgewise sensor in the home measures the indoor environmental data. We combine it with electricity data from Nova Scotia Power, and sometimes with other data from the Nova Scotia Community College, Efficiency Nova Scotia, and the Clean Foundation. We also add information to the database that our staff team collects from participants. For example, their contact details and information about the home.
Bridgewise analyses home energy data. Our staff team analyses and summarizes the data to understand how the home uses energy. For example, how much energy it takes to heat the home, how much moisture is in the air, and how much it costs to keep the home warm and comfortable. We also try to find ways for the home to save energy and money. For example, by changing the thermostat settings, improving the heating system, or adding solar panels. Finally, we compare the home to other homes in Bridgewater to learn more about how the whole community uses energy. This allows us to learn the best ways to save energy and make homes more comfortable.
Bridgewise helps participants save money and make their home more comfortable. They can log in to our website to learn all about how the home uses energy. It also gives them advice on how to use less energy and increase their comfort. They can receive tips and messages by email or text message too. If they would like to learn more or speak with an expert, they can send a message or call our staff team. We would be happy to help all participants learn about their home and explore ways to improve their energy use.
Bridgewise helps other residents in Bridgewater. By combining the home’s data with that of other homes, we learn about the community’s energy use. This way, we can understand how well energy programs and services are working and how we can improve them. We can also use this information to educate our residents. We do not share personal information without the participant’s permission.
Bridgewise helps people in other communities. We share the things we learn through the Bridgewise program with our partners, funders, and other communities. This way, other people in Nova Scotia and Canada can also benefit. We do not share personal information without the participant’s permission.
Bridgewise helps with research. We work with researchers who study home energy, housing, affordability, health and other important topics. Sometimes these researchers ask for Bridgewise participants to complete surveys or interviews. Taking part in research is always a choice. We do not share participants’ personal information with researchers without their permission.
Who has access to the Bridgewise data?
Only members of the participant’s household and members of the Bridgewise team can access the participant’s information. Participants can see their information on a secure Bridgewise website or “portal”.
Only approved Bridgewise staff team members, plus any third party we may work with to administer and maintain the Bridgewise sensors, can see the personal information stored in Bridgewise. Personal information means any information that can identify a participant as an individual. The home’s energy use is personal information, and so is its electricity data from Nova Scotia Power. We may not share personal information with anyone else without the participant’s permission.
Other people and organizations can access Bridgewise data that does not contain personal information. For example, other Town of Bridgewater staff, and program partners like Efficiency Nova Scotia.
What are the anticipated benefits and possible risks of Bridgewise?
Bridgewise participants can enjoy these benefits:
Learn about their home energy use and indoor air quality and keep track of their home’s performance.
Learn better ways to save energy, lower costs, improve comfort, and improve indoor air quality.
Receive advice and support from the Bridgewise staff team and partners.
Learn about programs, services, and financial support that could help them save energy.
Learn whether changes they make in the home are making a difference.
Bridgewise participants can face these possible risks:
Participants need an internet connection and browser on a working device to access the Bridgewise website. Their internet may be down, or their device may not work.
Someone may steal their user login information (username, password).
Sensors or the Bridgewise website may stop working. For example, they may run out of battery power.
Information provided by the Bridgewise may not always be perfectly accurate. For example, it may estimate some energy uses, a sensor may become defective and provide incorrect information, or we may make a human error.
Unauthorized people may see their personal information without their permission. For example, in the case of a data breach.
The Town of Bridgewater may end the Bridgewise program at any time.
The broader community can enjoy these benefits:
Lower energy use.
Lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Less spending on energy.
Residents know more about energy.
Fewer households facing energy poverty.
More homes with healthy indoor air quality.
More homes with efficient, modern energy technology.
Better energy programs and services.
Better ability to meet the community’s long-term energy needs.
More economic activity from home retrofits.
Recognition and economic development from technology innovation.
The broader community can face these possible risks:
There may be a widespread data breach.
How is the Bridgewise data being kept safe?
Keeping all Bridgewise data safe and protected is the responsibility of the Town of Bridgewater. We use extra security methods to keep participants’ personal information safe.
The Bridgewise sensor in the home uses a wireless technology called LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network). It allows the sensor to send data safely without using participants’ home internet. LoRaWAN uses very little power and is safe for people and animals. The sensor encrypts the data to increase its security. The sensor sends its encrypted data to receivers called “gateways” located in Bridgewater. We have programmed the sensors to only communicate with these Bridgewise gateways. The gateways send the encrypted data to secure servers on the internet through the Bell cellular data network. We get the sensors, gateways, and communication services from The Things Stack.
A secure database on the Microsoft cloud receives and stores the Bridgewise data. The database uses encryption, advanced passwords, and access controls. We copy participants’ Nova Scotia Power electricity data to the Bridgewise database through the Microsoft database through secure electronic means. Our database is not part of Nova Scotia Power’s systems and has its own security protections.
We carefully planned and tested the security of all the Bridgewise technology. For example, we hired a security firm to study and also hack into the system. We learned from their experiences and made the improvements they suggested to make the system more secure.
Only approved Bridgewise staff team members can see personal information stored in Bridgewise. The Energize Bridgewater Project Director or Chief Administrative Officer approves access for staff. Staff members who do not need to see the information do not have this approval and cannot see the data.
Bridgewise participants can never see the Bridgewise information of any other participant. We encourage Bridgewise participants to turn on multi-factor authentication (MFA). This helps to protect their account.
Bridgewise participants can communicate with Bridgewise staff team members by web messaging, email, or phone. We securely store records of their communications on the Microsoft cloud. Bridgewise staff team members do not keep paper records of any communications.
Bridgewise participants can choose to receive email newsletters from Energize Bridgewater. Cyberimpact provides this email newsletter service. It uses multi-factor authentication (MFA) to protect personal information.
Bridgewise participants can choose to receive Bridgewise messages by SMS (text). RAANGE provides these SMS services. It uses advanced authentication methods to protect messages.
The Bridgewise staff team has privacy breach and security incident response plans in place.
What rights do Bridgewise participants have to access and correct their data?
Participants have the right to know what personal information we have about them, and who can see it. They also have the right to ask us to correct their information if it is wrong. Participants can give these requests to the Bridgewise staff team by web message, email, phone, or in-person appointment. We will review all requests and let the participant know what we can do for them and how long it will take.
What can Bridgewise participants do if they have a concern or complaint?
Anytime a participant has a privacy concern or complaint about the Bridgewise program, they can contact the Energize Program Navigator by web message, email, phone, or in-person appointment. The contact details are info@energizebridgewater.ca / 902-530-3621
If the participant is still not satisfied, they can contact Eric Lawton, the Town of Bridgewater’s Privacy Officer. His contact details are Eric.Lawton@bridgewater.ca / 902-930-4834
For how long is the Bridgewise data being saved?
The amount of energy the home or property uses: up to 8 years. We need to track the data over several years to understand longer-term energy use patterns. This helps us improve our understanding of the energy efficiency and upgrades in Bridgewater homes.
Indoor environmental information: up to 8 years. We need to track the data over several years to understand longer-term energy use patterns and how they relate to participants’ comfort and wellbeing. This helps to improve our understanding of how energy efficiency can improve comfort and wellbeing for Bridgewater residents.
Physical information about the home or property: up to 8 years. We need to track the data over several years to understand how well homes can maintain energy efficiency over time.
Personal information about the owners and residents of the home or property: up to 5 years. We need to be able to review how well we offered Bridgewise services even a few years down the road. We may also need to contact past participants to ask them questions and to address issues they may have had.
A record of interactions with the program participants: up to 5 years. We need to be able to review how well we offered Bridgewise services even a few years down the road.
We may also keep some of this data, in an anonymized form, from each of these categories, for our long-term records.
What happens to the Bridgewise data once it’s no longer needed?
The Bridgewise database automatically deletes stored data at the end of its retention period. We use Microsoft’s secure database deletion tools to do this. Town of Bridgewater staff manually delete data stored our records management system at the end of its retention period.
If we end the Bridgewise program, we will destroy all data in the Bridgewise database and fully decommission it. We will use Microsoft’s secure database deletion tools to do this.
What if Bridgewise participants no longer want their data to be used?
Participants may leave the Bridgewise program at any time. They can do so by informing the Bridgewise staff team by web message, email, phone, or in-person appointment. Participants who leave must return their Bridgewise sensor to the Town of Bridgewater. They can drop of the sensor at Bridgewater Town Hall (60 Pleasant St) or ask staff to pick up them up from their home. The Bridgewise program will continue to store the participant's Bridgewise data based on the data’s retention period.
Participants may also withdraw their consent to the use of some of their personal information. They can do so by informing the Bridgewise staff team by web message, email, phone, or in-person appointment. This means the participant leaves the Bridgewise program. The Bridgewise staff team will then destroy some, though not all, of the participant's personal information. The data that remains in the control of the Bridgewise staff team will then be anonymized. This means that the information will stay in the Bridgewise, but can no longer identify the participant as an individual.
Will Bridgewise data be shared with third parties?
Nova Scotia law protects its residents’ personal information. Nova Scotia municipalities must follow strict rules to keep personal information safe. The Town of Bridgewater may not share participants' personal information without their permission. We must also store all personal information within Canada.
Bridgewise participants who receive Bridgewise messages by SMS (text) give permission to share some personal information. Our SMS service provider is RAANGE. RAANGE receives their contact information sends their Bridgewise messages.
Bridgewise participants who receive email newsletters give permission to share some personal information. Our email newsletter provider is Cyberimpact. Cyberimpact receives their contact information sends their email newsletters.
We may share a limited amount of personal information with our Bridgewise program partners. These are the Nova Scotia Community College, Nova Scotia Power, Efficiency Nova Scotia, and the Clean Foundation. We only do this when we cannot provide services or information without their help. For example, we may give a participant’s address to Efficiency Nova Scotia to learn whether any rebates or grants are available. Or we may review a home’s energy use with the Clean Foundation to learn if energy upgrades are possible for the home. We will always share as little personal information as possible.
We may need to share program information with our major funder, the Government of Canada. Usually this will not contain any personal information. If it does, we will mark it “confidential”. This protects it under the terms of our funding agreements.
We may share a Bridgewise program information with academic researchers. These include the Nova Scotia Community College and McGill University, but may include others. We may work with other researchers in the future. We do not share participants’ personal information with researchers without their permission. Taking part in research is always a choice.
The Town of Bridgewater may one day publish “open data” about Bridgewise. Open data means that anyone can find it through the internet. This data will not contain any personal information.