Our cookie policy

1.     What is a cookie?

Cookies are small text files that are transferred to your computer, laptop or any typical electronic device when you visit a website or an app.

Cookies are very useful and enable an internet site to recognise you, log when you visit the website and when you view any page. They also provide a secure connection to the website and hold the power to enhance your user experience by improving your overall browsing and the adaption of content within the pages that are of interest.

To find more information, please go to www.allaboutcookies.org if you are located in the United States. If you are located in Europe, please go to www.youronlinechoices.eu.

How do we use the cookies?

The Smarter Home Company use them to:

• Remember information about you, so you are never asked again

• Keeps you signed in, on any device that you use

• Gives us the opportunity to understand how people are utilising our website and services, so we can make them better

• Provides us with the opportunity to personalise your experience on our website. We remember your preferences and settings, so you can pick up from where you left off, even on a different device.

• To find out if the emails we send you are read and whether you actually found them useful.

Ultimately, cookies allow us to optimise your experience on our website. Below, we explain in more detail, how cookies and similar technology on our website may be useful and when you may want to control them.

How do we use cookies?

You can change your cookie settings at any time. You can stop your browser tracking cookies. Please refer to your individual browsers Help section for instructions.

2.     First-party and third -party cookies

There are different types of cookies:

First-party cookies

These cookies are set by the website you visit and can only be read by those owners.

Third-party cookies

These cookies are set by someone other than the owners of the website you visit. In some instances, there may be the case that the website contains content from third party sites such as YouTube, Flickr, Instagram, which will typically set their own cookies. Remember, if you share our website or through a third party, that owner may set a cookie on your browser.

3.     What types of cookies do we use?

We use four types of cookies:

Strictly necessary cookies

Cookies that are essential to provide you with services you have requested, mean they cannot be switched off through the privacy settings link.

These let you utilise all the different parts of the website. Without them, you may not be able to use particular services within the website. We collect all your data to help us understand how people use the website, so it can continually evolve. In some cases, the information will be sent to third party sources to see how it is used.

Typical examples:

• Cookies that make it possible for you to stay logged in

• Security questions that affect your access

• Collection of information, that demonstrate the most viewed areas to improve our service

However, you set your browser to block the cookies, then the functions and services may work not work. In particular, you will not be able to save your preferences about cookies.

Functionality cookies

This cookie allows us to recognise who views the website by remembering your preferences and the settings for when you return to the site. The choices you make, allow us to make your experience more personalised. These cookies typically use a mix of first and third party cookies.

Performance cookies

Performance cookies measure how often you visit our sites and how you use them. This cookie allows us to make sure that the website is working properly, whether that is fixing errors or trying out new systems within the website. The information also allows us to get a better sense of how our users engage with the website, what pages are most frequently used and by what type of users. In some cases, we use third-party cookies to help with our performances.

Advertising and Retargeting Cookies

Websites can use advertising channels to demonstrate specific adverts when visited. These cookies keep the information from your browsing history, to make sure your preferences are saved. This can include the content that is viewed, the links that have been followed and information about the browser, device and IP Address. Advertising and retargeting cookies allow partners to target the correct advertising to other websites. Without these cookies, the online advertisements you encounter will be less relevant.

4.     How long do cookies last?

Session cookies

Session cookies will only last for as long as you are on the website. It will then disappear from your computer or device when you close the browser.

Persistent cookies

These cookies will stay on your computer or device after your browser is shut down and will typically last for the time that is specified in the cookie (but no longer than 13 months). Persistent cookies are used when we need to understand who you are for more than one session. Typically, these preferences are saved for the next time you visit.

5.     Other cookies that may be used?

Technical cookies

Technical cookies are used to move around the website and its features. In general terms they allow you to remember what you previously did on your last session.

Analytical cookies

These cookies are used by the owners and by third party providers to analyse how the site is used and how they perform. For example, filling out one of our forms to specify where that property is located. We may use some cookies for Google Analytics to obtain maintenance of the site. Programme tools are used to collect information about your interaction with the website.

Other tracking technologies

Some websites will use systems like web beacons, clear GIF’s page tags and web bugs to understand how people are using them.

They are usually in the form of small images, that are embedded on the website or emails. They typically operate to capture data like your IP address, when you viewed the website, the device used etc.