Privacy Policy

Heppelthwaite The Red Van Plumbers is a trading name of J.F. Heppelthwaite Ltd (Company Registration No. 01350097, England). We collect, use and are responsible for certain personal information about you.

We are regulated under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. We act as the data controller in respect of the personal data we process.

The purpose of this policy is to explain how we control, process, handle and protect your personal information. Your privacy is important to us and we are committed to managing your data lawfully, fairly and transparently.

This policy should be read alongside our:

Cookies Policy,
Terms and Conditions and
Complaints Policy.

What Personal Data Is Collected

As a plumbing, heating and renewable energy service provider, we may collect personal information in order to deliver our services, including:

  • Your name
  • Email address
  • Telephone number
  • Property address
  • Details of your service requirements
  • Details of plumbing, heating or renewable systems installed at your property
  • Invoice and payment information

We only collect personal data where we have a lawful basis to do so.

Lawful Basis for Processing

We process your personal data under one or more of the following lawful bases:

  • Contract, to provide services you have requested
  • Legal obligation, to comply with tax, regulatory and safety requirements
  • Legitimate interests, to manage our business, respond to enquiries, maintain service records, improve services and recover debts
  • Consent, where required for marketing communications and certain website cookies

How We Collect Data

We collect personal data through:

  • Contact via our website, email or telephone
  • Social media enquiries
  • Newsletter or mailing list subscriptions
  • Recruitment enquiries
  • Third parties acting on your behalf such as developers, estate agents, letting agents or property management agents
  • Exhibitions, events and networking
  • Business meetings
  • Direct customer contact

Where consent is required, you may withdraw it at any time.

How We Use Your Data

We use personal information to:

  • Provide and administer our services
  • Schedule, confirm and amend appointments
  • Verify your identity and maintain accurate records
  • Process payments
  • Register warranties and, where applicable, notify manufacturers
  • Respond to enquiries and service requests
  • Provide safety notices, servicing reminders and legal or regulatory updates related to your installation
  • Carry out customer feedback
  • Send relevant marketing communications where lawful
  • Comply with legal obligations
  • Manage complaints, disputes or claims
  • Conduct internal auditing, quality control and business management
  • Recover unpaid debts

We do not sell your personal data to third parties.

Disclosure of Personal Data

Your personal data may be shared with our staff and approved contractors where necessary to deliver services, and with third parties as set out below. All third parties are required to respect the security of your personal data and process it in accordance with the law.

Service Delivery and Business Operations

  • Approved contractors or engineers delivering services on our behalf
  • IT service providers, cloud storage providers and software platforms used to manage bookings, job records and communications
  • Email and communication providers used for customer communications and marketing
  • Professional advisers including accountants, insurers and legal advisers
  • Debt recovery agencies where payment is overdue
  • Third parties in the event of a claim, dispute or complaint relating to our services

Gas Safe Register and Safety Compliance

Where relevant and necessary, personal data may be shared for safety and regulatory purposes, including to support compliance, auditing or investigations connected with gas work and gas safety requirements. This may include engagement with the Gas Safe Register and other competent authorities where applicable.

MCS, Consumer Codes and Renewable Energy Compliance

Where we carry out renewable or low carbon installations that are in scope for certification or consumer protection schemes, we may share relevant information to meet scheme rules and consumer protection requirements. This can include:

  • Registering installations and creating certificates on relevant certification databases, including the MCS Installation Database, where applicable
  • Sharing details with the relevant consumer code or dispute resolution provider where required, for example to manage complaints or provide consumer protection
  • Sharing information with manufacturers, warranty providers and commissioning support services
  • Sharing information with government bodies, regulators or scheme administrators where required for grants, compliance checks or audit purposes
  • Sharing information with distribution network operators or other parties where required for technical notifications

Legal and Regulatory Disclosures

  • Law enforcement bodies and regulatory authorities where required by law, including HMRC and local authorities
  • Courts or tribunals and any party where disclosure is necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal claims

We do not share or release your personal data to any third party for the purpose of allowing them to market their services or products to you.

How We Protect Your Data

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to safeguard personal data, including secure systems, access controls, password protection and anti virus measures. We may use professional IT support services to maintain and monitor our systems.

No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure. However, we take reasonable steps to protect your information.

In the event of a personal data breach, we will comply with our legal obligations, including notifying the Information Commissioner’s Office where required, and notifying affected individuals where the law requires us to do so.

Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

  • Access the personal data we hold about you
  • Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
  • Request erasure of data where appropriate
  • Restrict processing in certain circumstances
  • Object to processing in certain circumstances
  • Request transfer of your data in certain circumstances
  • Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent
  • Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office

We aim to respond to requests within one month as required by law.

Further information is available from the Information Commissioner’s Office at www.ico.org.uk
or by calling 0303 123 1113.

How to Change the Information We Hold

We are required to keep personal data accurate and up to date. If your details change, please contact us so we can update our records.

Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to comply with legal, accounting, regulatory, warranty and safety record requirements, and to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

In most cases, customer records are retained for up to six years after completion of services, in line with UK limitation periods, unless a longer retention period is required by law or is necessary due to the nature of the installation, warranty, safety obligations or an ongoing dispute.

Data that is no longer required is securely deleted or anonymised.

Marketing

We send marketing communications only where we have a lawful basis to do so, such as where you have provided consent, or where legitimate interests apply and you have not opted out. All marketing emails include an unsubscribe link. You can also opt out by contacting us directly.

Marketing data may include your name, email address, telephone number, IP address, subscription date and preferences.

Website and Cookies

Our website www.redvanplumbers.co.uk uses cookies and similar technologies, including analytics cookies, to improve functionality and analyse website usage.

Where required, cookies are used only with your consent via our website cookie banner. You can also manage cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect website functionality.

Further details are available in our Cookie Policy.

Complaints

If you have concerns about how we process your personal data, please contact our Data Controller using the details below. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Data Controller and Contact Information

J.F. Heppelthwaite Ltd
Unit 5 Jacksons Industrial Estate
Wessex Road
Bourne End
Buckinghamshire
SL8 5DT

Email: customercare@heppelthwaite.co.uk
Telephone: 01628 533 550

This Privacy Policy was last updated in February 2026.