Cookie policy
Effective date: 30 October 2026
1. About this policy
This Cookie Policy explains how Heliotec Limited ("Heliotec", "we", "us", "our") uses cookies and similar technologies when you visit heliotec.energy and any related subdomains. It sits alongside our Privacy Policy and describes what cookies we set, why we set them, and how you can control them.
For questions about how we handle personal data more generally, please read the Privacy Policy. For questions specific to cookies, contact our Data Protection Lead: Nick Ballamy, nb@heliotec.energy.
2. What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files that websites place on your device to store information — for example, to keep you signed in, remember preferences, or measure how the site is used. Similar technologies (like browser local storage, pixels and beacons) work the same way in practice and are covered by this policy.
We distinguish between:
First‑party cookies set by heliotec.energy directly.
Third‑party cookies set by services we embed on the site (for example, analytics and marketing platforms).
Session cookies that expire when you close your browser, and persistent cookies that remain on your device for a defined period.
3. Categories of cookies we use
Our cookie banner groups cookies into the categories below. Only strictly necessary cookies are set without your consent. The cookie names and durations listed are those we observed in use on heliotec.energy and start.heliotec.energy; providers occasionally add or rename cookies, and we update this list when we notice.
Strictly necessary
Essential for the site to work — remembering your cookie choice, keeping you on track through our online assessment, and protecting forms and services from abuse. Because these are required for the site to operate, they do not require consent and cannot be switched off.
| Cookie | Set by | Purpose | Duration |
| __hs_cookie_cat_pref | HubSpot (on our domain) | Remembers which cookie categories you accepted or rejected | 6 months |
| heliotec_consent | Heliotec | Shares your cookie choice between heliotec.energy and start.heliotec.energy so you are only asked once | 6 months |
| csrftoken | Heliotec (start.heliotec.energy) | Protects our online assessment forms against cross-site request forgery | 1 year |
| sessionid | Heliotec (start.heliotec.energy) | Keeps track of your progress through the online assessment | 2 weeks |
| __cf_bm | Cloudflare, on behalf of HubSpot and LinkedIn | Bot protection for the services that load our banner, forms and chat | 30 minutes |
Analytics
Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors use the site — which pages are popular, how people arrive, and where things can be improved. The data is used in aggregate to guide product and content decisions.
| Cookie | Set by | Purpose | Duration |
| _ga, _ga_<ID> | Google Analytics | Distinguishes visitors and sessions to produce usage statistics | 13 months |
| __hstc, hubspotutk | HubSpot | Tracks visits and links them to enquiries you submit | 6 months |
| __hssc, __hssrc | HubSpot | Tracks the current session | 30 minutes / session |
| _clck, _clsk | Microsoft Clarity | Records how pages are used (clicks, scrolling) so we can improve them | 1 year / 1 day |
| MUID, MR, SM, SRM_B, ANONCHK | Microsoft (clarity.ms, bing.com) | Set by Microsoft Clarity to identify the browser across Microsoft services | up to 13 months |
These cookies are only set if you consent to Analytics via our cookie banner.
Advertising
Advertising cookies let us measure whether our adverts lead to enquiries, and show relevant adverts to people who have visited our site.
| Cookie | Set by | Purpose | Duration |
| _gcl_au | Google Ads | Measures conversions from our Google adverts | 90 days |
| IDE, test_cookie | Google (doubleclick.net) | Advertising measurement and checks whether your browser accepts cookies | 13 months / 15 minutes |
| _fbp, _fbc | Meta (Facebook, Instagram) | Measures conversions from, and targets, our Meta adverts | 90 days |
| bcookie, lidc, li_gc | Measures conversions from, and targets, our LinkedIn adverts | 1 year / 1 day / 6 months |
These cookies are only set if you consent to Advertising via our cookie banner.
Functionality
Functionality cookies support optional features such as remembering you in our live chat. HubSpot may set cookies such as messagesUtk (6 months) for this. These cookies are only set if you consent to Functionality via our cookie banner.
Google Consent Mode
We use Google Consent Mode. Before you make a choice, or if you reject analytics or advertising, Google tags do not set or read cookies; they may send basic, cookieless signals (for example, that a page was viewed) which Google uses in aggregate to model statistics. If you accept, Google tags work as normal.
Cookie-free analytics
We also use Vercel Web Analytics, which counts page views without using cookies or identifying individual visitors.
4. Third‑party services on our site
We use the following third‑party services that may set cookies subject to their own privacy notices:
Google (Google Tag Manager, Google Analytics, Google Ads) — tag management, analytics and advertising measurement. policies.google.com/privacy
HubSpot — cookie banner, CRM, forms, chat and analytics. legal.hubspot.com/privacy-policy
Meta (Meta Pixel) — advertising measurement. facebook.com/privacy/policy
LinkedIn (LinkedIn Insight Tag) — advertising measurement. linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy
Microsoft (Microsoft Clarity) — usage analytics. privacy.microsoft.com/privacystatement
Vercel — hosting and cookie-free web analytics. vercel.com/legal/privacy-policy
When these services process personal data on our behalf, they do so under appropriate data processing agreements. For more on international data transfers and safeguards, see Section 5 of our Privacy Policy.
5. How to manage your consent
When you first visit heliotec.energy or start.heliotec.energy you will be shown a cookie banner that lets you accept, reject, or choose which categories of non‑essential cookies you're happy with. Your choice is remembered for 6 months and applies to both sites, so you don't need to make it again on every visit.
You can:
Change or withdraw consent at any time using the "Cookie preferences" link in the site footer. Withdrawing consent stops further non‑essential cookies being set; you can also delete existing cookies through your browser.
Block or delete cookies via your browser — see instructions from your browser vendor (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge). Note that blocking strictly necessary cookies may break parts of the site, for example form submissions.
Opt out of specific analytics vendors using their published opt‑out tools (for example, Google's Analytics opt‑out add‑on).
6. Do Not Track
Some browsers offer a "Do Not Track" (DNT) signal. There is no industry consensus on how sites should respond, so we do not currently react to DNT signals. Instead, we rely on the cookie consent banner as the mechanism for controlling non‑essential cookies.
7. Changes to this policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes to the cookies we use or to legal requirements. The "Effective date" at the top of the policy will always show the latest version. Material changes will be flagged on the site before they take effect.
8. Contact
For questions about this policy or the cookies we use, contact:
Nick Ballamy, Data Protection Lead
Heliotec Limited
10 Queen Street Place, London, United Kingdom, EC4R 1AG
Email: nb@heliotec.energy
ICO Registration: ZB911354
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO): www.ico.org.uk