Cookie Policy
What cookies and similar technologies we use, why we use them, and how you stay in control.
Last updated: 3 June 2026
This Cookie Policy explains how Utility Discount (“we”, “us”) uses cookies and similar technologies on our websites, and the choices you have. It sits alongside our Privacy Policy, which explains more broadly how we handle the personal data we collect.
On this page
- What are cookies?
- How we use cookies and your consent
- Manage your cookie preferences
- The categories of cookies we use
- Third parties we work with
- Google Consent Mode v2
- Controlling cookies in your browser
- Changes to this policy
What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. They are widely used to make sites work, or work more efficiently, and to provide information to site owners. We also use similar technologies such as local storage (for example, to remember your cookie choice) and tracking pixels. In this policy we refer to all of these simply as “cookies”.
Cookies set by us are called first-party cookies; cookies set by another organisation (such as Google) are third-party cookies.
How we use cookies and your consent
Some cookies are strictly necessary for the site to work and are always on. For everything else — performance, advertising and functionality — we ask for your consent first.
When you first arrive, we show a cookie banner and nothing optional runs until you choose. Until you give consent, analytics and advertising are set to denied by default (see Google Consent Mode v2 below), and the scripts that would set those cookies are not executed. You can accept everything, or open Settings to allow only the categories you want.
Manage your cookie preferences
You can review or change your choice at any time — including withdrawing consent you previously gave.
On pages where our consent banner is shown, a small 🍪 button also sits in the bottom corner so you can reopen your preferences whenever you like. You can also clear cookies through your browser (see below).
The categories of cookies we use
These are the same four categories you can control in our cookie settings. The cookies listed in each table are representative examples — the exact set depends on which features and third-party services are active on the page you visit.
Strictly Necessary (always on)
Strictly necessary cookies enable website functionality and cannot be turned off. They are typically set in response to actions you take, like setting privacy preferences, logging in, or filling in forms. You can block or be alerted about these cookies in your browser, but some parts of the site may then not work. These cookies do not store directly identifying personal information.
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Expiry |
|---|---|---|---|
XSRF-TOKEN | Utility Discount | Protects forms against cross-site request forgery. | Session |
| Session cookie | Utility Discount | Keeps your session as you move through the quote journey. | Session |
ud_cookie_consent (local storage) | Utility Discount | Remembers your cookie consent choice so we don’t ask again. | Until cleared |
__cf_bm, cf_clearance | Cloudflare | Security and bot-management for our hosting/CDN. | Up to 30 mins / 1 year |
Performance
Performance cookies track site visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve how the site performs. They tell us which pages are popular and how visitors move around. The information is aggregated. If you do not allow these cookies, we will not know when you have visited and cannot monitor performance.
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Expiry |
|---|---|---|---|
_ga | Google Analytics | Distinguishes unique visitors. | 2 years |
_ga_<id> | Google Analytics | Persists the GA4 session state. | 2 years |
_gid | Google Analytics | Distinguishes visitors over a short window. | 24 hours |
Targeting
Targeting cookies may be set by our advertising partners. They are used to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant ads on other sites, and to measure how well our advertising performs. They don’t store directly identifying information but rely on your browser and device. Without them you will see less relevant advertising.
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Expiry |
|---|---|---|---|
_gcl_au | Google Ads | Conversion linker — attributes ad clicks to actions on our site. | 90 days |
IDE, test_cookie | Google (DoubleClick) | Ad targeting and measurement. | Up to ~13 months |
__gads, __gpi | Google AdSense | Ad delivery, frequency-capping and measurement. | Up to ~13 months |
| t_gid, taboola cookies | Taboola | Content recommendation and advertising measurement. | Up to 1 year |
Functional
Functional cookies improve your experience through enhanced functionality and personalisation, such as remembering choices you make. They may be set by us or by third-party providers whose services we have added to our pages. Without them, some or all of these features may not work properly.
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Expiry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live-chat cookies | Our live-chat provider | Runs the live-chat widget and remembers an in-progress chat. | Session / varies |
Third parties we work with
Some cookies are set by trusted third parties whose tools we use. Where their cookies are optional, they only run after you consent to the relevant category. The main ones are:
- Google — Analytics (GA4), Google Ads, AdSense, Tag Manager and DoubleClick, for analytics and advertising.
- Taboola — content recommendation and advertising measurement.
- Cloudflare — security, bot-management and content delivery for our hosting (strictly necessary).
These partners process data under their own privacy policies. We recommend reviewing Google’s cookie information if you would like more detail on how Google uses cookies.
Google Consent Mode v2
We use Google’s Consent Mode v2. By default, analytics and advertising storage are set to denied, so Google’s tags do not read or write cookies until you consent. When you accept a category, your consent updates these defaults and the relevant tags begin to operate. If you decline, the tags stay denied and no advertising or analytics cookies are set.
Controlling cookies in your browser
As well as our cookie settings, you can control cookies through your browser. Most browsers let you refuse all cookies, accept only first-party cookies, or delete cookies when you close the browser. Please note that blocking strictly necessary cookies may stop parts of the site working.
For step-by-step help, see your browser’s support pages, or the independent guides at aboutcookies.org and allaboutcookies.org.
Changes to this policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time — for example, if we add or remove a service. When we make material changes we will update the date at the top of this page, and may ask for your consent again where required.
More information
For how we handle the personal data we collect (including via cookies), please read our Privacy Policy. If you have any questions about cookies, please get in touch via our contact form.