Virginia Natural Gas Privacy Policy

Effective Date: January 1, 2023
Last updated: June 3, 2025

Table of Contents

1. Scope of this Privacy Policy
2. Personal Data
3. Our Processing and Use of Personal Data
4. Personal Data VNG Shares with Third Parties
5. Consumer Rights
6. Our Retention of Personal Data
7. Children’s Privacy
8. How We Protect Data
9. Updates to Our Privacy Policy
10. Links to Third Party Websites
11. Contact Details

1. SCOPE OF THIS PRIVACY POLICY

Virginia Natural Gas (“VNG”, us”, “we” or “our”) is one of four natural gas distribution companies of Southern Company Gas, a wholly owned subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO).  Virginia Natural Gas provides clean, safe, reliable and affordable natural gas service to more than 300,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in southeast Virginia.   This privacy policy (“Privacy Policy”) is designed to assist you in understanding how we collect, use, share, safeguard, and retain the Personal Data (defined below) pertaining to individuals with whom we interact in the context of our residential services, whether they be the property owner or a tenant (the “Consumers”). 

2. PERSONAL DATA

Virginia law defines “Personal Data” as any information that is linked or reasonably linkable to an identified or identifiable natural person.  However, Virginia law exempts certain types of information from the definition including, without limitation, publicly available information and information processed about an individual applying for employment with, or employed by, a business.

3. VNG'S PROCESSING AND USE OF PERSONAL DATA

The table below sets forth the categories of Personal Data that VNG processes about consumers and the purpose for which such Personal Data is processed. 

4. PERSONAL DATA VNG SHARES WITH THIRD PARTIES

Virginia Natural Gas shares the Personal Data we collect about Consumers with trusted entities to improve, protect and support our business. For instance, VNG may disclose Personal Data: (i) to service providers (e.g., technology providers, payment processors, collection agencies, consumer authentication providers, business advisors, auditors, etc.); (ii) to potential investors in the business, and; (iii) if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to: (a) comply with a legal obligation (e.g., government agencies); (b) protect and defend our rights or property; or (c) protect the rights, property, or safety of others. Virginia Natural Gas requires our service providers to process Personal Data strictly in accordance with our instructions. We bind those service providers to whom we disclose Personal Data to contractual privacy and security obligations consistent with this Privacy Policy and applicable laws.

The table below sets forth the categories of Personal Data that VNG shares with third parties and the categories of third parties with whom the Personal Data is shared.

5. CONSUMER RIGHTS

Virginia law gives Virginia Consumers certain rights as it relates to the Personal Data that a business processes about them. Those rights may be exercised free of charge, up to twice annually, and include the following:

• Right to Know What Personal Data Is Processed and Right to Access: Virginia Consumers have the right to confirm whether or not VNG processes Personal Data about them and to access that Personal Data. Before providing such Personal Data to you, VNG must verify your identity.
• Right to Correct Inaccurate Personal Data: Virginia Consumers have the right to request that VNG correct any inaccuracies in their Personal Data. Before correcting Personal Data in response to your request, VNG must verify your identity.
• Right to Request Deletion of Personal Data: Virginia Consumers have the right to request that VNG delete any Personal Data provided to us by the Consumer or otherwise obtained about the Consumer. Before deleting Personal Data in response to your request, VNG must verify your identity.
• Right to Receive a Portable Copy of Personal Data: With respect to Personal Data that the Consumer previously provided to VNG that VNG processes by automated means, and to the extent technically feasible, Virginia Consumers have the right to obtain a portable copy of such Personal Data in a format that allows the Consumer to transmit the Personal Data to another entity without hindrance. Before providing such Personal Data to you, VNG must verify your identity.
• Right to Opt Out of the Processing of Personal Data: Virginia Consumers have the right to opt out of VNG’s processing of their Personal Data for the following purposes:  (i) targeted advertising; (ii) for sale; or (iii) profiling in furtherance of decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects on the Consumer.  An example of a decision that produces significant effects is one that results in the denial of a loan, housing, or education enrollment.

Method to Submit Requests
If you wish to exercise your right to delete, correct and / or know (as described above), you may do so by calling VNG at the following toll-free telephone number, +1 ________________, by submitting a request form at https://www.virginianaturalgas.com/company/virginia-consumer-data-protection-policy/consumer-data-privacy-form.html or by emailing us at ______________________.  A legal guardian of a Consumer may invoke these rights on behalf of the Consumer.

Virginia Natural Gas will confirm receipt of your request within 45 days of receiving your request.  In the event we need additional time to respond, VNG will inform you of that within the initial 45-day period. 

Process to Appeal
If VNG refuses to take action on your Consumer request, we will notify you of that fact and you may appeal our decision within a reasonable period of time after receiving notice.  An appeal can be submitted at the following toll-free telephone number, +1 866-229-3578, by submitting an appeal form at _______________________________or by emailing us at ______________________.  Within 60 days of your appeal, VNG will inform you in writing of any action taken or not taken in response to the appeal.  You then have the right to file a complaint Virginia Attorney General at: https://www.oag.state.va.us/consumer-protection/index.php/file-a-complaint.

6. VNG’S RETENTION OF PERSONAL DATA

Virginia Natural Gas retains Personal Data in accordance with our record retention policies.  Generally speaking, VNG retains Personal Data as long as necessary to fulfill the purpose(s) for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, and reporting requirements or as otherwise set forth under applicable law.

7. CHILDREN’S PRIVACY

The services VNG’s offers are not directed to children under the age of 17 and we do not knowingly collect Personal Data from children under the age of 17. If we become aware that we inadvertently received Personal Data about an individual under the age of 17, we will delete the information from our records.

8. HOW WE PROTECT PERSONAL DATA

Virginia Natural Gas maintains administrative, technical and physical safeguards designed to protect against unauthorized access to, disclosure, use, alteration or destruction of the Personal Data we collect. We update and assess our security controls on a regular basis.  We also make our personnel aware of the importance of confidentiality, security and privacy and limit our personnels’ access to Personal Data to only those employees who require access based on their job duties.  Virginia Natural Gas stores electronic information on the systems of an enterprise third party cloud provider in the United States.

Unfortunately, no transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is guaranteed to be 100% secure. As a result, while we strive to protect your information, we cannot ensure or warrant the security of such information, and any such information provided by or through our website is at your own risk. Once we receive your transmission, we make reasonable efforts to ensure security on our systems.

9. UPDATES TO OUR PRIVACY POLICY

This Privacy Policy may be updated periodically to reflect changes in our  business practices. The “Effective Date” at the beginning of this Privacy Policy reflects the last date on which the Privacy Policy was updated.   We recommend that you periodically review the Privacy Policy to stay informed of changes. We will ask for your consent to such changes if required by law.

10. LINKS TO THIRD PARTY WEBSITES

Virginia Natural Gas’ website contains links to third party websites (e.g., LinkedIn and Meta).  These third party websites publish their own privacy statements, which disclose the manner those third parties process Personal Data.  Virginia Natural Gas recommends that you review those third party statements when visiting any linked website.  Virginia Natural Gas is not responsible for the content of linked websites or the processing Personal Data by the companies that own and manage such websites.

11. CONTACT DETAILS

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how VNG handles your Personal Data, please contact us at https://www.virginianaturalgas.com/company/virginia-consumer-data-protection-policy/consumer-data-privacy-form.html  or + 1 866-229-3578.

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