Cookie policy
This policy explains how The Solar House (England & Wales) Ltd uses cookies and similar technologies on our website. The short version: we only use cookies for analytics and advertising if you say yes, and our own visit statistics use no cookies at all.
What cookies are
Cookies are small text files that a website saves in your browser. Websites can also save small pieces of information in your browser’s local storage, which works in a similar way. In this policy we use “cookies” to mean both.
Essential storage
A few things are needed for the website to work properly and securely. These don’t need your consent:
- Your cookie choice. When you click Accept or Decline on our cookie banner, we save your choice in your browser (as
sh_consent) so we don’t ask you on every page. It is kept for 6 months, after which we ask again. - Website security. Our website is hosted and protected by Cloudflare. If Cloudflare needs to check for automated or harmful traffic, it may set a short-lived security cookie such as
__cf_bmorcf_clearance. These are used only for security and are not used to track you.
Our own visit statistics
We count visits to our website with our own statistics tool, which does not use cookies and stores nothing on your device. It records the pages viewed, how long they were open and how far down they were read, the website or advert that sent you (for example a search engine, social network or AI assistant), your device type, browser and screen width, your approximate town (from your internet connection), and which buttons and forms were used. Your IP address is not stored: it is combined with your browser details and a secret daily code into a one-way code that only lets us count unique visitors for that day. Enquiries sent through our forms are counted without your name or contact details; those go only to our customer system. We use these statistics to improve the website and understand which marketing works. We keep them for 13 months, and after that only as totals.
Advert and link tags
If you arrive on our website from an advert or a tracked link, the link may include campaign tags (such as utm_source or utm_content, or a Google or Meta click code). We save these tags, the page you landed on and the date in your browser (as sh_attribution) for up to 90 days, so that if you send us an enquiry we know which advert or link brought you. Nothing is saved if you didn’t arrive from a tagged link, and the tags are only sent to us if you fill in one of our forms.
Optional analytics and advertising cookies
We may use Google Analytics 4, to understand how people use our website, and the Meta pixel, to measure how well our Facebook and Instagram adverts work. These only load if you click Accept on our cookie banner. If you click Decline, or ignore the banner, they are not loaded and their cookies are not set. If you don’t see a banner at all, these tools are not running on our website.
When they are running, Google and Meta receive information such as the pages you visit, your IP address and your browser details. You can read how they use it in Google’s privacy policy and Meta’s privacy policy.
Cookies and storage we use
| Name | Provider | Purpose | How long | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
sh_consent | The Solar House | Remembers whether you accepted or declined optional cookies (local storage) | 6 months | Essential |
__cf_bm, cf_clearance | Cloudflare | Protects the website from automated and harmful traffic, only when a security check is needed | Usually 30 minutes (a passed security check can last longer) | Essential |
sh_attribution | The Solar House | Remembers which advert or link brought you, so it can be sent with an enquiry (local storage, only if you arrived from a tagged link) | 90 days | Functional |
_ga | Google Analytics | Tells visits apart so Google Analytics can count visitors and visits | Up to 2 years | Optional, only after Accept |
_ga_<id> | Google Analytics | Keeps track of your current visit for Google Analytics | Up to 2 years | Optional, only after Accept |
_fbp | Meta | Helps Meta measure our Facebook and Instagram adverts and show them to the right people | 3 months | Optional, only after Accept |
_fbc | Meta | Records the Meta advert you clicked, if you arrived from one | 3 months | Optional, only after Accept |
Our installations map (Leaflet with Esri and OpenStreetMap services) doesn’t set cookies, although Esri does see your IP address when it sends the map images. Our fonts and most videos are hosted on our own website; a few customer video testimonials play from Mux, which sees your IP address but does not set cookies for them.
Changing your mind
Your choice is saved in your browser for 6 months. You can change it at any time with the Cookie settings link at the bottom of every page. Clearing the stored data for our website in your browser settings also resets it.
You can also block or delete cookies for any website through your browser settings. Blocking essential cookies may stop parts of the website from working. Google offers a browser add-on to opt out of Google Analytics on every website.
More information
Our privacy policy explains how we handle personal information more generally, including your rights. If you have any questions about cookies on our website, email us at [email protected] or write to The Solar House (England & Wales) Ltd, 11 Penlline Road, Cardiff, CF14 2AA.
We may update this policy when we change the tools we use. The latest version will always be on this page.
Last updated: 13 October 2026