Legal
Privacy Policy
What Watt Ridge collects, why it is collected, who else sees it, and how you can have it removed. Written in plain English rather than legal filler.
Last updated: August 27, 2026
Who we are
This policy covers the website at wattridge.com, referred to here as Watt Ridge, the site, or we. Watt Ridge publishes research based guides about generators, backup power, solar kits, inverters, and battery charging. We are the data controller for the personal information described below. You can reach us at hello@wattridge.com.
By using the site you agree to this policy. If you do not agree with it, please stop using the site.
Information you give us
We only receive personal information from you when you choose to send it. That happens in a small number of ways.
- Email. If you write to us, we receive your email address, your name if you include it, and whatever is in your message.
- Contact form, where one is used. The fields you fill in, which are typically name, email address, a subject category, and a message.
- Comments, where comments are enabled. Your display name, email address, any website you supply, the comment text, your IP address, and your browser user agent string. WordPress collects the last two as a standard spam prevention measure. An anonymised string created from your email address, called a hash, may be sent to the Gravatar service to check whether you have a profile picture.
- Google Analytics. Aggregate traffic measurement. It uses cookies and processes your IP address to work out roughly where visitors come from and which pages they read. IP anonymisation is applied where the platform supports it.
- Amazon Associates. Our primary affiliate program. When you click a product link, Amazon may set cookies that let it attribute a later purchase to this site. Anything you then do on Amazon, including what you buy and what you pay, is governed by Amazon’s own privacy notice. We never see your payment details, your address, or your order contents. We see only aggregate commission reporting.
- Web hosting and content delivery. Our host stores server logs containing the technical data described above, and may use a content delivery network to serve files faster and to filter malicious traffic.
- Comment spam filtering, where comments are enabled. Comment content, the commenter’s email address and IP address may be checked by an automated spam detection service.
- To reply to your message or your correction.
- To publish and moderate comments, where comments are enabled.
- To operate, secure, and troubleshoot the website.
- To understand in aggregate which guides are useful, so we know what to research next.
- To attribute affiliate referrals so the site can be funded.
- To comply with legal obligations and to respond to lawful requests.
Watt Ridge does not operate a newsletter and does not run an email marketing list. There is no signup form anywhere on this site, and we will not add you to a list because you emailed us.
Information collected automatically
Like almost every website, this one records some technical information automatically when a page is requested. That normally includes your IP address, your browser type and version, your operating system, your approximate location derived from the IP address at country or region level, the page you requested, the page that referred you, and the date and time of the request.
This is used to keep the site running, to diagnose errors, to protect against abuse and automated scraping, and to understand in aggregate which guides people find useful. We do not attempt to identify individual visitors from it, and we do not build advertising profiles.
Cookies and similar technologies
Yes, this site uses cookies. They fall into three groups: cookies that are necessary for the site to function, cookies used for anonymous analytics, and cookies set by affiliate networks so that a purchase can be attributed to the referring site. Full detail, including how to block or delete them, is in the Cookie Policy.
Third party services we use
Some information is handled by companies that provide services to the site. Each of them operates under its own privacy policy, which we recommend reading if the detail matters to you.
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it with data brokers.
How we use information
Legal bases for processing
If you are in the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area, we rely on the following legal bases. Consent, for non essential cookies such as analytics and affiliate tracking. Legitimate interests, for keeping the site secure, preventing abuse, and understanding aggregate readership. And legal obligation, where the law requires us to keep or disclose something. You can withdraw consent for non essential cookies at any time through your browser settings.
Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you, to have it corrected, to have it deleted, to restrict or object to how it is used, and to receive it in a portable format. You also have the right to complain to your local data protection authority.
To exercise any of these, email hello@wattridge.com and describe what you want. We will respond within thirty days. Because we hold very little personal data, most requests are straightforward. We may need to confirm your identity before deleting or disclosing anything, which normally means replying from the address the data is attached to.
California residents
Under the California Consumer Privacy Act as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act, California residents may request to know what personal information has been collected, to have it deleted, to correct inaccurate information, and to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information. Watt Ridge does not sell personal information and does not share it for cross context behavioural advertising. Exercising these rights will not result in discriminatory treatment. Requests go to hello@wattridge.com.
Retention, security and transfers
Email correspondence is kept only while it is useful for answering you and for keeping a record of corrections, then deleted. Comments and their metadata are retained indefinitely so that follow up replies can be recognised and threaded, unless you ask for removal. Server logs are typically rotated and deleted on a short cycle by the host.
The site is served over an encrypted HTTPS connection. Access to any stored data is limited to those who need it to run the site. No system is perfectly secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security, but we do not collect payment details or sensitive categories of data, which keeps the risk small.
Our hosting and third party services may store or process data on servers located in the United States or elsewhere. If you are outside the United States, your information may be transferred to and processed in a country with different data protection laws.
Children
This site is intended for adults. It is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, email hello@wattridge.com and it will be deleted.
Changes and contact
This policy will change as the site changes. When it does, the last updated date at the top of the page is revised. Material changes will be described at the top of the page for a reasonable period. Continuing to use the site after a change means you accept the revised policy.
Questions, requests, or complaints about privacy: hello@wattridge.com.