Cookie Policy

What cookies and similar technologies are

Cookies are small text files a website can place on your device to store information, such as a preference or a choice you have made. Similar technologies, such as browser local storage, work in a comparable way: a small piece of information is stored in your browser so a website can read it back on a later visit. This policy covers both.

Current position

Upgrader.ie does not set any cookies of its own. The technologies actually in use today are: security and delivery technology operated by Cloudflare, our hosting provider; a webfont loaded from Google Fonts; a consent preference that this website stores in your browser's local storage, not as a cookie, once you make a choice in the cookie banner or Cookie Settings; Cloudflare Turnstile, a security check that runs on our Contact page and on the callback forms on our Electricity, Gas, Broadband and Waste pages; and, only if you accept Analytics cookies, Google Analytics (GA4), described below.

Strictly necessary technologies

These are technologies needed for the website to work and cannot be switched off through Cookie Settings. On Upgrader.ie this means the technical delivery of pages to your browser, the storage of your cookie consent choice itself, so that the banner does not reappear on every page, and the Cloudflare Turnstile security check on our Contact page and callback forms, which protects those forms from spam and abuse.

Cloudflare security technologies

Upgrader.ie is hosted behind Cloudflare, which provides content delivery and security for the site, including protection against malicious traffic. Cloudflare may use its own cookies or similar technologies as part of that security and delivery service. We do not control the exact names or durations of any such technology, as this is managed directly by Cloudflare. Cloudflare's own privacy information is available at Cloudflare Privacy Policy (opens in a new tab).

Form security check (Cloudflare Turnstile)

Our Contact page and the callback forms on our Electricity, Gas, Broadband and Waste pages use Cloudflare Turnstile to confirm that an enquiry is being sent by a person rather than an automated program, usually without you needing to do anything. Turnstile loads a script from challenges.cloudflare.com on those pages only; it is not loaded anywhere else on Upgrader.ie. It is a security measure needed for these forms to work safely, so it is treated as strictly necessary and is not controlled by Cookie Settings. Turnstile is not used for analytics or advertising. Any cookies or similar technologies it uses are managed directly by Cloudflare, and we do not control their exact names or durations. Further information is available in our Privacy Policy and in the Cloudflare Privacy Policy (opens in a new tab).

The contact form itself does not set cookies or store what you type in your browser. When you send it, your details are delivered to us by email, as described in our Privacy Policy. The callback forms work the same way, except that your details are passed to Selectra so it can contact you.

Consent preference storage

When you choose “Accept” in the cookie banner, or choose “Reject non-essential” or “Save preferences” in Cookie Settings, Upgrader.ie stores that choice in your browser's local storage under the key up_cookie_consent, together with the date you made the choice. This is not a cookie, but it serves the same purpose: remembering your preference so we do not ask you again on every visit. No optional category is switched on by default; you must actively choose Accept, or switch a category on in Cookie Settings and save, before it applies.

Optional analytics

Upgrader.ie uses Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to help us understand, in aggregate, how visitors use this website, such as which pages are viewed and how visitors arrive here. GA4 is gated behind the Analytics cookies option in Cookie Settings: it never loads before you make a choice, and it only loads once you choose “Accept” in the cookie banner, or switch Analytics cookies on and save in Cookie Settings. If you choose “Reject non-essential” or switch Analytics cookies off, GA4 is not loaded and any analytics cookies already set by this website's own implementation are removed. If you previously accepted, GA4 loads again on later visits based on that stored choice, without asking you again. GA4 may set cookies such as _ga and _ga_<container-id> in your browser to distinguish visitors and sessions; these are removed if you later withdraw consent. We do not use GA4 to identify you personally, and we do not send the content of any form field, such as your name, email address or phone number, to GA4. Google's own privacy information is available at Google Privacy Policy (opens in a new tab).

Google Fonts

This website loads webfonts from Google Fonts so that pages display consistently. This is an external resource, not a cookie: your browser connects directly to Google's own servers to request the font files. This connection is a strictly necessary part of how the page renders and is not controlled by Cookie Settings. Further information is available in our Privacy Policy.

External links

Upgrader.ie links to installers, grant schemes and other external websites, including Home Insurance and other Household Services pages. Clicking an ordinary outbound link does not set a cookie on Upgrader.ie, and no enquiry or data is sent from Upgrader.ie to that website behind the scenes. Once you follow a link and leave Upgrader.ie, that website may set its own cookies, under its own cookie and privacy policies, which we do not control.

Managing and withdrawing consent

A cookie banner is shown on your first visit, offering “Cookie settings” and “Accept”. Cookie settings opens a panel where Necessary cookies are always active and Analytics cookies can be switched on or off; select “Reject non-essential” or “Save preferences” to confirm your choice. You can reopen this panel at any time using the “Cookie Settings” control in the Legal section of the footer on every page, and change or withdraw your choice as often as you like, just as easily as you gave it. If you switch Analytics cookies off after previously accepting, any analytics cookies already set by this website's own implementation are removed from your browser at that point.

Browser controls

Most web browsers also let you control cookies through their own settings, including blocking or deleting cookies. See your browser's help documentation for instructions. Blocking cookies on a third-party website you visit after leaving Upgrader.ie may affect how that website functions.

Consent expiry

Your saved choice applies across the whole website and lasts for approximately six months from when you made it, or until you clear your browser's storage. After that time, the cookie banner will appear again so you can confirm your preference.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Cookie Policy, including if Upgrader.ie begins using a new technology such as analytics. The “last updated” date at the top of this page shows when the policy was last revised.

Operator and contact details

Upgrader.ie is operated by Paul Hudson, trading as Magenta Online Marketing (opens in a new tab), a business name registered in Ireland under number 452949. If you have any questions about this Cookie Policy or want to exercise a data protection right connected with your consent choice, email [email protected].