Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 13, 2026

This policy covers two independently developed, unofficial projects, both built and maintained by the same developer using the same design: the Westerville Utility Usage (Unofficial) Android app, and the Westerville Utilities Home Assistant integration. Neither is affiliated with, endorsed by, or supported by the City of Westerville.

Short version

Nothing you enter or that these apps read is ever sent to the developer, an analytics vendor, an ad network, or any server the developer operates. The only place your data goes is directly from your own device to billpay.westerville.org — the utility's own customer portal — using the account credentials you provide, exactly as if you had opened that site in a browser yourself.

What data is accessed

The Westerville Utilities username/password (or access code) you enter, used only to log in to billpay.westerville.org on your behalf.
The account, meter, usage, and billing data that portal returns for your own account.

Where data is stored

Android app: credentials are encrypted on-device using the Android Keystore (AES-256-GCM) and stored only in the app's private storage. Synced usage/billing data is stored locally in the app's own database. Nothing is backed up off-device, uploaded, or shared with the developer.
Home Assistant integration: credentials are stored using Home Assistant's own built-in, encrypted-at-rest config entry storage — the integration does not maintain any storage of its own. Synced data lives in your Home Assistant instance, under your control.

What is not collected

No analytics, telemetry, or crash-reporting SDKs of any kind.
No advertising or ad identifiers.
No account, usage, or billing data is transmitted to the developer or to any third party other than billpay.westerville.org itself.
Nothing is sold, rented, or shared.

Third-party service

Both projects connect only to billpay.westerville.org, operated by Westerville, Ohio's utility billing provider. That connection is governed by that site's own terms and privacy practices, not this policy. This project has no relationship with, and does not control, that portal.

Optional support link

Both projects show an entirely optional link to a Stripe-hosted payment page for readers who want to financially support development. Following that link takes you to Stripe's own site, governed by Stripe's own privacy policy — the developer never sees your payment details. Nothing about using either project ever requires visiting that link.

Data deletion

Uninstalling the Android app, or removing the Home Assistant integration, deletes all locally stored data (credentials and synced usage/billing history) along with it. You can also log out of the Android app at any time to immediately clear stored credentials without uninstalling.

Children's privacy

Neither project is directed at children, and neither knowingly collects data from children.

Changes to this policy

If this policy changes, the update will be posted on this same page with a revised "Last updated" date above.

Contact

Questions about this policy or either project can be opened as an issue on the relevant GitHub repository: ha-westerville-utilities.