Frequently Asked Questions

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What do you need to do?

Up to four people aged 16 or over in your household simply need to go to www.patsurvey.co.uk, enter one of the reference numbers and associated passwords provided and complete the questionnaire by the date shown on the front of the letter. If you would like to take part but are unable to complete the survey online, please contact the Verian Information Line (0800 051 0887) and a paper version of the questionnaire will be sent to you along with a pre-paid envelope.

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How to collect the voucher

As a thank you for taking part, everyone who participates will be offered a shopping voucher after completing the survey. This will be provided by the online platform ‘Merit’. Once you have completed the online, there will be a link to the ‘Merit’ website where you will be able to choose from a range of different vouchers. Instructions will be provided at the end of the survey, and you can claim your voucher instantly.

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Why did we choose your address?

As it is not possible to ask everyone to take part in the survey, we select a sample of addresses to represent the entire country. Your address was chosen at random from a list of private addresses held by the Royal Mail.

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Why are your views important?

We need people from all age groups and backgrounds to take part. Your views are important to us as without them we may not have a representative picture of people’s views from across the country.

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Who is conducting the survey?

This survey is being conducted on behalf of the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) by Verian, an independent research agency.

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Is this survey confidential?

Yes. The information that is collected will only be used for research and statistical purposes. Your contact details are kept separate from your answers and will not be passed on to any other organisation.

Data from the survey will be shared with DESNZ for the purpose of producing and publishing statistics. The data shared with DESNZ won’t contain your name or contact details, and no individual or household will be identifiable from the results. Your answers will be combined with others that take part in the survey. You will not receive any ‘junk mail’ as a result of taking part.

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Data Protection

All information will be processed in accordance with the MRS Code of Conduct, and in compliance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK General Data Protection Regulation for the performance of official authority and public interest and will only be held for as long as it is being used to produce statistics.

Should you have any specific concerns or queries please contact: dataprotection@energysecurity.gov.uk and quote ‘DESNZ Public Attitudes Tracker’.

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How will the information be used?

The information collected in this survey will be used to inform important decisions that affect the way we all live and work. Your attitudes, opinions, and experiences will help government departments to create policy which reflects the needs of people like you across the country. The information will also be used to produce and publish statistics which are used by a wide range of charities, academics, and other public sector bodies.

To learn more about the DESNZ Public Attitudes Tracker, please visit: www.gov.uk/government/collections/public-attitudes-tracking-survey

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What are your rights?

Completion of this survey is voluntary. We will ask for details such as your views on a range of topics. We will also ask you for sensitive information such as your age and ethnicity, but you don’t have to answer these questions. You may withdraw from participation in the study at any time.

For more information see: www.ico.org.uk/for-the-public

If you are not happy with the way we are processing your data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office about our practices at: www.ico.org.uk/concerns

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