Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. HouseCalc uses a minimal number of cookies to make the site work and to understand how it's being used. We do not use advertising cookies or any cookies that track you across other websites.
Cookies we use
| Cookie | Type | Duration | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| pc_cookie_consent | Essential | 12 months | Remembers whether you've accepted or declined our cookie notice, so we don't show it on every page visit. |
| _ga | Analytics | 2 years | Google Analytics — distinguishes unique visitors. Contains a randomly generated anonymous ID, not personal data. Only set if you consent. |
| _ga_XXXXXXXX | Analytics | 2 years | Google Analytics — stores and counts page view sessions. Only set if you consent. |
| _gid | Analytics | 24 hours | Google Analytics — distinguishes users within a 24-hour window. Only set if you consent. |
What we do NOT use cookies for
- Advertising or remarketing (no Facebook Pixel, Google Ads, etc.)
- Tracking you across other websites
- Profiling or building user segments
- Storing your calculator inputs or results
- Social media tracking pixels
- A/B testing tools that identify individual users
Essential cookies
The pc_cookie_consent cookie is strictly necessary for the site to remember your cookie preference. Without it, you'd see the cookie notice on every single page. This cookie does not require your consent under UK PECR rules as it is essential to providing the service you've requested (remembering your choice).
Analytics cookies
We use Google Analytics to understand which calculators are most used, which pages people visit, and where visitors come from. This helps us prioritise improvements and keep rate update efforts focused on the most-used tools.
We have configured Google Analytics with:
- IP anonymisation enabled (last octet of IP address removed before processing)
- Data sharing with Google signals disabled
- Advertising features disabled
- Data retention set to 26 months
Analytics cookies are only set if you consent via our cookie banner. If you decline, no Google Analytics cookies are placed on your device.
How to control cookies
You can manage cookies in several ways:
Via our cookie banner — When you first visit HouseCalc, a banner gives you the option to accept or decline analytics cookies. Your choice is remembered for 12 months.
Via your browser — All modern browsers allow you to view, delete and block cookies:
Chrome
Cookie settings in Chrome →Safari
Cookie settings in Safari →Firefox
Cookie settings in Firefox →Google Analytics opt-out — You can also install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on, which prevents your visit data from being sent to Google Analytics on any website.
Impact of blocking cookies
Blocking or deleting our cookies will not prevent you from using any of our calculators. All five tools work fully without cookies — your number-crunching experience is unaffected. The only impact is that you may see the cookie consent banner again on each visit if the consent cookie is deleted.
Changes to this policy
We may update this cookie policy as we add or remove site features. The date at the top of this page shows the most recent revision. We will not introduce new cookie types without updating this policy first.
Questions? Email us at [email protected].