Cookie Policy

Last Updated: May 2, 2026

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are stored on your device when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently, provide a better user experience, and supply information to website owners. Cookies can be "persistent" (remaining on your device for a set period or until you delete them) or "session" cookies (deleted when you close your browser).

In addition to cookies, we may use similar technologies such as web beacons, pixels, and local storage for purposes such as tracking user interactions and storing preferences.

How We Use Cookies

HVAC Cost Guide uses cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:

1. Essential Cookies (Strictly Necessary)

These cookies are required for our website to function properly and cannot be disabled. They are usually set in response to actions you take, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in, or filling out forms.

Cookie Name Purpose Duration
cookie_consent Stores your cookie consent preferences (accepted, rejected, or customized) 12 months
cookie_consent_categories Stores your specific category preferences for cookie consent 12 months

2. Analytics Cookies

These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting anonymous usage data. This information allows us to improve our content, tools, and user experience.

Service Purpose Duration
Plausible Analytics Privacy-friendly analytics. No cookies are used. Aggregated, anonymized data only. N/A (no cookies)
Umami Analytics Privacy-friendly analytics. Uses session-only identifiers. No personal data collected. Session only

Our default analytics services (Plausible and Umami) are designed to be privacy-friendly and do not require consent under GDPR or ePrivacy regulations. If you consent to additional analytics cookies through our consent banner, those cookies will be set accordingly.

3. Functional Cookies

These cookies remember your choices and preferences to provide enhanced, personalized features. They may be set by us or by third-party providers whose services we have added to our pages.

Cookie Name Purpose Duration
calculator_preferences Stores your last-used calculator inputs for convenience (e.g., home size, electric rate) 6 months
theme_preference Stores your theme preference (light or dark mode, if available) 12 months

4. Advertising Cookies

These cookies may be set by our advertising partners, such as Google AdSense, to serve relevant advertisements and measure ad performance. They may be used to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant ads on other websites.

Service Purpose Duration
Google AdSense Serves personalized ads, tracks ad performance, prevents ad fraud. Uses cookies such as IDE, test_cookie, DSID, and _gcl_au. Up to 13 months
Google Ad Manager Manages ad inventory and serves ads across our network. Uses cookies such as id and _ga. Up to 24 months

Advertising cookies are only set after you have explicitly consented to them through our cookie consent banner. You can withdraw your consent at any time.

Third-Party Cookies

Some cookies are placed by third-party services that appear on our pages. We do not control these cookies and recommend reviewing the privacy policies of the respective third parties:

  • Google: policies.google.com/technologies/cookies
  • Chart.js: Does not set cookies. Used only for client-side data visualization.
  • Formspree / Web3Forms: Form processing services. May set session cookies for spam prevention.

How to Control Cookies

You have several options to control or delete cookies:

Cookie Consent Banner

When you first visit our website, you will see a cookie consent banner that allows you to:

  • Accept All Cookies: Consent to all cookie categories (essential, analytics, functional, advertising).
  • Reject Non-Essential Cookies: Only essential cookies will be set.
  • Customize Preferences: Choose which cookie categories you consent to individually.

You can change your preferences at any time by clicking the "Cookie Settings" link in our website footer.

Browser Settings

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can typically:

  • View cookies stored on your device and delete them individually
  • Block third-party cookies
  • Block cookies from specific websites
  • Block all cookies (note: this may impair website functionality)
  • Delete all cookies when you close your browser

Instructions for managing cookies vary by browser. Visit your browser's help menu for specific instructions. Common browsers include Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Brave.

Opt-Out of Personalized Advertising

You can opt out of receiving personalized ads from some advertising networks:

Opting out does not mean you will no longer see ads. It means you will not see personalized ads based on your interests.

If you have previously consented to non-essential cookies, you can withdraw your consent at any time by:

  1. Clicking the "Cookie Settings" link in our website footer
  2. Adjusting your preferences in the consent management interface
  3. Clearing cookies from your browser settings

Withdrawing consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in technology, regulation, or our data practices. We will notify you of material changes by updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy.

Contact Us

If you have questions about our use of cookies or this Cookie Policy, please contact us:

More Information About Cookies

For more general information about cookies, including how to manage and delete them, visit: