Brits are being urged to check their electricity meter following a huge shake-up. The stark warning comes as Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) metres – which use radio signals to switch between different electricity rates or turn certain appliances on/off at specific times – will be permanently switched off on Monday, June 30.
The service was supposed to be switched off last year, but the deadline was extended to give energy suppliers more time to replace the out-of-date system, which has slowly been replaced by smart meter technology. According to Ofgem, around 800,000 households in Great Britain still needed to get their RTS metre replaced before the cut-off date in 2024. More recent predictions put this figure around 490,000.
If households miss the June 30 mark, they risk having their heating and hot water remaining continually on – or could be cut off from energy altogether. They may also be billed incorrectly, or realise that their heating or hot water is coming on at the wrong time.
RTS metres were mainly installed for Economy 7 or Economy 10 tariffs for cheaper night-time electricity, as well as RTS-only tariffs like Comfort Plus and Total Heat Total Control, and controlling storage heaters or water heaters. According to experts over at Energy Savings Trust, you might have an RTS meter if you:
“Get in touch with your electricity supplier as soon as possible and arrange to replace the meter,” the pros added. “Your supplier must replace your meter to make sure there’s no disruption to your electricity supply. Your supplier should upgrade you to a smart meter for free. If you can’t have a smart meter, it still has to replace your RTS meter with a suitable alternative.”
Homes still using RTS meters typically tend to be in areas with no main gas supply (such as those living in rural regions). Still, it is worth checking your meter to make sure you don’t need to take any action.
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Martin Lewis‘ MSE website explains that most of the major UK energy suppliers such as British Gas, Eon Next, Octopus, and EDF have already confirmed that households moving from an RTS meter will stay on the ‘same or a very similar tariff’ after their old meter is replaced. “For some, there may be a small difference to your peak and off-peak timings (the start of your peak hours could be moved by half an hour, for example), depending on the area you live in,” the site added.
If your supplier says it isn’t able to replace your meter before June 30, you can make an official complaint. Most energy suppliers have a formal complaints procedure process on their website – or can explain their policy over the phone.
“Suppliers and network operators must try to fix any problems you’ve reported within eight weeks,” states Ofgem. “Make a note of the date you first contacted them in case you need to check this later.” If the issue isn’t resolved after this time- or if you’re not happy with the response you’ve received – you can escalate your complaint to the Energy Ombudsman.
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