Nearly 300,000 households across England, Scotland and Wales are being warned that they need to replace their outdated energy meters. The meters, known as Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) devices date back to the 1980s and the radio signal that controls them is coming to the end of its operational life. This means the meters will start being ‘switched off’ from June 30, 2025.
An advertising campaign featuring Lorraine Kelly warns people could face no heating, hot water, or radiators may be stuck on full blast in the middle of the summer unless the meters are replaced.
RTS meters use a longwave radio signal to switch between peak and off-peak electricity rates, and are often found in homes using electric heating or storage heaters. These are often also linked to Economy 7 tariffs, which offer cheaper rates during off-peak hours.
Homes not connected to a mains gas supply or flats are more likely to have meters.
The Guardian reported that even with 1,000 of these old meters being ripped out every day, the daily rate would need to top 5,000 to reach everyone in time.
Electricity suppliers are contacting customers likely to need to replace their meter, but the Guardian reported that one of its readers is still struggling to get her RTS device replaced months after putting in a request to do so.
Experts said the RTS switch-off would not happen immediately and was likely to occur from 1 July to 30 September.
Energy UK said it will be challenging to replace all RTS meters by 30 June, while energy regulator Ofgem said it was keeping an eye on the situation.
How to find out if you’ve got an RTS meter
If you’re not sure whether you have an RTS meter, there are a few things you can look out for:
- there may be a separate switch box near your meter with a radio teleswitch label on it
- your property is heated using electricity or storage heaters
- there is no gas supply to your area. This includes households in rural areas and high-rise flats
- you get cheaper energy at different times of day. Your tariff might be: Economy 7, Economy 10 or Total Heat Total Control
If you are unsure if you have RTS equipment, contact your electricity supplier.