As many as half a million energy customers could be ‘cut off’ after Ofgem bans one type of meter from being used this summer.
According to Energy UK, as many as 530,000 customers still rely on Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) meters.
The old fashioned electricity meters use radio signals to switch from peak rates to off peak rates, for those using Economy 7 and other tariffs which change the price you pay depending on the time of day. Many also control heating and hot water systems.
On June 30, RTS signals will be switched off, meaning the meters will stop working.
Those who still have such a meter could end up being stuck on high peak-time rates, leaving them with higher bills, or their heating could be stuck on or stuck off.
Those who have an affected meter are being urged to take up their energy provider’s offer of a smart meter installation before June 30.
Ofgem said in its advice to households: “The technology that supports RTS electricity meters will switch off from 30 June 2025. Without the technology to tell RTS meters when to swap between peak and off-peak rates, they may no longer work properly, and it may mean that a consumer’s heating and hot water supply stops functioning as normal.
“If you have an RTS meter, your electricity supplier will get in touch to arrange an upgrade to a smart meter before this deadline.”
If you have a separate switch box near your meter with a Radio Teleswitch label on it, your home is heated with electricity or night storage heaters, and you get different energy at night than you do in the daytime, you may still have an RTS meter.
Ofgem has warned that those who do not upgrade to a smart meter could find themselves with serious issues.
It added: “Upgrading to a smart meter is the best option for RTS customers.
“If you choose not to upgrade: your heating and hot water may be left continually on or off; your electric storage heaters may charge at the wrong time of day, possibly leading to higher bills; your supplier may be unable confirm your electricity usage during peak or off-peak times, and your electricity costs may be higher than before; you’ll have a more limited choice of tariffs.”
