A new campaign has been launched to urge owners of Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) electricity meters to act now and accept the offer of a meter upgrade from their energy supplier.  Failure to act may result in RTS users seeing their bill spike, because they can no longer access cheap rate periods.
RTS meters are older electricity meters that use radio signals to switch between peak and off-peak rates. RTS was introduced in the 1980s and has reached the end of its operational life. The radio signal and supporting infrastructure and systems will be shut down from 30 June 2025.  You may have an RTS meter if: 
• You have a switch box near your energy meter labelled Radio Teleswitch 
• You have electric or storage heaters  
• There’s no gas supply to your area – you may live rurally or in a block of flats
•   You get cheaper energy at different times of day with Economy 7, Economy 10 or Total Heat Total Control tariffs. 
All customers should have been contacted by their supplier by the end of 2024 who will offer an upgrade free of charge.  A campaign to get people to upgrade has been backed by Ofgem and Energy UK, and is supported by consumer groups National Energy Action and Energy Action Scotland.  
The RTS Taskforce, which was established earlier in 2024, is coordinating activity in areas with the highest number of RTS customers, including working with key stakeholders to raise awareness of the issue among affected homes and businesses. It is devoting extra engineer resource, fast tracking RTS meter upgrades and prioritising customers in vulnerable circumstances. It is also tackling technical challenges and sharing knowledge and expertise to deliver solutions.  
Danni Barnes, Director of Development and Partnerships at National Energy Action, said: 
“RTS meters are often used with ageing electric heating systems, which are more common in areas experiencing severe fuel poverty. The switch-off could exacerbate costs for households already struggling and result in households losing control of their heating and hot water. In the worst cases, some may not be able to use their heating or hot water at all.   It is crucial for anyone with a RTS meter to contact their supplier urgently to get their meter changed. Equally important is supporting people within our communities who may lack the confidence to do this on their own.” 
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