RTS is a signal broadcast through BBC Radio 4 longwave radio signals used since the 1980s to switch electricity meters between different tariff rates at different times of the day, allowing for the cost effective and efficient use of storage heaters. The signal will switch off on 30th June 2025 after two previous deadlines were pushed back.
The end of the RTS signal requires affected customers to be upgraded to alternative meters.
Figures obtained from Ofgem show that as of mid-April there were more than 5,000 households in Fife still waiting to have their meters replaced. This represented a reduction from approximately 5,500 in early March. However at the current rate of progress there will almost certainly remain thousands of households with RTS meters when the system is turned off. Concerns have been raised that this could lead to malfunctioning heating systems.
Wendy Chamberlain said: “Energy companies simply have not done enough to replace RTS meters and households are being left to deal with the uncertainty as the switch-off looms. The lack of a well-developed strategy for resilience if meters are not replaced by the deadline is also very concerning.
“The deadline has been known about for some time, and indeed has been extended on various occasions.
“According to Ofgem, there were still 2,449 RTS meters in the North East Fife in early March which needed to be changed, so the number one priority must be switching households away from RTS meters as fast as possible, with work continuing at pace after the 30 June deadline, if necessary. Meantime, the UK and Scottish governments, along with the regulator, Ofgem, must now set out a plan of action that ensures customers are not left paying the price.
“I would urge anyone with an RTS meter who has not yet been given an appointment for it to be replaced to get in touch with their supplier as soon as possible.”
Willie Rennie added: “RTS has been coming down the line for a decade. Governments and energy providers knew the necessity to exchange existing RTS meters and provide customers with a workable solution ahead of signal switch off.
“However despite warnings there appears to have been no national co-ordinated plan to address this problem and now we see a belated rush to exchange meters.
“I am concerned that customers, including some of the most vulnerable, could lose their heating and hot water due to the failure of all involved in the RTS switch-off.”