600,000 households warned they could lose heating and hot water if they don't act now

Ofgem estimates determination are inactive astir 600,000 vigor teleswitch work (RTS) meters successful Britain - but the supporting infrastructure which broadcasts the awesome is being switched disconnected connected June 30

Hundreds of thousands of households connected older energy meters person been urged to upgrade present - oregon hazard being near without heating and blistery water.

Ofgem estimates determination are inactive astir 600,000 vigor teleswitch work (RTS) meters successful Britain. RTS meters usage vigor signals to power betwixt highest and off-peak rates and were archetypal introduced successful the 1980s - but the supporting infrastructure which broadcasts the awesome is being switched disconnected connected June 30.

It does not outgo thing to upgrade an RTS meter. All households should person been contacted by their supplier by the extremity of 2024. Ofgem has warned that failing to enactment could pb to heating and blistery h2o being near permanently switched disconnected oregon on, the second of which would pb to higher energy bills.

You whitethorn person an RTS metre if you person a power container adjacent your vigor metre labelled Radio Teleswitch, if you person electrical oregon retention heaters, if determination is nary state proviso to your area, oregon if you get cheaper vigor astatine antithetic times of day, for example, radical connected an Economy 7, Economy 10 oregon Total Heat Total Control tariffs.

Charlotte Friel, Director for Retail Pricing and Systems for Ofgem, said: “This caller high-profile run is simply a invited measurement guardant which we anticipation volition heighten the hard enactment already being done to scope retired to affected customers and promote them to marque appointments. This benignant of collaborative moving epitomises wherefore we acceptable up the RTS Taskforce alongside Energy UK, bringing unneurotic suppliers and the wider assemblage to accelerate progress.”

Dhara Vyas, CEO of Energy UK, said: “Energy suppliers are moving intimately with user groups and the regulator Ofgem to impulse customers with Radio Teleswitch (RTS) meters to enactment present to upgrade their meter. Energy suppliers proceed to marque each effort to get successful interaction with customers to guarantee they person a swift and seamless upgrade, and tin springiness other enactment to households that request it. By making definite they are successful interaction now, customers tin minimise disruption, put a creaseless metre replacement and proceed enjoying the benefits they presently person from RTS.”

Danni Barnes, Director of Development and Partnerships astatine National Energy Action, said: “Radio Teleswitch (RTS) meters are often utilized with ageing electrical heating systems, which are much communal successful areas experiencing terrible substance poverty. The switch-off could exacerbate costs for households already struggling and effect successful households losing power of their heating and blistery water.

“In the worst cases, immoderate whitethorn not beryllium capable to usage their heating oregon blistery h2o astatine all. It is important for anyone with a RTS metre to interaction their supplier urgently to get their metre changed. Equally important is supporting radical wrong our communities who whitethorn deficiency the assurance to bash this connected their own.”