Ofgem issues urgent warning to households to upgrade meter or risk losing heating

'Failure to enactment whitethorn effect successful the heating and/or blistery h2o being continually near connected oregon off, oregon the charging-up happening astatine the incorrect clip of day, starring to higher bills'

The UK vigor regulator has issued a informing to implicit fractional a cardinal owners of a benignant of 1980s energy meter, urging them to upgrade oregon hazard losing their heating.

Ofgem and commercialized relation Energy UK launched a run connected Monday, encouraging owners of vigor teleswitch work (RTS) meters to "act now" and get a metre upgrade from their vigor supplier earlier the strategy is switched disconnected aboriginal this year. The run features a TV advert with presenter Lorraine Kelly, who advises viewers not to delay.

Households that neglect to upgrade their energy metre could beryllium near without heating oregon blistery h2o pursuing the deactivation, according to the regulator. RTS meters, introduced successful the 1980s, trust connected longwave vigor signals from the BBC’s transmitter to power betwixt highest and off-peak tariff rates.

However, the instrumentality broadcasting the awesome is nearing obsolescence and volition beryllium switched disconnected connected June 30. An Ofgem spokesperson said: "The run has been launched due to the fact that of the urgent request to summation the complaint of RTS metre upgrades crossed Great Britain earlier the awesome is switched disconnected from June 30 2025. "

They added: "It is important that RTS customers publication their installation arsenic soon arsenic they are contacted by their supplier.

"All customers should person been contacted by their supplier by the extremity of 2024. Failure to enactment whitethorn effect successful the heating and/or blistery h2o being continually near connected oregon off, oregon the charging-up happening astatine the incorrect clip of day, starring to higher bills."

Ofgem has announced that replacing an RTS metre won't outgo customers a penny extra, and is alerting them to beryllium cautious of scams. Customers volition not request to supply outgo details oregon marque immoderate outgo erstwhile mounting up an assignment with their vigor supplier.

In a bid to support the modulation arsenic creaseless arsenic silk, Dhara Vyas, Energy UK's main executive, has called retired to customers: "Energy suppliers are moving intimately with user groups and the regulator Ofgem to impulse customers with vigor teleswitch meters to enactment present to upgrade their meter.

"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."

As the timepiece ticks down to January 2025, determination are inactive astir 600,000 RTS meters successful Britain, according to Ofgem figures. The propulsion to get these meters swapped is being supported by substance poorness charities National Energy Action and Energy Action Scotland, who person highlighted imaginable adverse effects for little well-off and distant communities.

Danni Barnes, manager of improvement and partnerships astatine National Energy Action, said: "Radio teleswitch 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."