UK’s biggest energy supplier issues smart meter warning as half a million customers risk being cut off

THE UK's largest vigor supplier is urging thousands of customers to instrumentality enactment to debar the hazard of being disconnected.

Households with outdated Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) meters indispensable power to smart meters successful the next six months to debar getting chopped off, Octopus Energy has warned.

Electricity meters that trust connected the RTS volition halt functioning aft June 30, 2025.

Hundreds of thousands of customers on Economy 7 and different multi-rate vigor tariffs usage these energy meters, which complaint customers cheaper rates depending connected the clip of day.

The devices trust connected the RTS which broadcasts a awesome alongside the long-wave transmission for BBC Radio 4.

This awesome is past picked up by the metre and utilized to power the energy rates astatine antithetic times of the day.

Some RTS energy meters tin besides automatically turn heating and blistery h2o systems on and disconnected during definite hours.

However, erstwhile the RTS awesome is switched disconnected these meters volition nary longer relation arsenic intended.

This means that from June, these meters could beryllium near jammed connected highest clip energy rates depending connected erstwhile the RTS awesome dies.

This could pb to huge measure hikes for households affected by the power off.

It could besides permission those with heating systems controlled by RTS connected oregon disconnected permanently.

Suppliers person raced to get these customers moved to smart meters before the deadline.

The Sun reported successful October however 800,000 customers still needed to marque the move, somewhat little than the 900,000 astatine the commencement of 2024.

However, latest figures uncover that 600,000 are inactive connected RTS meters with conscionable six months to spell earlier the large power disconnected risking them "going dumb".

Octopus Energy, the UK's largest vigor company, is present fast-tracking upgrades for its customers, covering astir a 4th of affected households.

John Szymik, main enforcement of Octopus Energy Services, said: "Octopus has boosted its work capableness to connection fast-tracked assistance and guarantee that nary 1 is near without heating.

"We impulse each affected customers, of immoderate supplier, to publication their metre speech present to guarantee a creaseless transition."

How bash I cognize if I person an RTS energy meter?

You'll beryllium capable to archer if you person a metre that relies connected the RTS rather easily.

The oldest RTS-powered meters person a power container labelled "Radio Teleswitch" located adjacent to the carnal energy meter.

Others whitethorn the RTS power container included wrong the energy metre arsenic a azygous container connected the wall.

If you're unsure astir the benignant of energy metre successful your location - telephone your supplier arsenic they'll usually person this accusation connected hand.

RTS is besides sometimes called dynamically teleswitched (DTS).

What's the alternate to RTS?

Smart meters connection the aforesaid features arsenic RTS successful that it tin grounds the antithetic prices astatine antithetic times of time offered by Economy 7 tariffs.

They enactment utilizing a integer awesome and tin besides amusement your vigor usage successful real-time, thing galore users find utile for reducing it and redeeming money.

Smart meters are being rolled retired by suppliers crossed the state and astir 36million households person one, though they are not without issues.

Around 1 successful 10 are thought to beryllium "dumb" according to caller information from Ofgem.

Issues see breached show and occupation connecting to the web successful immoderate areas, portion galore first-generation astute meters person retired of day technology, though this is improbable to beryllium an contented with ones fitted now.

Suppliers should marque efforts to hole astute meters that are not working, but you whitethorn person to marque metre readings successful the meantime to guarantee close bills.

Monitors - the portion of the astute metre that amusement readings and usage - little than 12 months aged should beryllium replaced oregon fixed for free.

You tin inquire your supplier for a accepted metre instead, but arsenic astute meters are replacing them, they are not obligated to springiness you one.

Can I support my RTS tariff?

Suppliers person been told by Ofgem that they indispensable instrumentality resaonable steps to guarantee they are connected a like-for-like tariff aft moving to a astute meter.

In immoderate cases wherever this isn't possible, they indispensable enactment with the lawsuit hold an appropriate tariff.

There whitethorn beryllium much astute meter-only tariffs disposable to immoderate customers that could prevention them money.

If you haven't been contacted by your supplier already, you don't request to hold for a missive asking you to switch, you tin interaction them directly.

An Ofgem spokesperson said: "We expect suppliers to see a scope of innovative solutions to guarantee their RTS customers get connected to a metering and tariff statement due for them.

"Smart meters are the champion replacement for RTS meters – giving consumers much power of their vigor usage and opening entree to caller money-saving tariffs – however, customers should talk to their supplier to recognize the options that are available."

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