Households face potential loss of hot water and heating services due to approaching meter deadline - check if you're among the 300K households affected
Over 300,000 households in the UK at risk of losing heating and hot water due to the deactivation of old-style electricity meters scheduled for June 30, 2025. These meters, attached to electric heating and hot water systems, rely on a Radio Teleswitching System (RTS) radio signal to switch between peak and off-peak electricity rates.
Energy suppliers are obligated to replace these legacy RTS meters with smart meters or standard meters by the aforementioned date. The Radio Teleswitching technology, first introduced in the 1980s, is now becoming obsolete. The meter could turn on and off at the wrong time, leaving customers with constant heating or subjecting them to potential heating and hot water outages.
There are currently more than 410,000 homes using RTS meters. Of these, nearly a third are in Scotland, with approximately 58,000 in London. Despite the progress made so far by energy providers, replacing about 1,000 RTS meters daily, it remains unclear whether all the meters will be replaced on time.
Industry experts warn of a potential crisis, with vulnerable households potentially being left without heating and hot water. Since the 1980s, RTS meters have used a longwave radio frequency to change between peak and off-peak rates. A phased switch-off of the technology will begin at the end of June.
An urgent letter was sent to energy regulator Ofgem and government ministers last week by the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, expressing concern over this situation. The group fear households may lose access to heating and hot water, particularly where electric storage heating is used. This could also lead to higher energy bills and imprecise billing.
An Ofgem spokesperson explained that they are focusing on increasing installation rates and maintaining momentum leading up to the deadline. The successful replacement of all RTS meters will require getting access to each property for installation, a task complicated by remote locations, heightened contact challenges, and the necessity for all customers to respond to energy supplier communication.
If you have one of these older meters, you should contact your energy supplier to arrange a replacement. Energy UK states that remaining RTS customers should act promptly to ensure a seamless transition and continuous operation of their heating and hot water systems. A working group consisting of government, Ofgem, energy suppliers, and district network operators will provide support to any households still needing assistance after the switch-off.
The financial implications of this situation could be significant for energy suppliers, as they are obligated to replace all old-style meters by June 30, 2025. These replacements are necessary given that tariffs for electricity are determined by the use of Radio Teleswitching technology, which is becoming obsolete and could lead to energy usage inconsistencies and property-level crises, especially in the industry sector where storage heaters are prevalent.
