Table of Contents
Hundreds of thousands of households will be forced to use smart meters within six months, This is Money can reveal.
Households that have resisted smart meters may be left with few options when the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS), which uses traditional meters, ends in June.
Energy regulator Ofgem says it expects suppliers to transfer 100,000 customers using RTS each month until June, which it says is feasible under current plans.
RTS meters take advantage of BBC Radio 4’s longwave channel to communicate with energy companies, and many date back to the 1980s.
The BBC has long wanted to close RTS, but has kept it running to run the RTS meters, with the energy companies paying for it.
Now the national broadcaster will finally disconnect the service in June, but there are 600,000 homes still using RTS meters.
Change: Older RTS meters like this may not work properly in a few months
Suppliers were slow to switch customers, which meant Ofgem had to intervene to boost suppliers last year.
This meant that suppliers committed to contacting all RTS customers to offer a replacement before the end of 2024.
Now, households are receiving letters from their suppliers informing them that they will have to switch to a smart meter before the switch or face losing their heating and hot water supply.
Will households have to use smart meters?
According to Ofgem, the change will see more homes using smart meters as they become the default meters in Britain.
As a result, not all households may be able to continue using a traditional meter and, importantly, providers are under no obligation to do so.
Suppliers have to reach a certain number of smart meter installations, so it is highly unlikely that they will encourage households to use older meters.
There are approximately 600,000 RTS meters remaining in Britain, after 300,000 will be replaced over the course of 2024.
Energy companies use RTS to switch a meter between peak and off-peak rates so customers can have energy deals that charge them less at certain times.
There is concern that the closure of the RTS will mean the end of these fees.
One reader told This Is Money that he had been “bombarded” with emails about installing a new smart meter before June.
He was told the meter “could malfunction and I won’t be able to access the cheapest nightly rates after that deadline” without a smart meter.
Providers have been told they must take reasonable steps to ensure RTS customers maintain the same or similar rate, This Is Money understands, but this may not be possible in some cases.
Ofgem and its suppliers say switching to a smart meter should give customers access to a wider choice of “smart meter only” tariffs to save money.
As a result, there appear to be few options for households looking for alternatives to smart meters, although they can switch it to “dumb mode”, meaning it will not send readings to the supplier.
An Ofgem spokesperson said: ‘We hope providers will consider a range of innovative solutions to ensure their RTS customers get a metering and tariff agreement that is right for them.
“Smart meters are the best replacement for RTS meters, giving consumers more control over their energy use and opening up access to new tariffs that save them money; however, customers should speak to their supplier to understand the options available.
That said, according to the regulator, there could be homes with an RTS meter beyond June 2025. It says it has contingency plans and support in place and has asked suppliers to demonstrate how it will protect consumers who remain on RTS.
If you have any problems or questions about the RTS deadline, you should contact your provider.
Have you received the letter? Get in touch: editor@thisismoney.co.uk
SAVE MONEY, MAKE MONEY

1% refund

1% refund
About debit card expenses. Maximum £15 per month*

Energy bills

Energy bills
Find out if you could save with a fixed rate

free share offer

free share offer
No account fee and free stock trading

4.5% Isa 1 year

4.5% Isa 1 year
Hampshire confident of Hargreaves Lansdown

Sip Rate Offer

Sip Rate Offer
Get six months free on a Sipp
Affiliate links: If you purchase a This is Money product you may earn a commission. These offers are chosen by our editorial team as we think they are worth highlighting. This does not affect our editorial independence. *Chase: Refund available during the first year. Exceptions apply. Over 18 years of age, resident in the United Kingdom.