The Radio Teleswitch Service Switch-Off and Heating Controls

The Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) is a national service that uses a radio signal to switch some electricity meters between peak and off-peak rates, sometimes called day or domestic and night or control¹. It exists because a large number of homes on off-peak tariffs have meters that are not smart meters, and something has to tell those meters when the cheap rate begins and ends, and when storage heaters and hot water should charge¹. The radio teleswitch is the device that lets electricity suppliers switch large numbers of electricity meters between different tariff rates².

That service is being retired. Energy Networks Association describes radio teleswitches as being replaced as part of the smart meter rollout programme², and the equipment that produces the radio signal can no longer be adequately maintained¹. The published switch-off date is not consistent across the documents: several sources give 30 June 2025³, while others give 30 June 2026⁴.

What matters for a household is the consequence. Without the RTS signal, systems may become unpredictable, potentially not working or turning on or off at incorrect times¹. Heating and hot water could be continually left on or off, or the charging-up could happen at the wrong time of day, and the supplier may be unable to confirm peak or off-peak usage, which could mean higher electricity bills⁵. The replacement route is a smart meter, which can be programmed to deliver a similar service¹.

What the Radio Teleswitch Service is and why it matters to your heating

Radio Teleswitching is the transmission of digital data on radio for alarm, control and information to locations throughout the reception area of the radio transmissions². In a domestic setting that data does two jobs. It switches the meter between peak and off-peak rates, and it controls when heating and hot water systems turn on¹. For homes on Total Heat with Total Control or Comfort Plus with Weathercall, the radio teleswitch signal tells the storage heaters when to charge and when the hot water should switch on⁸.

The service is provided by your electricity supplier¹, not by a separate network operator, which is why the practical route for any household with a question is to contact the electricity supplier². Suppliers are required to proactively contact customers who currently use RTS meters to inform them about the upcoming switch-off date and the need to upgrade to a smart meter to avoid disruptions¹.

The reason for retirement is physical rather than commercial. The equipment that produces the radio signal could not be adequately maintained anymore¹, and the service is reaching the end of its operational life¹. Energy UK's account of the phase-out is blunt about what happens if the equipment is not replaced: customers could be limited to a more expensive single-rate tariff and could no longer rely on heating and hot water switching on and off as expected, with the risk of them even staying permanently on or off⁹.

That last point is the one that matters most to a household. A teleswitch is not a meter in the billing sense; it is the clock and the switch. When it stops, the meter may still record electricity, but the household loses the timed control that made an off-peak tariff worth having. The dependence being removed here is not on a supplier or a grid, it is on a broadcast signal that the household never controlled and cannot replace itself.

Why the switch-off affects Economy 7 and storage heater homes first

The households most exposed are those whose heating and hot water depend on the off-peak circuit being switched at the right time. Storage heaters work by using cheaper, off-peak night-time electricity to create and store heat, which can be used the following day, and are sometimes called Economy 7 heaters¹⁰. They use Economy 7 or Economy 10 tariffs for cheaper energy at night¹¹. Economy 7 and Total Heat with Total Control are meters and tariffs designed to work with storage heating⁸.

The teleswitch is what replaces the clock in Economy 7 systems². Where a simple teleswitch is used, it cannot vary the heating load time without varying the peak and off-peak times², so the switching of the heating and the switching of the tariff are locked together. A double teleswitch separates the two, so that the heating load is independent of tariff changes². That distinction explains why some homes lose control of their heating timing when the signal stops while others keep a working off-peak rate.

The practical instruction from the Centre for Sustainable Energy is direct: anyone with these systems on Economy 7 or Economy 10 tariffs will need a new meter to ensure their heating and hot water continue turning on and off as usual¹². Households no longer on an Economy 7 or Economy 10 tariff are in a different position. Their meter will continue to function normally and, providing all their electricity is on one circuit, they should not see a difference, though the Centre recommends smart meters¹².

Not every Economy 7 meter is affected. Some older Economy 7 meters use the RTS service and will be affected, but not all Economy 7 meters⁵. That is why identification matters more than the tariff name alone.

How to tell if your meter uses a radio teleswitch signal

There are two reliable checks. The first is physical: a black box next to the meter with radio teleswitch written on it¹², or a separate switch box near the meter with a Radio Teleswitch label on it¹. The second is circumstantial. Smart Energy GB lists the criteria as a separate switch box near the meter often labelled Radio Teleswitch, a property heated using electricity or storage heaters, no gas supply to the area including rural areas and high-rise flats, and a tariff that is Economy 7, Economy 10 or Total Heat Total Control⁵. A letter about getting a new meter is a further indicator¹².

Energy UK's identification signs match: a separate switch box with a Radio Teleswitch label, electric heating or storage heaters, no gas supply to the area, and cheaper energy at different times of day such as Economy 7, Economy 10 or Total Heat Total Control¹.

If a household still has one, it may no longer work as expected⁷. Ofgem's guidance states that support for RTS meters has now ended⁷, and the recommended action is to contact your supplier to arrange to have a new smart meter installed⁷. The same instruction appears in Ofgem's getting-smart-meter guidance¹³.

What happens to your off-peak circuit when the signal stops

The failure mode is not a clean shutdown. Without the RTS signal, systems may become unpredictable, potentially not working or turning on or off at incorrect times¹. Energy UK describes the outcome for households that do not upgrade: heating or hot water continually left on or off, or the charging-up happening at the wrong time of day, and electricity costs that could be much higher than before¹. The reason costs rise is metering rather than generation: the supplier will not be able to confirm how much electricity was used during peak or off-peak times³.

Home Energy Scotland puts the same risk in plain terms: if a household decides not to upgrade its meter, heating and hot water provision could be affected⁸. Energy UK's earlier explanation of the phase-out warned that customers could be limited to a more expensive single-rate tariff and could no longer rely on heating and hot water switching on and off as expected, with the risk of them even staying permanently on or off⁹.

The consequences fall into three groups:

• Timing. The off-peak circuit may switch at the wrong hours, so storage heaters charge during expensive periods.
• Control. Heating or hot water may be stuck on or stuck off, with no household-side fix.
• Billing. Without confirmed peak and off-peak usage, the cheaper rate may not be applied correctly³.

A supplier can send an engineer to the property to make sure the heating system and water heater will not be affected by the switch off¹⁴. That visit is about the wiring and the controlled circuits, not just the meter.

Smart meters as the replacement: how readings and switching work

The replacement route is a smart meter, which can be programmed to deliver a similar service to an RTS meter¹. Your energy supplier can replace your RTS meter with a smart meter⁴, and the household action is to book a new meter installation with the electricity supplier now to avoid disruption⁵.

The functional gain is that the switching moves from a broadcast radio signal to the meter itself. A smart meter automatically sends your electricity and gas meter readings to your supplier⁷, and readings are sent automatically via the DCC's secure network¹⁵. The prepayment service allows consumers to add credit to their meters through an over-the-air top-up over that network¹⁶. Bills are then based on accurate meter readings and not estimates⁷, and the household can access more flexible tariffs, including dual-rate tariffs⁷.

There is a limit worth stating. Except by switching, you do not control the tariff your energy supplier sets¹⁵. A smart meter changes how energy is measured and switched, not who sets the price. The household also gains an in-home display showing how much energy is being used during the day¹³, and the meter is provided free by the supplier¹³.

Smart meters are not immune to faults. A smart meter may stop recording the energy you use, or may no longer send readings to your supplier⁷. Where a meter is not operating in smart mode, manual readings can still be taken¹⁷.

Economy 7 after the switch-off: the tariff, its hours and who it suits

Economy 7 offers cheaper prices for 7 hours during the night¹⁸, and the cheaper rate usually runs between midnight and 7 am¹⁸. Households should check the hours their own supplier applies rather than assume a single national window.

For energy customers who have electric storage heaters, the Economy 7 tariff is an ideal option as they can be heated overnight and used to give off heat the following day¹⁸. That is the design case: the tariff and the heater were built for each other.

Smart meters are compatible with Economy 7 tariffs and fixed rate tariffs, and can enable newer time-of-use tariffs¹⁰. All smart meters can support tariffs which charge different prices at different times throughout the day and night, including Economy 7, and Economy 10 meters are also available¹⁹. You can get a smart meter combined with an Economy 7 tariff, but not all suppliers offer this¹⁸.

One caution applies to newer heater types. Dynamic storage heaters have higher running costs than night storage heaters because they do not work with Economy 7²⁰. A household replacing heaters at the same time as the meter should know that the tariff compatibility is not automatic across all storage heater designs.

Storage heaters and their controls: what runs on the off-peak circuit

Storage heaters charge during off-peak hours when electricity is cheaper, usually overnight²¹. The controls on a manual heater are two dials. An input dial, sometimes known as charge, controls how much heat the heater stores as it charges overnight²¹. The INPUT or CHARGE control regulates the amount of heat that is stored up during the night, and is set higher in cold weather and turned down or off in warmer weather²². The OUTPUT or BOOST control regulates the rate at which the stored heat is released, left on a low setting during the day and turned up in the evening if more heat is needed²².

Older storage heaters use input and output dials to control heat¹⁹. High heat retention storage heaters have automated controls¹⁹. Building Regulations Approved Document L requires that automatic control of input charge should be provided for electric storage heaters²³. That requirement matters after the switch-off, because a heater whose charging is controlled by a signal that no longer exists is not under automatic control in any useful sense.

The relationship between the meter and the heater is the whole point of the off-peak circuit. The teleswitch told the heater when to charge; the smart meter takes over that role. Where a household keeps an older heater with manual dials, the charging window is still set by the meter, so the heater continues to work as long as the meter switches correctly.

Costs of the change: meters, heaters and running costs

The meter itself is free. Ofgem's guidance is to contact your supplier to get a smart meter for free¹³, and the same free position is stated in Ofgem's smart meter help pages⁷. There is no published price for the replacement meter in the sources, and no published price for a replacement storage heater; heater prices are installer-quoted.

The cost risk sits in running costs rather than hardware. If the RTS equipment is not replaced, customers could be limited to a more expensive single-rate tariff and could no longer rely on heating and hot water switching on and off as expected⁹. Energy UK states that electricity costs could be much higher than before where the supplier cannot confirm peak or off-peak usage³. That is the financial case for acting rather than waiting.

Where a household replaces storage heaters at the same time, the work is not a DIY job. A registered electrician should replace your storage heaters¹⁹. The supplier can also send an engineer to make sure the heating system and water heater will not be affected by the switch off¹⁴.

On the wider direction of travel, electric heating is expected to expand: to meet climate targets, nearly all of this will need to change to electric heating over the next 10 to 15 years²⁰. That is a statement about the UK's heating stock as a whole, not a prediction about any individual home, but it frames why the off-peak circuit and its controls are worth getting right now rather than patching.

Your rights and choices: refusing, switching suppliers and prepayment

You are not obliged to accept a smart meter³. Where a household declines one, the supplier may install a meter with the tariff pre-programmed; the household will need to send in manual readings and will not get the full benefits of a smart meter, but the heating will continue to work⁴. Where a smart meter cannot be installed because of a lack of signal, the supplier will usually install a non-communicating smart meter preset to switch between tariffs¹². A smart meter will give a similar service to an RTS meter⁶, and moving to one allows a household to continue on a time-of-use tariff with cheaper electricity at night; if a smart meter cannot be installed, the supplier may install a different type of meter that can still offer a cheaper night rate, varying between suppliers¹⁴.

On switching, the position is straightforward for most households. If you pay a supplier directly for the electricity or gas you use at home, you can choose to switch to a different supplier or tariff at any time²⁴. There is a limit for prepayment customers in debt: the threshold stated is owing your supplier up to £500²⁴. Residents on a landlord's business contract may not have the right to choose their own energy supplier or switch suppliers themselves²⁵.

Smart meter switching has a technical caveat. You can switch suppliers if you have a smart meter, but your new supplier might not offer all smart meter services such as remote meter readings, and the meter may need replacing²⁶. Your meter may not work in smart mode when you move to the new supplier, and may work in smart mode again if you change tariffs or suppliers²⁷.

On prepayment, a smart prepayment meter can be topped up online or using the supplier's mobile app²⁸. Suppliers should give a way to top up in a shop, for example a barcode, card or reference number, and the credit should be added to your meter immediately, with the receipt kept as proof²⁹. If a supplier goes out of business, a prepayment meter can still be topped up as usual²⁷.

Consumer rights apply throughout. You have a right to complain to your supplier and a right to a resolution and, if you are not happy with their response, the right to ask the Energy Ombudsman to investigate³⁰. The Ombudsman also handles smart meter complaints³¹.

What owning an electric-heated home means for energy independence

An electric-heated home with an off-peak circuit is already unusually self-contained in one respect: it needs no gas connection, no flue and no boiler. What it depends on is a signal, a meter and a tariff. The RTS switch-off exposes exactly how much of that arrangement sat outside the household's control. The switching was done by a radio broadcast the household could neither see nor influence, and when that broadcast ends, the timing of the cheapest energy in the day ends with it unless the meter is replaced.

The replacement restores local function but not local control of price. A smart meter lets a household access dual rate or smart tariffs with a single meter and fuse box¹⁹, and it can support tariffs charging different prices at different times of day and night¹⁹. But except by switching, you do not control the tariff your energy supplier sets¹⁵. The household controls when it uses energy, not what the units cost.

There is a further dependence in the smart meter itself. A smart meter may stop recording the energy you use, or may no longer send readings to your supplier⁷, and after a supplier switch it may not work in smart mode at all²⁷. Where that happens, the household falls back on manual readings¹⁷. That is a smaller dependence than a broadcast signal that is being switched off entirely, but it is a dependence nonetheless.

For a household weighing the change, the honest summary is this: the off-peak circuit can be preserved, the meter can be replaced at no cost to the household¹³, and the heating will continue to work⁴. What cannot be preserved is the old arrangement in which a radio signal, maintained by someone else, decided when the cheap hours began. The independence gained is modest and real: the switching moves into the home's own meter, and the household stops relying on equipment that is being retired.