BBC Radio 4's You and Yours programme on 28 April highlighted concerns raised in a letter from the End Fuel Poverty Coalition to the Minister for Energy Consumers, Miatta Fahnbulleh MP, and Ofgem chief executive Jonathan Brearley about the pace of replacing Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) meters1. On the programme, an Energy UK spokesperson said that at the end of March 2025, 430,000 households remained on an RTS meter and that replacement efforts stood at 1,000 installations a day1.
The RTS system is used by older electricity meters to control heating and hot water, and will be switched off later this year1. The Coalition said the replacement programme is falling dangerously behind schedule, with energy suppliers unable to meet existing targets1. It also said that in Scotland alone, tens of thousands of RTS meters are yet to be addressed, leaving many consumers in limbo1.
"There is a very real risk that over 300,000 households will find their RTS meter stops working come 1 July 2025."
The letter also questioned the clarity of the regulator's "no detriment" commitment, intended to ensure that people moving from an RTS meter to a new connection do not pay more for their energy1. It raised concerns about contradictory advice from energy firms and inconsistent billing, with reports of customers being charged double standing charges because of legacy meter configurations1. Ofgem has been running a public awareness campaign on the issue, with Lorraine Kelly explaining how to check for an RTS meter1.
The letter was copied to devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales, including Gillian Martin MSP and Rebecca Evans MS1. Frazer Scott, chief executive of Energy Action Scotland, said consumers are "left in the dark" and that the impact of failure in the switchover on health and wellbeing "don't bear thinking about"1.
Why it matters for households
An RTS meter that is not replaced before the service is switched off leaves a household at risk of losing access to heating and hot water, particularly where electric storage heating is used1. Customers may also lose access to cheaper off-peak tariffs, leading to higher bills, and could face inaccurate or inconsistent billing, or meters that stop working properly altogether1. For a home that depends on off-peak electricity for heat and hot water, the meter is the point at which energy independence is either maintained or lost, and the reported shortfall in installations is the measure of that exposure. The RTS switch-off is the process suppliers are required to complete before the deadline, and it sits within the wider smart meter rollout.
What happens next
The Coalition has called for contingency measures for those who do not make the deadline and for energy suppliers to ensure fair metering and billing practices1. The date cited for meters potentially stopping is 1 July 20251. No further timetable for the replacement programme, and no response from the minister or Ofgem to the letter, has been reported1.
Sources1 cited
- Looming crisis for 300,000 households on RTS meters - End Fuel Poverty Coalition, endfuelpoverty.org.uk