Energy Sector Taskforce Unites To Tackle Radio Teleswitch Challenge
12th October 2024
Energy suppliers and other stakeholders have committed to working together to replace 800,000 Radio Teleswitch (RTS) meters across the United Kingdom before the service is switched off next summer.
The agreement follows a summit, organised by the energy regulator Ofgem, gathering suppliers and stakeholders including Energy UK and Citizens Advice to find a joint solution to the challenge of migrating households from the ageing technology before the service ends on 30 June 2025.
The RTS system, which uses long wave radio signals to tell some electricity meters to switch between on and off-peak, is no longer viable and without a meter upgrade some affected homes, schools and businesses could be left without heating and hot water, or unable to turn off their heating.
Customers who have an RTS meter, or those who are not sure if they have one, are being urged to contact their energy supplier for advice and to make an appointment for an engineer to visit their home. Energy suppliers have been contacting customers since 2023 about the issue and those companies with large numbers of affected customers have been talking directly to local stakeholders.
However, recognising the scale of the challenge, further complicated by the location of many RTS properties in harder to access areas such as rural or island communities, Ofgem called for suppliers and stakeholders to come together and combine resources to try and reach as many households as possible before the service is switched off.
Now, following the summit at Ofgem's office in Glasgow, the industry has signed up to the RTS Call To Action, a collective commitment to rapidly increase the pace and number of RTS upgrades by:
targeting resources in regional ‘hot spots’ with the most RTS customers
fast tracking RTS customers for meter upgrades and prioritising known vulnerable consumers
tackling technical challenges head on, sharing knowledge and expertise to deliver solutions
providing monthly progress updates to closely track the replacement rate and consider if further action is needed
Charlotte Friel, Director of Consumer Protection and Retail Markets for Ofgem, said:
"The importance of protecting RTS customers from losing control of their heating and hot water is equally matched by the scale of the challenge ahead.
"At the current monthly rate of replacement, it would be 2028 before all RTS meters across the United Kingdom are upgraded so it’s clear that swift, drastic action is needed and I am pleased that suppliers and other stakeholders are responding to our call for bold and decisive action.
"By joining forces to accelerate their RTS upgrade programmes in hotspot areas and helping each other find solutions for the complex technical barriers posed in certain remote regions, I believe this collective effort can deliver the significant change of pace required.
"I am heartened to see so many suppliers and organisations working together towards the shared, and most important, goal: to keep consumers safe."
Speaking on behalf of suppliers, Daisy Cross, Head of Future Energy Systems at industry body Energy UK, said:
"The Call To Action highlights how energy suppliers are working together, pooling resources and targeting efforts to tackle this challenge at pace, and the ongoing work of the wider taskforces demonstrates the role of multiple stakeholders in ensuring all affected customers are aware of the need to upgrade.
"Replacing all RTS meters by June 2025 is a huge undertaking, and not something industry can do alone. Suppliers want to work with community groups and local government to boost ongoing efforts, and most importantly, the customers themselves.
"With summer 2025 fast approaching and 800,000 meters to replace, this is as much about customer engagement as it is about solving technical hurdles. We strongly encourage any customers who hear from their supplier to respond, or for those who aren’t sure whether they have an RTS meter to check and get in touch with their supplier, and of course stick to appointments when they are made.
"The industry is fully committed to ramping up upgrades. This will only succeed with the active involvement of our customers. By working together, we can ensure no one is left behind."
Ofgem, Energy UK, Distribution Network Operators, Smart Energy GB, government and consumer groups, supported by a total of 10 energy companies - British Gas, EDF, E.ON, Octopus, OVO, Scottish Power, SO Energy, SSE, Total Energies, Utilita and Utility Warehouse – have signed up to the Call to Action.
The call to action follows the industry-led cross-sector RTS Taskforce, which includes a technical working group to solve complex issues and an engagement group dedicated to expanding outreach and raising customer awareness. The taskforce is empowered to continue working to:
ensure customers have working heating and hot water after 30 June 2025, recognising that some customers may reject or fail to book an upgrade and in some cases there may be an unresolved technical barrier to installation
ensure suppliers contact all RTS customers by 31 December 2024 to:
inform them that RTS will be shut down on 30 June 2025
inform them of the risks of rejecting an upgraded service
offer an appointment to have their meter upgraded where possible
establish and implement a clear action plan with milestones to support remaining customers who have not been upgraded ahead of the shutdown on 30 June 2025
In the coming weeks, supported by other stakeholders, suppliers will commence a series of pilot projects, including a 'hotspot approach' where teams of engineers will be dispatched to a specific area with high numbers of RTS customers, preceded by a spell of intensive public awareness campaigning and direct supplier engagement with RTS customers to arrange appointments.
Communications with customers will now be co-ordinated through the taskforce, and suppliers will continue addressing the technical barriers to upgrading meters at all affected properties, and working with distribution network operators to update the industry systems to prepare for the switch off.
While in many cases RTS upgrades are a straightforward process, taking around 2 hours to complete, others are more technically complex considering factors such as whether a distribution network operator is needed, or where the location of the RTS meter is not accessible. These cases may need more than one visit by an engineer and in rarer cases require assessment by the Taskforce’s technical group to devise an innovative solution.
The work of the RTS Taskforce and widespread commitment to the Call To Action has been welcomed by consumer groups and charities, who attended this month’s Glasgow summit.
Notes
the RTS was introduced in the 1980s and has reached the end of its natural operational life; the radio signal and supporting infrastructure and systems will be shut down and the service they support will end on 30 June 2025
these electricity meters were designed to support customers who may use electric storage systems and panel or immersion heaters in water tanks, which may typically heat up overnight
there are RTS meters all over Great Britain but a high concentration is in Scotland, northern England, the Midlands, northern Wales, and many in London
the RTS Taskforce incorporates 3 groups:
a steering group consisting of representatives of each supplier, Energy UK, Ofgem and DESNZ; they will meet monthly and direct on strategy, progress and resourcing
an engagement group made of up Energy UK, suppliers and Smart Energy GB tasked with identifying and co-ordinating stakeholder partners and consumer engagement via multiple methods to reach customers about the need to upgrade their meters
a technical installation working group comprising Energy UK, suppliers, the Association of Meter Operators (AMO) and the UK Metering Forum (UKMF); this group’s purpose is to deliver on operational planning, resource sharing and removing technical barriers to resolve complex problems and create a feasible wind-down strategy ahead of the RTS switch off
