You may have already seen the community post Radio Teleswitch (RTS) - is closing this may affect your meter But I wanted to reach out and give you, our wonderful customers, some more info on what's happening with the Radio Teleswitch and why it's so important if you have a Radio Teleswitch meter that you have it exchanged as soon as possible.
I'm really passionate about giving our customers the correct information when it comes to RTS so they have all the facts to make an informed decision.
What is the Radio Teleswitch (RTS)?
The Radio Teleswitch is a long wave radio signal which controls when some electricity meters switch from their day rate (peak) to their night rate (off-peak). This technology is very old and was designed for properties which had electric heating to make use of cheaper off-peak rates to charge up things like storage heaters and hot water heaters.Originally RTS equipment was installed alongside your meter and was wired in but as the tech progressed it was combined and built into the meter. You can identify if you have a meter setup controlled by the RTS if the words ‘Radio Teleswitch’ is written on your meter or you have a black box within your meter set-up which also will have ‘Radio Teleswitch’ written on it. In Some cases the RTS equipment is even wired into the storage heaters and hot water heaters so when the rate switches from peak to off peak this equipment also switches on or off depending on the set-up.
What's happening to RTS?
The company that controls the RTS has made the decision to shut down the longwave radio signal. They have made this decision because the RTS system is really old technology and we now have SMETs 2 Smart Meters which have the same ability as old RTS set ups. The date for the RTS Switch off is 30th June 2025 and we are obligated by Ofgem to replace all RTS meters before this happens. What happens when the RTS service terminates?
Hopefully for most people nothing as they will already have had their RTS meters exchanged for shiny new Smart Meters. If there are still some households or businesses that still have an RTS meter set-up in situ when the service terminates there are a few things we know can happen in that scenario.Depending on what time of the day on 30th June 2025 the signal gets switched off will depend on what happens for you.
If the switch off occurs when your meter is currently recording on a peak rate it will no longer switch to its of peak rate meaning all your energy usage will be recorded on the more expensive peak rate.
If the switch off occurs when your meter is currently recording on an off-peak rate it will no longer switch to its peak rate meaning all your energy usage will be recorded on the cheaper off peak rate.
If this happens your meter will be classed as a ‘faulty meter’ and will be required to be exchanged for a new one under our faulty meter policy.
If your heating is controlled by the RTS it will either be stuck ‘Off’ charging up constantly and never release any heat or it will be stuck ‘On’, releasing its charged up heat but once its depleted it will never be able to charge up again.
If your water heater is controlled by the RTS it will either be constantly stuck ‘On’ heating up your water 24/7 or it will constantly be stuck ‘Off’ leaving you without a hot water supply.
What to do if you have an RTS meter?
We are contacting all our customers who we know have an RTS Setup, we know this based on industry data and indicators. If you have received a communication from us please get in touch with us to book your exchange.Simply give us a call on 0808 501 5200, and your dedicated Energy Specialist will guide you through the process. We’re here Monday to Thursday from 9am to 5pm, and from 9am to 4pm on Fridays. It’s important that you book your meter exchange as soon as possible.
You will be upgraded to a Smart Meter which will automatically send readings to us and you'll even be given a nifty display to track your energy usage and spend throughout the day.
What to do if you haven't received a letter or email?
Please dont panic we will be in touch very soon but if you have any questions or concerns in the meantime please get in touch, simply call us on 0808 501 5200 or email us at hi@eonnext.com.What to do if I don't have an RTS setup but I'm getting letters / emails?
Please get in touch with us and let us know that you no longer have an RTS meter setup at your property. We may ask you to send us a picture of your meter set up including the meter board (similar to those example photos above) so we can correct the information we hold.I’m here as part of this wonderful community so hit me with any questions or worries you may have so we can make the process as easy and stress frees as possible 😅 😀
Last edited by Anasa_EONNext; 20-11-24 at 18:34.