Radio Teleswitching Service Switch Off
Radio Teleswitching Service (also known as Dynamically Teleswitched Energy) are meters with a built-in radio that uses Longwave radio signals to communicate readings to the supplier. The equipment that transmits this signal can no longer be maintained, so it’s being turned off nationally on 30th June 2025. This date has already been pushed back by 15 months as so many people were still using RTS: as of the beginning of October 2024, there were around 800,000 customers still using RTS.
RTS has been widely used across the UK over the last 40 years, particularly with people who rely on tariffs such as Eco 7 or Eco 10 to make the most of cheaper night tariffs for electric heating. Suppliers have been tasked with contacting all of their customers that use RTS by the 31st December 2024, however many people are ignoring the calls or not understanding how the switch off will affect them.
The RTS switch off will affect people with electric storage heaters, other forms of electric heating or Eco7 water heaters, that work by charging up overnight. From the 1st July 2025, anyone with RTS will no longer be able to access a cheaper night tariff as the meter won’t be able to switch between separate unit rates at specific times after the radio signal is turned off. The only way to remain on a time-of-use tariff is by having a smart meter installed, as this uses a different signal to communicate with suppliers. If a customer with RTS does not get a smart meter installed before the end of June 2025, then they will automatically be put on to a single rate tariff. Most night tariffs are at least 50% cheaper than the current price cap so, if put onto a single rate tariff, the customer’s heating bill will likely double.
If you are unsure of moving to a smart meter, the only way to keep your heating cost low would be to update your heating to a non-electric system, which would incur high up-front costs if you aren’t eligible for a heating upgrade scheme. People in Worcestershire, Warwickshire or the West Midlands area are able to phone us on 0800 988 2881, to see if there are any heating upgrade schemes that you are eligible for.
The other issue that you may face, is that your heating system may be automatically set to turn on and off through the radio signal. This could mean that, once the signal is turned off, your heating system may not work without being reconfigured by an engineer.
The advice that we are giving is to check your electric meter, to see if you use the Radio Teleswitching Service. If you do, then contact your supplier directly; they will talk you through your options and provide engineers to carry out changes at your home. If you are unsure whether you have RTS or not, you can still phone your supplier and they will check for you. Your options moving forward will be; get a smart meter installed, get a new non-electric heating/water heating system installed, or move on to a single rate tariff which will be more expensive. Your supplier can also send out an engineer to check whether your heating system is linked to RTS or not, to ensure that you will not be left without heating (or with the heating stuck on) after the switch off.
