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1h ago

UK Faces Urgent Push to Replace RTS Meters Before June 30 Deadline

With 430,000 homes still reliant on obsolete RTS meters, energy suppliers and regulators warn of heating disruptions and billing issues unless replacement rates accelerate.

Thousands have been warned to switch to a smart meter ahead of the 30 June deadline (Photo: PA)
Thousands have been warned to switch to a smart meter ahead of the 30 June deadline. Provided by elen.Kelly@smartenergygb.org
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Overview

  • The Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS), used in older electricity meters, will be decommissioned on June 30, 2025, leaving households at risk of losing heating and hot water or facing costly tariffs.
  • As of early May 2025, 430,000 RTS meters remain in use, with replacement rates at just over 1,000 per day—far below the 5,000 daily swaps needed to meet the deadline.
  • Ofgem has declared the transition an urgent consumer welfare issue, demanding contingency plans from suppliers and increased efforts to protect vulnerable households, particularly in rural areas.
  • Major suppliers, including British Gas, EDF, E.ON Next, and Octopus Energy, have issued warnings to tens of thousands of customers still needing to schedule meter upgrades.
  • Smart meters, the designated replacement, offer similar functionality to RTS meters but installation challenges, including connectivity issues in remote areas, have slowed the rollout.