Overview

• RTS meters, common on off-peak tariffs such as Economy7 and Economy10 in rural and off-gas areas, use long-wave radio signals to switch storage heaters on and off.
• Current replacement pace of 1,000 smart meters per day must quintuple to 5,000 to reach all remaining RTS-equipped homes before the deadline.
• Between 100,000 and 300,000 households risk losing automated heating and hot water schedules or facing inaccurate bills if upgrades fall behind.
• Suppliers including Octopus, E.ON Next and EDF have alerted tens of thousands of customers, with appointment backlogs delaying some replacements.
• Ofgem has ordered energy companies to submit transition plans; Advice Direct Scotland urges prioritizing vulnerable households to prevent them from being left without heat.