Between October 2024 and January 2025 around 18,700 RTS electricity meters were replaced in Scotland, according to data from Ofgem.

There are, however, over a hundred thousand consumers still waiting to have their meters replaced. This has prompted the Acting Minister for Climate Action in the Scottish Government, Dr Alasdair Allan, to call for urgent action to increase the pace of progress on replacing Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) meters ahead of the service switching off in June.

As of January 2025, there were still 146,302 RTS consumers in Scotland who need to have their meters replaced. Support for RTS energy meters ends on June 30 2025.

Alasdair Allan said:

“People who rely on the RTS will experience considerable detriment unless meters are replaced by the switch-off date – particularly in rural and island communities.

“There is a real and pressing need for suppliers to be made to explain what their workforce plan is to get engineers to premises. Consideration should also be given to additional enforcement action to reduce no-show instances and to ensure that every household is fitted with a fully functioning meter before the deadline.

“Due to the cost of living crisis, it is also unacceptable to expect consumers to pay for expensive re-wiring as a consequence of the RTS switch-off – they should not be confronted with any additional anxieties. The creation of a fund to support consumers in this position is critical.

“While devolved governments do not hold the levers, the Scottish Government will work with Ofgem, the UK Government and industry to raise awareness of the RTS switch-off.”

There are other problems too. Some consumers have had engineers come to install the new meters only to be told that there is no signal at that location. This problem is affecting thousands of households in the North of England and Scotland.

When the scheme was first introduced the UK Government said that “Every home and small business in Great Britain will be offered a smart meter by the end of 2020, saving consumers billions of pounds over the course of this vital national infrastructure upgrade.”

OVO Energy on its website states:

What if my home has a poor mobile signal?

Some areas rely on long wave radio and others on a mobile network. So, even if you live in an area with poor mobile reception,  the latest type of smart meter could still work in your home.

That has proved not to be the case. A report for the BBC Panorama programme found that across the UK ” There are 36 million such devices in England, Wales and Scotland – but recent government figures show 3.5 million of them are not working properly.“

And the cost of the scheme so far has been £13.5 billion.

The Panorama report continued:

“Energy suppliers do not have direct control over the communication network – in both the north and south. Instead it is run by an organisation known as the Data Communications Company (DCC) and is operated by outsourcing company, Capita.

“Capita told the BBC it advised energy suppliers against using alternative technological solutions, because that would mean there was no contractual or consumer protection for the meter user to ensure service was maintained or problems addressed.

“It said the network it runs provides 99.3% coverage across Great Britain, adding that it was “fully committed to resolving connection issues”.

In a statement it added: “The DCC is actively working with government to provide a future-proof 4G technology solution for the whole of Britain.”

Ofgem is encouraging consumers to replace old meters with smart meters. If meters are not replaced before the service is switched off in June 2025, it could mean disruption to heating and hot water supplies, and possibly higher bills for households and businesses still using the technology.

Consumers may use an RTS meter if their property: 

• has a meter that switches between peak and off-peak tariff rates, such as Economy 7 or Economy 10, or a Total Heating Total Control tariff
• has a meter that automatically turns on heating or hot water
• uses electric or storage heaters
• is located in a no-gas supply area (off-grid), especially in rural areas. 
• Advice Direct Scotland 0800 028 1456 and Citizens Advice Scotland 0800 028 1456.

Could people be left without heating and hot water when the RTS signal disappears?

Fiona Grahame