Smart meters are continuing to replace outdated models – now thousands of Brits are being warned to take action ahead of a significant change coming later this year
Almost 150,000 Brits with outdated electricity meters are being warned they are at risk of losing control of their heating and hot water if they don’t switch to a smart one.
Households still using the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) are being urged to switch before the RTS signal is turned off for good this summer.
The carefully managed phase out process, where the RTS signal is switched off for groups of customers at a time, will resume in March for England and Wales and in April for Scotland, after a winter pause.
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This temporary pause in the phase out prevented customers from losing control of their heating and hot water during the coldest months of the year.
Since the start of January 2025, more than 300,000 RTS meters have been replaced.
As of late January 2026, there were 154,000 RTS meters left to be replaced, with only 8,000 scheduled replacements booked with energy suppliers.
Together with consumer groups and the regulator Ofgem, Energy UK is urging the 146,000 remaining RTS customers to make an appointment with their supplier for an engineer visit.
Replacing the meters will ensure they maintain control of their heating and hot water after the service is switched off.
Ned Hammond, Deputy Director, Policy (Customers) at Energy UK, said: “Suppliers have been working hard to deliver a carefully managed phase out of the RTS signal and have replaced more than 300,000 RTS meters in the last year.
“They’ve contacted affected customers multiple times, including people in remote and hard-to-reach locations.
“This long-running replacement programme was ramped up last year because the ageing RTS infrastructure was at increasing risk of failure, meaning customers needed to be moved onto more reliable metering solutions.
“The final switch off is now imminent and we’re expecting a rush for appointments in this final stage.
“Your supplier will notify you when your meter is being phased out but the best way to avoid any impact on your hot water and heating is to book an appointment as soon as you can.”
RTS was introduced in the 1980s and uses a long-range radio signal to switch between peak and off-peak rates.
The equipment that generates the radio signal is now outdated and can no longer be reliably maintained – increasing the risk of an unplanned failure.
Homes and businesses that don’t arrange a meter replacement could lose control of their heating and/or hot water, or they could be charged for energy at the wrong time of day, leading to higher bills.
Energy suppliers won’t charge for a meter replacement and can advise customers which tariffs are suitable for their heating and/or hot water setup.
Technical solutions are available for all households and businesses.
In most cases RTS meters will be replaced with smart meters, which can work in the same way with automatic peak and off-peak rates while providing access to a wider variety of tariffs.
If customers are concerned about energy debt or the ability to pay their bills, they should speak to their supplier.
You may have an RTS meter if:
· You have received letters, emails, texts or calls from your electricity supplier about an RTS meter in your property
· You have a switch box near your energy meter labelled “Radio Teleswitch” or “RTS”
· You have electric or storage heaters
· You have no gas supply in your area – you may live rurally or in a block of flats
· You get cheaper energy at different times of day. Your tariff might be: Economy 7, Economy 10 or Total Heat Total Control.
For more information visit Ofgem’s dedicated RTS webpage Replacing your Radio Teleswitch electricity meter
