Octopus Energy is urging households to act now or face having their electricity and hot water being cut off abruptly – because specific meters will stop working in June
Octopus Energy has ordered customers with outdated electricity meters to act now or face being cut off.
The energy supplier has reminded households the radio teleswitch meter (RTS) will stop working in June this year. Anyone still with one by then will see their power supply stop.
RTS meters were first introduced in the 1980s and rely on longwave radio signals from the BBC’s RTS meters to switch meters between peak and off-peak tariff rates. However, the equipment which broadcasts the signal is now almost obsolete and is being switched off on June 30, affecting around 600,000 customers.
It means any household which doesn’t upgrade faces being left without heating or hot water, as well as potentially higher energy bills, as the system is deactivated.
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If a customer uses electricity for heating and hot water – via electric storage, panel heaters and/or immersion heaters – and has a tariff that offers cheaper rates during off-peak periods, they may have an RTS meter. Usually, there will be a large black box next to the meter, Express.co.uk reports.
Octopus Energy says it is fast-tracking upgrades for its customers, covering nearly a quarter of affected households, with additional engineers deployed to ensure households can switch to smart meters before the deadline.
The supplier says aside from keeping their heating on, switching to a smart meter can bring a myriad of benefits including better overviews of energy usage, access to smart tariffs and the opportunity to take part in free-energy periods when the grid has lots of green energy.
John Szymik, CEO of Octopus Energy Services, said: “Octopus has boosted its service capability to offer fast-tracked assistance and ensure that no one is left without heating. We urge all affected customers, of any supplier, to book their meter exchange now to ensure a smooth transition.”
Smart meters are important for the energy transition and unlock the power of smart tariffs, while also giving customers more control and oversight over their energy consumption and costs.
Octopus says it is also offering all RTS customers who opt for the switch a free Octopus Home Mini, a device which securely connects to a customer’s smart meter, giving them real-time visibility of how much energy they are using and what costs. Affected customers who are looking to switch to a smart meter can register their interest on their online Octopus account.
