Recently, the UK energy organization Energy UK has reminded all UK landlords that the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) will be discontinued from June 30, 2025. If the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) meter in your home is not replaced, it will affect the heating and hot water supply in your home.
Why is the UK energy organization stopping this service? How should you operate to replace the meter? You'll understand after reading this~
What is the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS)?
The Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS), whose full English name is The Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS), also has another name: Dynamic Teleswitch Service (DTS).
Due to the UK government's advocacy of sustainable development, off-peak electricity use (Off peak electricity) can not only improve energy sustainability but also reduce electricity costs. The function of RTS is to send signals to some older meters to complete the switch between peak and off-peak rates.
RTS is used in some traditional multi-rate meters and is designed to support those who use electricity for heating and hot water supply.
As of April 2025, there are approximately over 390,000 RTS meters in the UK.
Launched in the 1980s, RTS is now approaching its natural lifespan. Therefore, power suppliers are contacting affected customers to provide them with a service to upgrade RTS to smart meters before the RTS service ends on June 30, 2025.
The advantage of using a smart meter is that it can automatically submit meter readings, so you don't have to check the meters one by one yourself; at the same time, it can accurately show how much energy is used each day, how much it costs, and where savings can be made.
So how can you determine if your home has an RTS meter?
You can check for yourself using the following methods:
- There may be a separate switch box near your meter labeled Radio Teleswitch.
- Your property uses electric heaters or thermal storage heaters for supply.
- Your area has no natural gas supply (including rural households and high-rise apartments).
- You can get cheaper energy at different times of the day.
- Your tariff may be Economy 7/Economy 10 or Total Heat Total Control.
If you are still unsure whether you have an RTS device, you can directly contact your power supplier, and the staff will be able to confirm it for you.
What are the risks of not replacing the RTS meter?
If not updated, the heating and hot water supply in your home may be affected. For example, you may find that your home's heating or hot water is always on or off, or that charging occurs at the wrong time.
At the same time, power suppliers will not be able to determine the electricity usage during peak or off-peak periods, which may lead to excessively high electricity bills.
Regarding whether the tariff for your home's heating and hot water equipment will change and when you can replace the smart meter, it is recommended to directly contact your power supplier.
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