800 000 RTS meters need to be replaced before the service ends on 30 June 2025,  and without a meter upgrade some affected homes, schools and businesses could be left without heating and hot water, or unable to turn off their heating.

Customers who have an RTS meter, or those who are not sure if they have one, are being urged to contact their energy supplier for advice and to make an appointment for an engineer to visit their home. Energy suppliers have been contacting customers since 2023 about the issue and those companies with large numbers of affected customers have been talking directly to local stakeholders.

However, recognising the scale of the challenge, further complicated by the location of many RTS properties in harder to access areas such as rural or island communities, Ofgem called for suppliers and stakeholders to come together and combine resources to try and reach as many households as possible before the service is switched off.

Now, following a summit organised by the energy regulator Ofgem with suppliers and stakeholders including Energy UK and Citizens Advice, the industry has signed up to the RTS Call To Action – a collective commitment to rapidly increase the pace and number of RTS upgrades by:

  • Targeting resources in regional ‘hot spots’ with the most RTS customers
  • Fast tracking RTS customers for meter upgrades and prioritising known vulnerable consumers
  • Tackling technical challenges head on, sharing knowledge and expertise to deliver solutions
  • Providing monthly progress updates to closely track the replacement rate and consider if further action is needed.

Charlotte Friel, Director of Consumer Protection and Retail Markets for Ofgem, said:  “The importance of protecting RTS customers from losing control of their heating and hot water is equally matched by the scale of the challenge ahead.

“At the current monthly rate of replacement, it would be 2028 before all RTS meters across the UK are upgraded so it’s clear that swift, drastic action is needed – and I am pleased that suppliers and other stakeholders are responding to our call for bold and decisive action.

“By joining forces to accelerate their RTS upgrade programmes in hotspot areas and helping each other find solutions for the complex technical barriers posed in certain remote regions, I believe this collective effort can deliver the significant change of pace required.

“I am heartened to see so many suppliers and organisations working together towards the shared, and most important, goal – to keep consumers safe.”

Ofgem, Energy UK, Distribution Network Operators, Smart Energy GB, Government and consumer groups, supported by a total of 10 energy companies – British Gas, EDF, E.ON, Octopus, OVO, Scottish Power, SO Energy, SSE, Total Energies, Utilita and Utility Warehouse – have signed up to the Call to Action.

Speaking on behalf of suppliers, Daisy Cross, Head of Future Energy Systems at industry body Energy UK, said: “The Call To Action highlights how energy suppliers are working together, pooling resources and targeting efforts to tackle this challenge at pace, and the ongoing work of the wider taskforces demonstrate the role of multiple stakeholders in ensuring all affected customers are aware of the need to upgrade.

“Replacing all RTS meters by June 2025 is a huge undertaking, and not something industry can do alone. Suppliers want to work with community groups and local government to boost ongoing efforts, and most importantly, the customers themselves.

“With summer 2025 fast approaching and 800,000 meters to replace this is as much about customer engagement as it is about solving technical hurdles. We strongly encourage any customers who hear from their supplier to respond, or for those who aren’t sure whether they have an RTS meter to check and get in touch with their supplier, and of course stick to appointments when they are made.

“The industry is fully committed to ramping up upgrades; this will only succeed with the active involvement of our customers. By working together, we can ensure no one is left behind.”

Suppliers will commence a series of pilot projects, including a ‘hotspot approach’ where teams of engineers will be dispatched to a specific area with high numbers of RTS customers, preceded by a spell of intensive public awareness campaigning and direct supplier engagement with RTS customers to arrange appointments.

Communications with customers will now be co-ordinated through the taskforce, and suppliers will continue addressing the technical barriers to upgrading meters at all affected properties, and working with Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) to update the industry systems to prepare for the switch off.

While in many cases RTS upgrades are a straightforward process, taking around two hours to complete, others are more technically complex considering factors such as whether a Distribution Network Operator is needed, or where the location of the RTS meter is not accessible. These cases may need more than one visit by an engineer and in rarer cases require assessment by the Taskforce’s technical group to devise an innovative solution.

For more information visit the dedicated RTS webpage at: Replacing your Radio Teleswitch electricity meter | Ofgem.