Letters / Decommissioning of the Radio Teleswitch Service
Your readers may be interested to hear of an upcoming change to the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) used by around 250,000 households and businesses in Scotland to heat their properties.
Ofgem has advised that the technology to support RTS energy meters will be fully decommissioned on 30 June 2025. From 31 July 2025, RTS meters may no longer function properly, causing disruption to heating and hot water supply.
You may use an RTS meter if your 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 (THTC) tariff;
- has a meter that automatically turns on your heating or hot water;
- is heated using electric or storage heaters;
- is located in a no-gas supply area (off-grid), especially in rural areas.
Energy infrastructure and regulation is the responsibility of the UK Government. However, given the potential impact of this upcoming change, I have written to all major energy suppliers urging them to prioritise properties with RTS connections when progressing their smart meter roll-out programmes.
Energy suppliers should proactively contact consumers using RTS to arrange a replacement smart meter. For those unable to install a smart meter, your supplier should offer you an alternative solution to avoid any service disruption or detriment.
If you have any questions, I encourage you to contact your supplier in the first instance. You can also get free and impartial advice and support from Advice Direct Scotland (0800 028 1456) or Citizens Advice Scotland (0800 028 1456).
Gillian Martin
Minister for Climate Action
Scottish Government
Background:
Letter from Gillian Martin to energy suppliers: Decommissioning of the Radio Teleswitch service:
Ofgem guidance: Replacing your Radio Teleswitch electricity meter
