A MAJOR energy supplier is urging 60,000 customers to take action to avoid being cut off within months.
Households with outdated Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) meters must upgrade to a smart meter in the next six months, EDF has warned.
Electricity meters that rely on the RTS will stop working after June 30, 2025.
Hundreds of thousands of customers on Economy 7 and other multi-rate energy tariffs use these electricity meters.
They work by charging customers cheaper rates depending on the time of day.
The devices rely on the RTS, which broadcasts a signal alongside the long-wave channel for BBC Radio 4.
The signal is picked up by the meter and used to switch electricity rates at different points in the day.
Some RTS electricity meters can also automatically turn heating and hot water systems on and off during certain hours.
But when the RTS signal is switched off for good these meters will no longer function as intended.
This means that from June these meters could be stuck on peak-time electricity rates depending on when the RTS signal shuts off.
This could result in huge bill hikes for households affected by the switch-off.
Some heating systems are also controlled by RTS.
When the signal is switched off it could mean that they are stuck on or off permanently.
More than 60,000 EDF customers rely on these outdated meters.
The supplier is urging these customers to come forward and get a smart meter.
An EDF spokesperson said: "We have been contacting customers to ensure they exchange their RTS meters as soon as possible ahead of the signal switch off date and have already upgraded thousands of RTS meters to ensure customers are not affected.
“We still have many customers that require an upgrade and we urge all customers who have not yet engaged with us to contact us and book an exchange as soon as possible – it’s easy to do and appointments are free of charge."
According to data from Energy UK, approximately 530,000 customers are still dependent on RTS meters.
Suppliers have been racing to move customers to smart meters before the deadline.
Octopus Energy warned thousands of its own customers at the end of January.
Meanwhile, E.ON Next urged 65,000 customers to take action to avoid being cut off.
Customers should act now as there is currently a shortage of smart meter appointments.
Some households have been made to wait up to a year to get an appointment as demand has surged due to the impending RTS switch off and there is a shortage of qualified staff.
An investigation by The Sun has found a host of major energy suppliers have a lack of appointments in some areas.
Others cannot tell customers when they will be available.
How do I know if I have an RTS electricity meter?
It is quite easy to tell if you have a meter that relies on the RTS.
The old RTS-powered meters have a switch box labelled “Radio Teleswitch” located next to the physical electric meter.
Others may have the RTS switch box included within the electricity meter as a single box on the wall.
If you are not sure about the type of electricity meter in your home then call your supplier.
They should usually have this information to hand.
RTS is also sometimes called dynamically teleswitched (DTS).
What is the alternative to RTS?
Smart meters offer the same features as RTS as they can record the different prices at different times of the day that are offered by Economy 7 tariffs.
They work using a digital signal and can also show your energy usage in real-time.
This can be helpful to reduce your use and can save you money.
Smart meters are being rolled out by suppliers across the country.
Around 36 million households have one but they are not fault-free.
Around one in ten smart meters are thought to be not working and are stuck in “dumb” mode, according to recent data from industry regulator Ofgem.
This could be because their display is broken or they have trouble connecting to the network in some areas.
Meanwhile, many first-generation smart meters have technology which is out of date.
This is unlikely to be an issue with smart meters that are installed now.
Energy suppliers should make an effort to fix smart meters that are not working.
If your smart meter is not working then you may need to take meter readings to ensure your bills are accurate.
If your smart meter monitor, which shows readings and usage, is less than 12 months old then it should be replaced or fixed for free by your energy supplier.
You can ask your supplier for a traditional meter instead of a smart one.
But smart meters are replacing them and your supplier is not obliged to give you one.
Can I keep my RTS tariff?
Ofgem has told suppliers that they must take reasonable steps to ensure that customers are on like-for-like tariffs after moving to a smart meter.
If this is not possible they must work with the customer to agree an appropriate tariff.
There may be more smart meter-only tariffs available to some customers that could save them money.
If your supplier has not contacted you then you do not need to wait for them to do so.
Get in touch with them now if you want to swap immediately.
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