Call to action to keep heating and water on

Many energy meters in Scotland presently rely on this service, including 1143 properties in Bathgate and Linlithgow, 3246 in Falkirk and 1692 in Edinburgh West.

Upcoming changes, responsibility for which sits with the UK Government and which are being implemented by energy suppliers, means that support for RTS energy meters ends on June 30.

From July 31, meters may not function properly causing disruption to heating and hot water supplies, and households and businesses using the technology could end up with higher bills.

Acting Climate Action Minister Alasdair Allan has written to the UK Government urging them to introduce penalties for companies who fail to replace the RTS with smart meters.

Although Scotland has around 10 per cent of UK households, it has more than 25 per cent of the UK’s RTS users. As of October 2024, more than 165,000 households and businesses in Scotland were still using the RTS with rural and island areas among the most affected, along with Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Dr Allan said: “It’s concerning to see that more than 165,000 Scottish households and properties are still using the RTS service.

“If RTS equipment isn’t replaced by the switch-off date, not only could households, businesses, and public sector organisations be limited to a more expensive single-rate tariff, they may also no longer be able to rely on their heating and hot water switching on and off as expected, with the risk of them staying permanently on or off.

“I have written to the UK Government to record our growing concerns around the RTS switch-off and to highlight that significantly more needs to be done to protect consumers and maintain access to affordable energy.

“I believe that there must, as a matter of urgency, be RTS-related obligations included in Ofgem licence conditions on both suppliers and the Data Communications Company (DCC) that compel both to use every tool available to ensure households and businesses across the country are not left behind.

“If consumers have any questions, I encourage them to contact their supplier in the first instance. Free and impartial advice and support is also available from Advice Direct Scotland or Citizens Advice Scotland.”

Although 99.3 per cent of the UK is covered by the smart meter communications network, there are still areas where it is not accessible. Dr Allan has requested that energy companies offer a suitable alternative for local communities that cannot access the network.

Homes using RTS meters are typically in areas with no mains gas supply, with a teleswitch box next to the electricity meter. Some RTS meters may have the radio teleswitch in the same box, with ‘radio telemeter’ printed on it.

Customers can seek advice from Advice Direct Scotland on 0800 028 1456 or Citizens Advice Scotland on 0800 028 1456.