Economy 7????

ex2t633w

I am 77 and a widow, and only just coping with leccy bills by using the "off-peak" hours of heating, then " heat the human" for the rest of the day.
Just heard (from ALIENERGY) that the radio- controlled support for my  ECONOMY 7 will be switched off on 31st March 2024.
Told Octopus,my supplier, and they just said you need an engineer to check your meter is fit for a smart meter , and if it isn't, you will need to pay to get it changed ?,!!
Is this right?
Or if I do nothing, will I then end up  paying  double by using Peak hours electricity?
There doesnt seem anyone to help with advice about this .??

la531983

Why wouldn't you be able to have a smart meter?

Just make the appointment and see what happens? 

QrizB

ex2t633w said:

Just heard (from ALIENERGY) that the radio- controlled support for my  ECONOMY 7 will be switched off on 31st March 2024.

Who is ALIENERGY? A friend, a journalist, a blogger?

ex2t633w said:

Told Octopus,my supplier, and they just said you need an engineer to check your meter is fit for a smart meter , and if it isn't, you will need to pay to get it changed ?,!!
Is this right?

If you have a radio teleswitch controlled E7 system, the radio signals are due to be turned off (although the date keeps being delayed). Do you know if your meter is a radio teleswitched one? What is the make and model?

If your meter is affected, the solution is to have your old meter replaced with a smart meter.

If you book an appointment with Octopus, they will send an enginer out and, if a smart meter can be fited, they will do so.

You can worry about "if it isn't" afterwards.

ex2t633w said:

Or if I do nothing, will I then end up  paying  double by using Peak hours electricity?

It's most likely that your radio teleswitch will continue to switch, even without the radio signal. But it might not, and some time in the next few years every non-smart meter will be replaced with a smart one anyway.

ex2t633w said:

There doesnt seem anyone to help with advice about this .??

There's quite a lot of help and support. ALIENERGY might have some.
Here's some advice from Ofgem:
https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/information-consumers/energy-advice-households/radio-teleswitch-electricity-meters-consumer-guidance

From Citizens Advice:
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/your-energy-meter/dts-energy-meter/

From Octopus:
https://octopus.energy/help-and-faqs/articles/radio-teleswitch-service-rts/

And the other energy suppliers also have info.

From Ovo:
https://forum.ovoenergy.com/switching-suppliers-and-moving-home-144/radio-teleswitch-rts-shutdown-sunset-faq-9040

From British Gas:
https://www.britishgas.co.uk/business/help-and-support/connections-meters-readings/radio-teleswitch-service

From E.ON:
https://www.eonnext.com/radio-teleswitch-service-rts-is-closing

Does any of that help you?

Gerry1

Most unlikely that RTS will be switched off after 31 March 2024.  The contract has been extended several times and it will almost certainly be extended again: discussions are ongoing.  Octopus are talking ignorant scaremongering and you won't be charged anything for a replacement.

Even if it was switched off, it's unlikely you'd notice any difference.  It would be like forgetting to set a digital watch by the pips.  After a year it might be five minutes adrift but that's probably the worst that could happen.

Just do nothing and relax.  You'll be contacted in good time if/when anything needs to be done.

Jonboy_1984

Gerry1 said:

Most unlikely that RTS will be switched off after 31 March 2024.  The contract has been extended several times and it will almost certainly be extended again: discussions are ongoing.

The issue with the RTS service is it apparently piggybacks off a unique system that relies on analogue valves that haven’t been manufactured for several decades, and they are apparently down to 2 spare valves, at some point an extension won’t be possible.

Spoonie_Turtle

This is not in answer to your question but I am slightly concerned.  Do you have storage heaters, and if so, are they the old and leaky ones?  That's the only reason I can think of that you would be both on Economy 7 and having to 'heat the human'. 

If you don't have storage heaters, why are you on Economy 7?

Not to interrogate you, just to ascertain what your situation actually is and whether there's a simple way of saving money as well as being warmer.

DullGreyGuy

Jonboy_1984 said:

Gerry1 said:

Most unlikely that RTS will be switched off after 31 March 2024.  The contract has been extended several times and it will almost certainly be extended again: discussions are ongoing.

The issue with the RTS service is it apparently piggybacks off a unique system that relies on analogue valves that haven’t been manufactured for several decades, and they are apparently down to 2 spare valves, at some point an extension won’t be possible.

If its like a former client of mine... at least one engineer will have spotted the problem before and will be sitting on a couple of spare valves hoping its their retirement fund when the company suddenly needs a replacement. 

Keep_pedalling

QrizB said:

ex2t633w said:

Just heard (from ALIENERGY) that the radio- controlled support for my  ECONOMY 7 will be switched off on 31st March 2024.

Who is ALIENERGY? A friend, a journalist, a blogger?

https://www.alienergy.org.uk/

Nutmeganza

I have been bombarded about The Radio Teleswitch Service switch-off by my energy company for many, many months despite me not having one. It is another pressure to reach its Smart Meter delivery.

On 19 July 2025, the Government published:"government-steps-in-to-protect-consumers-with-old-energy-meters", where it states it is now staging the RTS switch-off, "protecting working families." & "vulnerable consumers." - surely everyone?

Initially, 600 households in a three-week period does not balance with Ofgem's 1,000/day expectation.
As at 30 May, there were 314,935 RTS meters in use (bet they've not knocked my non-RTS meter off the tally) so that's a lot of fortnightly meetings (Minister for Energy Consumers will meet with Ofgem and Energy UK) for a minimum of one year out to over 30 years, depending on what conversion rate you believe in.

RTS is a strategic asset that the BBC decided to axe; its uses the Droitwitch transmitter, where the BBC World Service Long Wave (298kHz/1,500m) service is transmitted, the Shipping Forecast and listened to in states where regimes can block most other communication channels.

Back in 2014, the BBC stated it had around 10 transmitter valves with a life of 6m to 10y each. Since then the transmissions have not been at full power as competing signals have lessened thereby probably extending the valves' lifespan.

Luckily another BT landline & SMETS1 rollout may now be averted. In future, please plan for belt, braces and gaiters and keep old-school, tried and tested, technology in play until the newer ones have matured. Scotland has 105,000 RTS meters, poor connectivity with SMETS2 Smart Meters so it's all to play for.

QrizB

Nutmeganza said:

I have been bombarded about The Radio Teleswitch Service switch-off by my energy company for many, many months despite me not having one. It is another pressure to reach its Smart Meter delivery.

Accept a smart meter and they'll stop messaging you.
Simples!

Rosie1001

I’m really happy I got my smart meter 

You will be able to get much better deals on your energy if you get it 

everyone will have to have one at some point ,may as well get it now