Is my meter an RTS meter ?

Lifeisfun

The Electricity supplier has confirmed that my meter is an RTS meter so I will have to get it changed 😕
Appreciate all your inputs to help me get clarity on this 🙏🏼

Swipe

Lifeisfun said:

The Electricity supplier has confirmed that my meter is an RTS meter

Springs to mind

Ildhund

Lifeisfun said:

The Electricity supplier has confirmed that my meter is an RTS meter ...

Then the electricity supplier is talking through Pinocchio's nose, as @Swipe so graphically suggests. An RTS meter will be clearly labelled as such, with a term like Radio telemeter. Many RTS-controlled systems have an ordinary meter managed by a separate radio-controlled teleswitch. Yours is an ordinary meter not apparently controlled by anything much.

Your meter has serial number D14B232778. Is that what their records say is an RTS meter? If so, I'm inclined to say that their records are wrong.

Gerry1

It's NOT an RTS meter.

Nor is it close to its expiry date.

As you can see here, it has a certified life of 20 years.  It was certified in 08/2014 so it's still good until 09/2034.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66aa06d549b9c0597fdb0846/electricity-meters-schedule-4-240730.pdf

Your supplier is trying to bamboozle you.  They might have incorrect or out of date records, they might be confused or are just scaremongering to increase the take up of smart meters.

Your options are:-

 • Tell them your meter is good for ten more years, ignore them until they chase you again, and hope the next person is more clued up.

• Submit a formal written complaint (and go to the ombudsman upon receipt of a deadlock letter, or after eight weeks if they don't send one).

• Ditch BG and switch to a better supplier.

leonj

Energy suppliers don't change meters unless they break OR they are trying to blag you into getting a smart meter....

SWAMP_MAN

I too have a Landis+Gyr meter. I'm currently with Octopus on a single rate tariff having previously been on Economy 7. They agree with me that it is not an RTS meter but recommend I replace it, to be on the safe side! 
Pointless request as the meter will still continue to work afrer RTS switch-off. The meter still has 4 years of certification left to run therefore there's no reason to replace it.

Phones4Chris

@Lifeisfun As has already been said, it's NOT an RTS meter. Send your supplier (who are they anyway?) a picture and tell them this model has got a further 10years certified life. Tell them you'll raise a formal complaint if they continue to pester you, and you'll go to the ombudsman if need be. They need to concentrate on customers who have genuine RTS setups.

Oh, and just to add, I'm sorry but I think the MSE letter you mention about Smart Meters is misleading. Smart Meters work and record usage accurately just like any modern digital electricity meter (such as yours!). What they don't do from time to time is send the readings to the supplier and that's NOT the meter, it's the COMMS unit having inadequate/no signal, or the meter not being properly commission on the suppliers website OR the other confusion is people think the IHD (In Home Display) is the Smart Meter, and sometimes these don't work satisfactorily because they don't get a strong enough signal from the meter - they are too far away from the meter or thick walls, metal objects in the way etc. This does NOT affect the accuracy of the meter itself. All a Comms failure means is that you have to send in meter readings yourself, as you do a present. Most Customers with "problems" have often failed to check their bills correctly and they've been based on estimates, so when real readings are given they get a shock.
Hope that helps.

johnny_storm

I too have this exact same meter, and also I have Octopus telling me their records show I have a RTS meter.  They have plagued me with e-mails, then texts, then phone calls.   

In the end I have e-mailed them to stop harassing me as I do not have an RTS meter, to which they have requested a zoomed out picture. How unprofessional, rather than asking for a model number!

Today I have sent them the model number and the requested picture.  So now I am waiting for the next made up reason why I should have a meter that lets them remotely cut me off or give me surge pricing during times when demand outstrips supply.  (We all know those are coming.)

Those are the only two reasons why they and government are so desperate to get these rolled out. Its certainly not for our benefit, anything "smart" never is.

QrizB

johnny_storm said:

Those are the only two reasons why they and government are so desperate to get these rolled out. Its certainly not for our benefit, anything "smart" never is.

One reason is that Ofgem have set the suppliers targets to replace RTS meters specifically, and legacy meters in general, with smart meters. Ofgem fine suppliers who fail to meet their targets.

What do you think the other reason is?

Qyburn

johnny_storm said:

So now I am waiting for the next made up reason why I should have a meter that lets them remotely cut me off or give me surge pricing during times when demand outstrips supply.  (We all know those are coming.)

At which point people who've refused a smart meter will be on "surge pricing" at all times.