RTS METER SWITCH

Spendybendy

Help ! Ovo are telling us that our electricity supply will stop if we dont make the switch from our RTS meter to a smart meter. We dont have a need to change it. Are they scaremongering?

QrizB

Your supply won't stop immediately but they might decide to charge you at the single-rate SVT (this is what EDF have been doing). This could cost you quite a lot of extra money if you have electric heating. You should try to get a smart meter fitted before winter arrives.

The meter is obsolete and belongs to OVO, not you. As part of your supply contract you have agreed to let OVO fit metering equipment, and so if you prevent them from doing so they could in extremis disconnect you. It's unlikely to ever go this far, however; more likely they'll get a court order and change your meter without your consent.

Keep_pedalling

How do you heat your home and hot water?

Northern_Wanderer

If you have an RTS meter controlling the times when your storage heaters come on then yes, you do need to get a new meter. The RTS signal is being phased out from 30/06/2025 as the technology is obsolete. Whether or not Ovo can get the new meter to communictae with the network is a different matter, but they are trying.

Scot_39

Spendybendy said:

Help ! Ovo are telling us that our electricity supply will stop if we dont make the switch from our RTS meter to a smart meter. We dont have a need to change it. Are they scaremongering?

You are wrong - you do have a need to change it - as Ovo - who it "belongs to" - are telling you you need to change it or suffer whatever treatment they choose - within the Ofgem license conditions.

And with passing date of 30th June, certainly at one stage other protections like RRMI single rate single standing charge deals for complex twin meter systems were also set to expire. So one poster says his EDF letter says he will now pay - but has yet to billed 2 standing charges on 2 single rate now meters.

There is a lot of speculation as to what may or may not happen - to meters which are no longer actively supported.  They might work off of old data, they might fail. There are no guarantees.

The RTS is now in a phased shutdown - its not imaginary anymore - its real - no  one is planning to pay the BBC to maintan the transmitter much longer - its AFAIK still happening later this year - and the start data has passed.

The safest thing for to suppliers to assume - is that failure - or even getting out of time sync - is much more than a remote possibility.

And its far too late to imagine that some other supplier is going to be any different in how they deal with people who have not had their old meters replaced - try getting quotes on line - many I suspect will fail to offer you anything if on an old related meter / twin meter set-up for instance.

The old deadline for RTS passed in Mar 2024, the new one passed on 30th June 2025 - and you are saying Ovo have only just contacted you ?

That I woud say arguably a legitimate case for complaint.

And remember - they have a right to change their meter - at any time of their chosing - and if its genuinely RTS - under Ofgem end of life rules - that means it will be by a smart meter.

Your only real course of action is to get an appointment booked, hopefully get on the most suitable tariff Ovo are now willing to offer - and if that doesn't suit - try to find something better at another supplier.

Ectophile

It's unlikely that you will lose your electricity supply.  But you will probably be switched to day rate 24 hours a day.

The RTS signal piggy backs on the BBC Radio 4 long wave transmitter.  But nobody listens to long wave any more, and the BBC wants to turn the thing off, as they have to pay a company to maintain it.  The transmitter is old and uses two very large and very specialised valves.  The valves aren't being made any more, and the stock of spares is running out.

Every year, the BBC is persuaded to keep the transmitter going a bit longer until all the RTS meters are replaced.  But one day, the stock of spare valves will run out, and the transmitter will shut down.  The BBC have no intention of paying for a new transmitter to replace it.

SAC2334

Scot_39 said:

Spendybendy said:

Help ! Ovo are telling us that our electricity supply will stop if we dont make the switch from our RTS meter to a smart meter. We dont have a need to change it. Are they scaremongering?

You are wrong - you do have a need to change it - as Ovo - who it "belongs to" - are telling you you need to change it or suffer whatever treatment they choose - within the Ofgem license conditions.

And with passing date of 30th June, certainly at one stage other protections like RRMI single rate single standing charge deals for complex twin meter systems were also set to expire. So one poster says his EDF letter says he will now pay - but has yet to billed 2 standing charges on 2 single rate now meters.

There is a lot of speculation as to what may or may not happen - to meters which are no longer actively supported.  They might work off of old data, they might fail. There are no guarantees.

The RTS is now in a phased shutdown - its not imaginary anymore - its real - no  one is planning to pay the BBC to maintan the transmitter much longer - its AFAIK still happening later this year - and the start data has passed.

The safest thing for to suppliers to assume - is that failure - or even getting out of time sync - is much more than a remote possibility.

And its far too late to imagine that some other supplier is going to be any different in how they deal with people who have not had their old meters replaced - try getting quotes on line - many I suspect will fail to offer you anything if on an old related meter / twin meter set-up for instance.

The old deadline for RTS passed in Mar 2024, the new one passed on 30th June 2025 - and you are saying Ovo have only just contacted you ?

That I woud say arguably a legitimate case for complaint.

And remember - they have a right to change their meter - at any time of their chosing - and if its genuinely RTS - under Ofgem end of life rules - that means it will be by a smart meter.

Your only real course of action is to get an appointment booked, hopefully get on the most suitable tariff Ovo are now willing to offer - and if that doesn't suit - try to find something better at another supplier.

My Pal up in Aberdeenshire has a THTC meter and actually managed to switch from SSE ( Ovo ) out of their clutches to EDF and was very happy at the lower rates . A few weeks ago they sent him a letter to say his rates from July 1 were increasing to 25 p kwh / high rate and 25 p kwh low rate .A single tariff which I thought was very high for any low rate in the UK . However yesterday he got a letter to say it was an error and his low rate would be at 14.75 p a kwh not 25 p kwh .
Hes one of these who does not want a smart meter and is making no effort to help EDF fit one and accept an appoitment to have one installed so we will have to see what happens when the BBC get round to doing the phased withdrawel of RTS .I would expect they may leave North Scotland to the last minute .
Have you any idea if the BBC has already started the phased shut down anywhere in the UK yet ?
EDIT
Looking around on the internet I  came up info  about the company called Electralink who have published data on the smart meter changes to radioteleswitch meters .This was dated  4 June 2025 .
By June 30 th 350,000 RTS meters will need changing with energy companies switching 800 per day 
They quote March 2027 as a guide to when all the meters have been changed . 

debitcardmayhem

@SAC2334 edf are getting them selves in a mess, read https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6614885/here-i-go-again#latest
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6622144/smart-meter-advice#latest
and another one i can’t remember

QrizB

SAC2334 said:

... However yesterday he got a letter to say it was an error and his low rate would be at 14.75 p a kwh not 25 p kwh .

Presumably his high (day) rate is now something like 32p?

https://www.edfenergy.com/sites/default/files/2025-06/DM1903-STANDARD-VARIABLE-DEEMED-AND-WELCOME-JULY-RATES.pdf

SAC2334

QrizB said:

SAC2334 said:

... However yesterday he got a letter to say it was an error and his low rate would be at 14.75 p a kwh not 25 p kwh .

Presumably his high (day) rate is now something like 32p?

https://www.edfenergy.com/sites/default/files/2025-06/DM1903-STANDARD-VARIABLE-DEEMED-AND-WELCOME-JULY-RATES.pdf

He sent me his last three bills . He switched to EDF on a complex meter on the THTC tariff from SSE .His tariff with EDF is called Standard Variable  Heating .
 Latest biils are being charged at 24.564 khw high rate and 14.785 for the low rate .  Daily charge  is 55 898 .He has a radioteleswitch meter plus another meter but recieves one MPAN now since Ovo took over SSE billing .
He seems reasonably happy with these rates and is sticking with EDF 

WiserMiser

Scot_39 said:

Spendybendy said:

Help ! Ovo are telling us that our electricity supply will stop if we dont make the switch from our RTS meter to a smart meter. We dont have a need to change it. Are they scaremongering?

There is a lot of speculation as to what may or may not happen - to meters which are no longer actively supported.  They might work off of old data, they might fail. There are no guarantees.

Scot_39 said:

Spendybendy said:

Help ! Ovo are telling us that our electricity supply will stop if we don't make the switch from our RTS meter to a smart meter. We don't have a need to change it. Are they scaremongering?

There is a lot of speculation as to what may or may not happen - to meters which are no longer actively supported.  They might work off of old data, they might fail. There are no guarantees.

Domestic RTSs would continue on their last downloaded schedules if the signal ceased.  Most users wouldn't notice any difference unless they had a weather-related tariff such as THTC or Weathercall which changes from day to day.

Scot_39 said:

The RTS is now in a phased shutdown - it's not imaginary any more - it's real - no one is planning to pay the BBC to maintain the transmitter much longer - it's AFAIK still happening later this year

The shut down date is now 26-9-26.