RTS METER SWITCH

Northern_Wanderer

WiserMiser said:

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

Do you have a link for that please?

Scot_39

WiserMiser said:

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.

Have Elexon extended the provision for and the collection of fees for the broadcast of RTS signal to that date.

They must have extended it at some point from Mar 2024 to 30th June - just havent searched their site for any changes.

The transmitters can go on longer than the service using part of their output, the reverse obviously cannot.

WiserMiser

Northern_Wanderer said:

WiserMiser said:

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

Do you have a link for that please?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Radio_4

https://mediumwave.info/2025/08/13/united-kingdom-526/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXQ7qXQxHgU&t=20s

https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Still-Speaking-to-the-Nations-Report-on-BBC-Longwave-Transmissions.pdf

There was a better reference on a respected technical radio website that quoted a highly reliable source as saying that Arqiva staff had been told the revised date. Unfortunately I can't find it again.

doodling

Hi,

WiserMiser said:

Northern_Wanderer said:

WiserMiser said:

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

Do you have a link for that please?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Radio_4

https://mediumwave.info/2025/08/13/united-kingdom-526/

There was a better reference on a respected technical radio website that quoted a highly reliable source as saying that Arqiva staff had been told the revised date. Unfortunately I can't find it again.

Neither of those are relevant original sources and the position is therefore open to question.

Note that closure of RTS is partially a decision of the electricity industry - please provide an authoritive reference from a relevant source (e.g. Ofgem).

WiserMiser

doodling said:

Hi,

WiserMiser said:

Northern_Wanderer said:

WiserMiser said:

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

Do you have a link for that please?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Radio_4

https://mediumwave.info/2025/08/13/united-kingdom-526/

There was a better reference on a respected technical radio website that quoted a highly reliable source as saying that Arqiva staff had been told the revised date. Unfortunately I can't find it again.

Neither of those are relevant original sources and the position is therefore open to question.
Note that closure of RTS is partially a decision of the electricity industry - please provide an authoritive reference from a relevant source (e.g. Ofgem).

See the extra links I've now added to my post.

Scot_39

Scot_39 said:

WiserMiser said:

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.

Have Elexon extended the provision for and the collection of fees for the broadcast of RTS signal to that date.

They must have extended it at some point from Mar 2024 to 30th June - just havent searched their site for any changes.

The transmitters can go on longer than the service using part of their output, the reverse obviously cannot.

Elexon have increased funding provision through cost sharing, by a max estimate of £9.7m but thats only for this financial year.
In light of the the electralink data actually linked in the elexon cost doc amendment here
https://www.elexon.co.uk/elexondocuments/about/finances-report-policies/business-plan/elexon-business-plan-2025-26-addendum-30-june-2025/
Which appears to have adjusted rates to cover a SVA charge rate for the extension only until Nov 25 reverting to original in Dec.

There is sadly no mention of a hard end date, and not sure if the costs allocated to year ending Mar 26, actually cover either the BBC Sep deadline posted above or the even later electralink 2027 predictions.
But also note the comment that the old £1.8m was based on completion between June 30th and Sep - which I assume was Sep 2025 not 2026 - but ...

There's also a funding argument triggered by Centrica going on to shift rts cost purely onto suppliers pro rata to number of rts meters they have failed to replace at cutoff date.
Obviously some suppliers SP and EDF two I say at top of 1 response table - were not in agreement, but on a quick scan of a couple of the proposal summary tables - more respondents were than not - search Elexon P491 if interested

And note Ofgem is still hedging its bets on rts to smart,  as this page still, has a not able and a not willing advice section  despite reflecting the now phased shutdown, so cannot be that old.
https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/information-consumers/energy-advice-households/replacing-your-radio-teleswitch-electricity-meter

Scot_39

So if hit their max 9.7m on top of old 1.8m

£11.5m / 375k (figure used in Elexon letter) = c£31 per old RTS meter customer

With replacements theoretically increasing by the day - arguably should take half that 375k number - so double that figure - c£61 worst case  (if ignore the cants or the wonts)

But at some point their just probably going to pull the plug - or have BBC do it for them - leaving some of that 375k behind.

And why do I suspect that, when skimming Ofgem site - their was an instruction for suppliers to have a priority support arrangements in place - to support those whos meter may malfunction during the phased shutdown - who may lose power or part power for HW / heating - as of Aug 1st.  

So I wouldn't say theres a lot of evidence of either Ofgem or Elexon planning to support a  universal extension for all RTS meters to late 2026.

Northern_Wanderer

I asked for a source as I have not been able to find anything to suggest any extension, just that it is a phased switch off since 30th June 2025.

If someone manages to have the smart meter fitted (was THTC storage heaters), was communicating readings and now not communicating. Am I right in thinking their heating may not switch on as the meter won't be getting told to do so by supplier? They haven't got a pre-programmed meter. Now having to wait 2 months for engineer, so don't appear to be getting "prioritised" as they should......

QrizB

Northern_Wanderer said:

 Am I right in thinking their heating may not switch on as the meter won't be getting told to do so by supplier?

If the meter was correctly commissioned as an E7 (or whatever tariff) meter, including ALCS switching, those settings will remain in place until their supplier updates them.

Do they have an ALCS-switched immersion heater? Is that heating water at the expected times, and incrementing the off-peak register?

Northern_Wanderer

SAC2334 said:

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 ?
 

There is a large focus North Scotland as problems with remoteness of some areas, signal issues and the volume of RTS meters there. Not enough meters and not enough engineers. If your friend has indeed got an RTS meter and storage heaters, I strongly suggest they contact their supplier to dicuss this upgrade. We are in August. Do they really want to risk potentially not having a heating system and then perhaps there not be any availability of meters or engineers to get the heating back on? 

A smart meter is not compulsory but will be the first choice of what is installed. If that is not possible, supplier will have to come up with a solution that will update metering. 

It's very sad that we have got to this point and it was left to the last minute. Discussions about this issue have been ongoing for 10 years or so. 

I'm not a smart meter fan BTW, but the obsolete technolgy MUST be replaced. If I still had THTC, I would be getting a smart meter. Very bad idea to leave to last minute and there are certainly issues with installations that need to be rectified which takes time. Please tell your friend not to delay any more.