RTS METER SWITCH

tghe-retford

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).

Not a relevant source? Both of those sources have decades of radio experience between them with several confidential sources confirming the news to one of them (confidential because exposing their identities would risk their jobs and careers). Is it because they are in the forms of a blog, a website and a YouTuber so therefore can be dismissed away? Is the only reliable source a direct statement from the Director General of the BBC, the CEO of Arqiva and the CEO of Ofgem? Because due to non-discloure agreements and contractual obligations, that will never happen.

From the best sources we have, the signal that carries Radio Tele Switch - BBC Radio 4 Long Wave -  will cease on September 26, 2026 and the organisation that runs the transmitters has been informed. RTS users such as the OP need to switch to smart meters or another solution by then. There is no keep a blank carrier going to keep RTS going solution that will happen as there will be no power to the transmitters by then.

Northern_Wanderer

QrizB said:

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?

I'm not sure at this point, have asked them to check briefly if heating would come on at correct time. It was a THTC system so a completely separate circuit, completely different to economy 7.

I just looked up ALCS, so thanks for that pointer. https://www.smartme.co.uk/load-control

doodling

tghe-retford said:

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).

Not a relevant source? Both of those sources have decades of radio experience between them with several confidential sources confirming the news to one of them (confidential because exposing their identities would risk their jobs and careers). Is it because they are in the forms of a blog, a website and a YouTuber so therefore can be dismissed away? Is the only reliable source a direct statement from the Director General of the BBC, the CEO of Arqiva and the CEO of Ofgem? Because due to non-discloure agreements and contractual obligations, that will never happen.

From the best sources we have, the signal that carries Radio Tele Switch - BBC Radio 4 Long Wave -  will cease on September 26, 2026 and the organisation that runs the transmitters has been informed. RTS users such as the OP need to switch to smart meters or another solution by then. There is no keep a blank carrier going to keep RTS going solution that will happen as there will be no power to the transmitters by then.

Your assertion that Wikipedia is a robust source of anything is laughable.  The specialist radio site referenced may be more reliable but I have no way of verifying that.

I didn't comment on a blog or a YouTube  channel so I have no idea what you're talking about there.

This is an energy discussion forum and so far I have seen no evidence the dates this year quoted by energy suppliers should be considered cbanged in any way.

I suspect from your penultimate sentence  we agree with each other but feel free to be indignant if you wish.

Scot_39

Northern_Wanderer said:

QrizB said:

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?

I'm not sure at this point, have asked them to check briefly if heating would come on at correct time. It was a THTC system so a completely separate circuit, completely different to economy 7.

I just looked up ALCS, so thanks for that pointer. https://www.smartme.co.uk/load-control

No e7 isn't different to thtc in terms of tein circuits, its just different fixed timing if e7 with alcs.

Ovo forums have posts regarding replacing thtc rts with e10 configured smart meters with alcs. Its certainly what friends of my uncle were expecting when last talked to him. He left thtc when upgraded heating years ago. 

If they get e10 smart - they have fixed 10hrs split overnight afternoon and evening. But thry might need configured ota to be so after insdall these days. My e10 meter came out of the box set for e10, the fitters had both e7 and e10 in vans (one brought an e7, then had to go back for one with e10 stickers).
Thtc had iirc variable by season 5 to upto 12. Both as its e10 with alcs they were proposing will switch hw and heating. 

Northern_Wanderer

THTC was boosted for up to 10 hrs. The circuits I believe are different to E7 because all hot water, shower, heating with THTC is cheap(er) rate, you have a continually live circuit for boosting heating/ water at any time of day on cheap(er) rate. E7 you only have cheap rate when it's cheap hours, and everything is cheap rate then.

I will check if they know what meter was installed, maybe get a pic?

Scot_39

Yes sorry, your right I get confused between thtc and my aunts who had one of SPs weathercall system in southern Scotland.

My 5 to 12 hrs came from Ovo page

https://www.ovoenergy.com/help/article/electric-heating/other-two-meter-tariffs

And yes that does have the reference to 24/7  heating device circuits.

But the SP brief description here for thtc is less clear which might have thought it was more like my aunts system.

https://www.scottishpower.co.uk/energy-efficiency/energy-efficiency-toolkit/electric-heating

Northern_Wanderer

Ok, but you think the new smart meter that "was" communicating will have stored the times to activate heating and hot water?

Scot_39

YES.

Once set the meter stores the data until set again - e.g. if change tariff or supplier - which normally happens OTA.

But probably still possible locally via local link, like the old typically infra red optical serial comms that could be used as per older digital meters for diagnostics and certain configuration settings.  Its port still present on my old smets1, but their might be a more modern alternative on later smets2.

Ildhund

Scot_39 said:

Once set the meter stores the data until set again - e.g. if change tariff or supplier - which normally happens OTA. But probably still possible locally via local link, like the old typically infra red optical serial comms...

I don't think so. Some things need elevated permissions that meter engineers don't have, which is why they have to ask the techs back at the mothership to make changes OTA to, for example, the ALCS calendar. Useful info, perhaps: SEC Appendix E - DCC User Interface Services Schedule 

Scot_39

But surely thats only those authorised to do so via DCC ?

Thats something Ive never really gotten a handle on - where I have read meter fitters will not fit new smets2 if no signal in some cases - so maybe they now don't have facilities - or rather they are not given access to them.

I should have watched exactly how the meter fitter tested my ALCS on the digital - the smart had a menu / key sequence for it - but only a brief period (and others do have a 1 hour test - which might arguably be called a boost facility even) - the digital 5 port I had pre smart if had that - I certainly wasn't aware of how to access it.

But surely their has to be a way - to set them up without a WAN - even if that means factory defaults or getting a specialist team back at base to do so before / after failure on site / re-install.  Or would that actually rely on WAN at the base.