Here’s what you need to know about the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) meter switch off on 30 June 2025.
See if you’re eligible for an electric storage heater grant.
What is the Radio Teleswitch Service?
The Radio Teleswitch Service, also known as RTS, is a radio signal introduced in the 1980s and used by some older electricity meters. The Radio Teleswitch Service allows electricity storage heaters, panel heaters or immersion heaters that use this technology to switch between peak and off-peak rates. As the RTS equipment is coming to the end of its working lifetime, the radio signal can’t be adequately maintained and will be switched off on 30 June 2025.
Without the technology to tell Radio Teleswitch Service meters when to swap between peak and off-peak rates. This would have an impact on heating and hot water supply functioning as normal. If you have a Radio Teleswitch Service meter, your electricity supplier will get in touch to arrange an upgrade to a smart meter before this deadline.
The June 2025 deadline is across all electricity suppliers. All impacted customers should be contacted to discuss exchanging their meters before the service is turned off. Your electricity supplier should ensure you have a suitable meter installed, and that your service is not disrupted.
What happens if I don’t update my Radio Teleswitch Service Meter?
If you don’t upgrade your RTS meter, you could find that your heating and hot water are charging up at the wrong time of day or are continually left on. This could mean your electricity costs are much higher than before.
If you have a Radio Teleswitch-controlled meter, it’s best to get this upgraded so you don’t stumble across any issues when the service ends on 30 June 2025.
Can I upgrade my electric storage heaters?
If you’ve got old and inefficient storage heaters, you could benefit from upgrading these to the newer models. Newer models are more energy efficient and will help lower your electricity usage, so you have lower heating bills.
Grants for free storage heaters are available under schemes such as ECO. If you’re eligible, you could get free electric storage heaters, alongside other measures such as insulation and solar panels.
See if you’re eligible for grant funding for new electric storage heaters here.