RTS Meter Switch-Off: What to Do If You Still Have One

What was the Radio Teleswitch Service?

RTS was a long-wave radio system introduced in the 1980s. It sent instructions to certain electricity meters so they could move between peak and off-peak rates and switch dedicated heating or hot-water circuits on and off. It was used mainly in electrically heated homes, including properties with storage heaters and immersion heaters.

The equipment behind the signal reached the end of its operational life. Suppliers therefore carried out a managed phase-out rather than turning every meter off at once. Energy UK says that phase-out was completed on 30 June 2026, and Ofgem now states that support for RTS meters has ended.

RTS and DTS describe closely related legacy arrangements. They are not the same as every Economy 7 meter: some two-rate meters use an internal clock or smart-meter schedule instead. Your supplier can check its records if the equipment or bill is unclear.

How to tell whether you still have an RTS or DTS meter

Look at the fixed electricity meter and the equipment beside it without removing any cover. A separate box may be marked “Radio Teleswitch”, “Radio Telemeter” or similar. The teleswitch can also be built into the same casing as the meter, so the absence of a separate black box does not rule it out.

You are more likely to have had RTS equipment if your home uses electric storage heating or an immersion heater, has no mains gas, or is on a legacy multi-rate tariff. Names can include Economy 7, Economy 10, Total Heat Total Control, ComfortPlus and other restricted-hours tariffs. A bill showing more than one electricity rate is a clue, but it is not proof that the meter uses RTS.

Photograph the meter, labels and serial number, then contact the supplier named on your electricity bill. Ask it to confirm whether the meter point still has RTS or DTS equipment and whether a replacement has been completed. Do not rely on appearance alone or touch seals, cables or switches.

• Check for a separate teleswitch box or a radio teleswitch label.
• Check whether the bill has peak and off-peak rates or a legacy heating tariff name.
• Ask the supplier to verify the meter type from its records.

What can happen now RTS support has ended?

An unsupported meter may fail to change rates or control circuits correctly. Storage heaters might charge during expensive daytime hours, hot water might remain on or off, and the supplier may be unable to identify how much electricity was used in each rate period. The exact effect depends on how the meter and heating circuits were configured.

Do not wait for a cold day to investigate. If heating or hot water behaves unexpectedly, record what happened, note the time, take safe photographs of the meter display and contact the electricity supplier. If the whole property has lost power, also check whether neighbours are affected and follow your network operator’s power-cut advice.

Keep bills and readings from before and after any fault. They can help the supplier correct consumption allocated to the wrong rate. A portable in-home display is not the meter itself, so use readings from the fixed meter when the supplier asks for evidence.

How to arrange the replacement

Contact your electricity supplier, not the local network operator, to arrange the metering work. The normal replacement is a smart meter configured to provide suitable peak and off-peak periods and to control the relevant heating or hot-water circuits. Citizens Advice says you should not be charged for the standard smart-meter installation, although moving a meter to a different position can involve a charge.

A standard smart meter may not be suitable at every property, for example where communications are difficult or the wiring is unusually complex. The supplier still needs to discuss an appropriate metering solution. Citizens Advice notes that a special meter can be preset with switching times where a normal smart connection is not available.

Before accepting an appointment, tell the supplier about every controlled appliance and separate consumer unit. Mention storage heaters, panel heaters, an immersion heater, underfloor heating and any dedicated off-peak circuit. Also explain any access needs or vulnerability and ask about the Priority Services Register if extra support would help.

• Confirm which meter and control equipment will be removed.
• Ask which tariff, rates and switching times will apply afterwards.
• Confirm that every heating and hot-water circuit will still be controlled.
• Ask what to do and whom to call if the system fails after installation.

Check the tariff and bill after replacement

A replacement meter should support a tariff suitable for your home, but the tariff name, rate periods or number of registers can change. Ask the supplier to explain the new peak and off-peak times in writing. Do not assume that Rate 1 is off peak: register labels vary, and the supplier should confirm how each one maps to the bill.

Take clear meter readings once the installation is complete and keep the final readings from the old meter if the engineer provides them. Check the first bill for the correct removal reading, installation reading, meter serial number, tariff rates and allocation between registers.

For example, suppose a 30-day bill records 180 kWh at an illustrative 30p peak rate and 260 kWh at a 15p off-peak rate, with a 55p daily standing charge. The peak use costs £54, off-peak use costs £39 and the standing charge costs £16.50, giving £109.50 in total. If all 440 kWh has appeared on one register, or the heating ran outside the agreed times, ask the supplier to investigate rather than accepting the allocation.

Renters, shared meters and complaints

If the electricity account is in your name and you pay the supplier directly, Energy Saving Trust says you can arrange the meter replacement yourself. Tell the landlord because the work affects the property’s heating controls. If the landlord, housing association or managing agent pays for the electricity, contact that organisation and pass on any supplier letters.

For a shared or communal arrangement, contact the person or company you pay for energy. Make clear if the meter controls heating or hot water in more than one home, because the replacement may need coordination.

If an appointment is repeatedly delayed, the proposed tariff does not match the home’s heating setup, or a replacement leaves you without heating or hot water, make a formal complaint to the supplier and ask for urgent support. Citizens Advice can provide independent consumer help. Keep appointment records, photographs, meter readings and bills so the problem and any extra cost can be assessed.

Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The RTS phase-out described here applies to electricity customers in England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has a separate electricity market and metering arrangements. If you live in Northern Ireland and are unsure about a multi-rate or heating-control meter, contact your electricity supplier or the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland rather than applying Ofgem’s Great Britain process.