Households with older style meters face loss of heating or hot water (Image: Getty)
UK households with one type of old energy meter are being warned to act now or risk problems with their heating and hot water cutting out.
Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) meters are used in many older properties to switch to cheap energy at night to run night storage heaters, electric water tanks and other energy appliances.
But the RTS meters are being phased out, meaning households that have not had their meter replaced could see systems stop working as normal and lead to a loss of heating or hot water.
Justin Nielsen, energy consultant at Wolf River Electric, says the biggest mistake is assuming this is only a billing issue.
He said: “If you have an RTS meter, this is not something to put in the drawer and deal with later. This is not just about how your electricity is charged. In some homes, the meter setup is linked to heating and hot water timings.
“If that signal stops working properly and your meter has not been replaced, you could have heating or hot water coming on at the wrong time, staying on too long, not switching on properly, or causing billing confusion.”
An RTS meter is an older type of electricity meter that receives a radio signal to switch between different electricity rates. These meters were commonly used for homes on off-peak tariffs, such as Economy 7, particularly where households used electric storage heaters or water heating systems.
Justin added: “The easiest way to understand it is that the radio signal tells the meter when cheaper and more expensive periods begin and end.
“For many households, that has worked in the background for years. The problem is that the technology behind it is now being phased out, so homes still relying on it need a replacement meter.
“Not everyone on Economy 7 has an RTS meter, and not everyone with an old meter will be affected. But if you use electric storage heating or have an older multi-rate electricity setup, it is worth checking.”
Energy suppliers have been contacting affected customers to arrange meter replacements, but Justin warned households should not ignore letters, emails or phone calls from their supplier.
He said: “The most important thing is to respond to your supplier. If they have written to you about an RTS meter, do not assume it is a sales pitch or a routine upgrade message. This is a practical household issue. If you miss the replacement appointment or never book one, you may end up dealing with disruption later.”
He said households that are unsure whether they have an RTS meter should contact their electricity supplier and ask directly.
Justin said: “You do not need to diagnose the meter yourself if you are unsure. Call the supplier and ask: do I have an RTS or DTS meter, and does it need replacing? That one question could save a lot of confusion.”
According to Justin, households should pay particular attention if they have storage heaters, an electric hot water cylinder, two electricity rates, or a meter with separate day and night readings.
He said: “If your bill shows day and night rates, or if your heating and hot water have always switched on automatically at certain times, you should be more alert.
“Another clue is if you have a separate teleswitch box near the electricity meter, or if the meter has labels mentioning radio teleswitch, RTS, DTS, off-peak, peak, low rate or high rate.”
He added: “People should not panic, but they should check. The danger is not knowing you are affected until something stops working properly.”