We spoke to our colleague Susan to find out how she’s been impacted by the RTS shutdown.
A lot of people are worried about the RTS (Radio Teleswitch Service) shutdown on 30 June 2025. When the RTS signal is turned off, any electricity meters that rely on it will no longer work properly.
On our RTS shutdown page you’ll find lots of helpful advice on this topic. We can help you work out whether you’ll be affected by the shutdown, and what to do next.
Susan’s RTS story so far
Our colleague Susan is one of the many people across Scotland who needs to change her meter before the shutdown. Her home in Orkney has electric storage heating and relies on the RTS to work properly. We spoke to Susan to find out about her experience so far.
How did you know you had an RTS meter?
I didn’t! I only found out when my energy supplier sent me a text message. They said I’d need to make an appointment so they could switch my meter.
A lot of people seem to be struggling to get appointments. What’s your experience been?
When I replied to the text message, my supplier told me they didn’t have any appointments. They told me I should call back in three weeks and try again. But this happened three times and each time I got the same response.
Did you get an appointment in the end?
When I called back a third time and still couldn’t get an appointment, I raised a complaint. My supplier offered £30 as compensation for the delays, but still didn’t offer a date for the appointment.
I was disappointed with my supplier’s service, so I filled out an online form on the Energy Ombudsman website. The Energy Ombudsman helps people resolve issues with their energy supplier.
I got another text from my supplier and now have an appointment on 15 February.
Will you be switching to a smart meter?
I asked about getting a smart meter when I bought my house two years ago. However, at the time I was told it wasn’t possible to have one. I still don’t know whether I can get a smart meter, but I should find out at the appointment. I hope I can get one, as my electricity bills are very high and a smart meter would help me monitor and reduce costs.
Are you worried about the RTS shutdown?
I am worried about what my energy tariff will be and that my supplier’s call centre staff aren’t aware of how storage heaters work. Some of the tariffs they offered me would involve the heaters charging during the day and then releasing heat at night, which isn’t appropriate.
I’m also concerned about running electrical appliances during the night for fire safety reasons.
I think there should be a tariff for rural all electric households or some kind of government support for us.
Based on your experience so far, what advice would you give other people who need to switch their meter?
I’d say to keep pushing with your supplier and complain to the Energy Ombudsman if they don’t help.
Coming up…
We’re very grateful to Susan for sharing her experience. We’ll be checking in after her appointment on 15 February. We’ll find out what happened at the appointment and if Susan’s home was successfully switched over to a new meter and tariff.