Most people have an RTS meter at home. RTS are set to be switched out from June 2025. Different reasons are available for why meters are affected. This meter-controlled radio signal triggers switching with the heating circuit and off-peak rates. RTS receives signals from the radio to switch between electricity rates or certain appliances for a specific duration of time. The radio tele switch service always used radio signals, and the electricity can switch between off-peak and peak rates.
How will the RTS switch-off meter work?
This teleswitch service is not working; more so, these can be replaced as soon as possible. This era of switching of RTS starts from 30th June 2025, which is the most recent date. These are separate in various groups, and they’re switched off for different time durations in different months.
This change will considerably affect the home, and services must be switched to a different system. Your RTS must be scheduled to turn off the electric energy, and your supplier should tell you weeks ago before the RTS switches off. This meter is replaceable with other services, so you have to be aware of them also.
What do RTS meters do?
RTS switches electricity rates through receiving radio signals, and different appliances turn on and off according to the scheduled timings. Some of them are here as follows:
- At night time the electricity economy is 7 or 10 tariffs.
- RTS controls total heat and comfort.
- This system of water heating is controlled by this.
- The radio signal-making technology is not available, and it’s switched off now.
Rts meter uk
Quantity of RTS-meters in the UK
Ofgen calculates the quantity of RTS-based meters, and it’s around 800,000 meters in the UK, which need to be replaced now.
How do I know that I am using the RTS-meter?
There are some attributes and features that indicate that you are using RTS.
- If you use a heating system to heat your home.If the tariff price of electricity drops or is raised at different times in a day.
- If a small box is attached to an electricity meter, which is labelled with the radio teleswitch name.
- The code on electricity bills starts with the letter ‘S’ and is available in two types, which shows that these numbers are supply numbers.
- If your home does not have a gas installation, then it means the meter is RTS.
Suggestion;
You must be in contact with your electricity supplier to know about your meter, whether it needs to be changed in the future or in the present, with complete information and details.
What are the benefits of upgrading to a smart meter rather than an RTS?
Different things can make your existing tariff switch to a smart meter, so there are some benefits. Manual setup and fixing are also easy with this system, and very flexible whenever you need to change.
The benefits of switching to smart meters are here:
- The meter accurately shows the amount of energy bills without any doubt.
- These are better and best to use because the use of energy is low due to smart meters.
- These are the most energy-saving and money-saving meters.
- Smart meters automatically adjust when the circuits are turned ON and OFF, and also depend on the tariff.
What if I don’t upgrade my meter?
If your meter is not updated, then the heating system of your home, which provides hot water, may be affected. Switching off and on in this system can happen at any time of the day, which will raise or drop the temperature of your home and water.
This will also affect the electricity usage in your peak hours of the day. The complexity of your energy bills will increase because your electricity source can be higher when you don’t know the readings of the meter.
The upgraded heating system is so good for you because the radio teleswitch control meter needs to be replaced and is easier to do as soon as it can be.
Risks of using the RTS-meter
- It totally relies on radio signals, which helps to switch heat circuits ON and OFF with the casual of peak tariffs whose economy is mostly 7.
- RTS services are switched out on the 30th June so that these signals cannot be possible to received to pursue this system anymore.
- It can affect your complete heating system and stop working at the wrong times, so that your home’s electricity is going to waste all day, which affects your energy bills badly, and saving money is also not possible in that case.
- EDF warns that the heating system, which is used to heat the water, can be switched off, and also the meter should be replaced without electricity instructions.
- Loss of Tariff control can also happen. If the meter is not replaced on time, then it can affect the switching and rates.
- The system can fail and be unreliable because this technology dates back ages, so it’s good to switch before the final shutdown.
How to avoid the risk
You must be aware of avoiding the risk that can affect the home heating system, so here are some suggestions to follow.
- You must contact your electricity supplier to take action on short notice if you have having RTS meter.
- Free meter replacement is also good to arrange before it’s a complete power outage.
- You have to confirm the tariff options.
Why did the UK ban the RTS system?
The technology has become outdated now. Here are the causes that can explain the reasons RTS is banned in the UK
- The radio teleswitch service is an age-old system to control the peak electricity tariffs.
- The BBC radio remotes reliance of long wave radio signals, which give instructions to different electricity meters.
- This system is as long as it is, so that its design also does not work as the digital networks work.
- RTS infrastructure is also no longer available.
- This technology is not able to maintain for a long time period, so that RTS meters are not able to switch more energy between rates, making it less reliable.
- Now in the UK, smart meters are rolling out, and the UK government is making them available nationwide with new and smart technology.
- Also, they are allowing remote readings and flexible tariffs with real-time energy monitoring.
- The UK is terminating the services of RTS because the BBC is shutting down transmitting radio signals nationwide in the UK, and they are being replaced with smart digital meters. Reliability issues with frequent switching happen, and RTS failure and errors also pose a risk to use.
Rts meter UK 2025 shutdown
Alternatives to the RTS-meter
The UK radio teleswitch service will permanently shut down on 30th June 2025. Many households and businesses have been using this meter, and now they have to switch to the modern and smart meters, which are good for the future.
The UK offers an alternative for RTS replacements:
Smart meters
- Energy suppliers recommend the replacement of RTS with Smart meters, and this is also known as the second-generation meter. These meters can work without radio signals.
- Automatic switching between off-peak and peak rates.
- Smart Meter always provides accuracy in readings.
- Its compatibility with the time of view tariffs is great.
- You can monitor it on an in-home display.
Dual-rate smart meter
- It easily handles day and night tariff automatically, and it maintains an economy of 7 to 10.
- The billing structure remains the same.
- This meter is independent and does not depend on radio signals.
- Dual-rate smart meters are fully monitored automatically.
Smart linked heating control
- Most of the households in the UK use the RTS for electric heating. Now it’s easy to install these smart linked controlling systems.
- You can easily control a smart heating system with digital timers.
- It can easily control the heating period based on peak pricing.
- This can charge the Heater storage in low-peak-rate hours.
Discover how Smart Heating Controls can help replace outdated RTS meters with efficient, automated energy solutions.
Smart tariff and time of use plans
- The smart meters have a new timer with automatic tariff adjustment of your electricity rates for a whole day.
- The economy remains‘ RTS in the UK, and this technology is decades old for homes.ins 7 by 10, and the rate remains cheap at night also.
- Flexible tariff electricity and vehicles, and water heating, also require low demand.
- The tariff prices are dynamic, and you can control them through apps to shift your energy into low peak times.
Energy management system
- Large businesses in big companies usually use this system, which is commercials and suppliers mostly offer digital energy management systems rather than RTS, so that after RTS, this is the best management system to control all sites.
- The automation of the controlling network or system is through a data communication company. The smart meters automate and control the load.
- The flexibility of controlling heating and lighting with zero dependency on radio signals.
Conclusion
The UK has closed RTS services, and this technology is decades old for homes. These meters were offering a control way for off-peak electricity in homes for heating systems. The radio teleswitch signals are not reliable and not sustainable. So that June 2025 closed the functions properly, and now it’s risky to use it more because it may result in misleading billing corrections, and also you can face higher electricity costs.
The smart meters are a good alternative way of RTS because they provide efficiency and are good for future solutions.
As these meters are not only the replacement of RTS functions but also provide data for accurate billing, and provide flexible tariff access. The household energy uses require smart work, and these meters support the UK energy system with good connections, and for the long term.
FAQs
What does the RTS meter look like?
Usually, these meters have two parts: one is the main electricity meter, and the second is the teleswitch box. The black and grey box manufactured with the label ‘’radio teleswitch’’ RTS. Basically, the RTS-meter looks like a standard meter that supplies electricity.
How to identify the RTS meter?
The identification of the RTS meter is easy because it has a radio tele-switch box, which is labelled and also mentions the RTS-meter.
What is an RTS electric meter?
This meter uses radio signals to switch the electricity rate between peak hours and off-peak hours. Automatic electric RTS meter sets the economy on 7 for storage heater systems.
When were the UK RTS meters installed?
The RTS system is old, and it was first installed in the UK in 1980 to control the off-peak electricity rates in multiple homes with Economy 7 tariffs, heating storage.
What is the RTS meter cut-down date?
RTS shut down in the UK. Because the radio teleswitch service was old and not reliable in the UK, the Energy Authority has decided to shut it down on 30th June 2025, and the meters will stop transferring radio signals for further processing.
