More than 6,000 Dumfries and Galloway properties still rely on RTS meters

Daily Record

27-05-2025

The system is due to be switched off at the end of next month, meaning people are at risk of losing control of their heating and hot water systems.
More than 6,000 properties across Dumfries and Galloway are still using electricity meters that will stop working within weeks.
And new figures show that the vast majority of them are likely to still have a radio teleswitching service (RTS) meter installed when the service is switched off at the end of June.
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That means they're at risk of losing control of their heating and hot water systems.
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The figures have been revealed by the Scottish Liberal Democrats and Energy Action Scotland.
Lib Dem MSP, Beatrice Wishart, said: 'The RTS switch-off has been depressing, frustrating and entirely avoidable. Frankly it is a national disgrace.
'We have weeks until the deadline but the energy companies are still so far behind. No
one should be left without basic hot water or heating.
'Across Scotland, it will take more than a year for all remaining RTS meters to be exchanged.
'We have been promised technological fixes in advance of the switch off, yet we are, at the 59th minute of the 11th hour, still finding that there has been limited development in technology or greater connectivity to the smart metersignal.'
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The data shows that as of April 18, 124,864 properties across Scotland still relied on meters using the RTS system, which controls when they switch between peak and off-peak rates.
There were 6,218 properties with a Dumfries and Galloway postcode still with the RTS system – a drop of just 413 or 10 a day from the figure onMarch 7.
At that rate, there would still be 5,510 properties using RTS by the end of June.
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And it would take 632 days – more than 20 months – for all properties to be changed to a new system unless the process is sped up.
Chief executive of Advice Direct Scotland, Andrew Bartlett, said: 'With less than six weeks to go until the deadline, these figures lay bare the scale of the challenge ahead.
'The replacement rate simply isn't fast enough and must urgently speed up.
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'We are continuing to see a rise in the number of calls from worried households and expect this to increase as we get nearer to June 30.
'The system isn't working as it should, putting thousands at risk of losing heating or hot water.
'Anyone who thinks they might be affected should act now and contact their supplier. If you know someone with an RTS meter, especially if vulnerable, encourage them to act.
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'Free advice is available at energyadvice.scot or by calling 0808 196 8660.'
Director for retail pricing and systems at Ofgem, Charlotte Friel, said: 'We have been continually monitoring the industry's efforts to replace RTS meters as this ageing infrastructure reaches the end of its life.
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'Last year we decided more needed to be done so convened the sector and made clear to suppliers they have to move faster.
'Following that intervention, the rate of meter replacements has increase from around 1,000 a month to more than 1,000 a day.
'However suppliers need to do more and ensure customers are protected from detriment, which is why industry is putting in place a phased area-by-area shutdown beginning from June 30.
'We have made clear that the signal serving a specific area should not be switched off until suppliers have demonstrated that they are ready and able to respond quickly to any issues customers experience.'