Campaigners urge Ofgem to draw up ‘crisis plan' ahead of RTS meter switch off next month
Nearly 400,000 homes are still waiting to switch over to a smart meter before the June 30 cut-off date.
Energy campaigners have urged Ofgem to draw up a 'crisis plan' for July 1 when the Radio Teleswitching System (RTS) is switched off, saying hundreds of thousands of households remain likely to face considerable disruption.
Simon Francis, co-ordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, warned MPs that the switch-off is 'doomed to failure', adding that hundreds of thousands of RTS meters will still be in people's homes on the date they are due to be switched off for good.
Energy UK, which represents firms, said 392,000 households still had the meters as of mid April, including 129,814 in Scotland. The RTS system, used by older electricity meters to control heating and hot water, uses a longwave radio frequency to switch between peak and off-peak rates, however, the technology is becoming obsolete and energy companies have a deadline to change their customers' meters by June 30.
But firms have admitted that current rates of replacement mean it is likely that thousands of RTS meters will not have been upgraded before the technology is switched off.
Mr Francis told the Work and Pensions Committee: 'The process is doomed to failure. We are not going to see the RTS switch off on the first of July.
'There's still going to be hundreds of thousands of RTS meters in people's homes on the date that they're saying they're going to start winding down the signal.
'We don't know what is going to happen. The risks that have been outlined are either that your hot water and your heating are always on and you're going to be running up a massive bill, or it's always off, and even in the summer that's going to be disastrous for people, especially pensioners, in not having access to hot water, or it's going to fix in to a mode where it's going to start charging you at the higher rate, and again, that's going to be a real problem.
'And I don't think we've heard anything from industry about which of those is most likely, indeed, it might be a combination of different factors in different areas.'
He added: 'So, it's really concerning and we need the industry and Ofgem to present a crisis plan as to what is going to happen on the first of July, to offset this challenge.'
Most homes have standard meters and will not be affected, whether or not they have a smart meter.
Ned Hammond, Energy UK's deputy director for customers, told the committee that there was 'a lot of work to do here still'.
He said: 'While the replacement rate has increased a lot, it is clearly not at the point it would need to get to, to get down to zero customers by the end of June.
'We're working incredibly hard as an industry with Ofgem and Desnz (The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero) on a carefully managed phase out plan to ensure than we can replace all the RTS meters over time and minimise any of those impacts on customers.
'We're very focused on vulnerable customers in these circumstances, in particular as well, to make sure that we are as much as possible trying to engage with them through different methods to help them through that and also be ready to provide them with any support if there are any of those issues.
'We are working very hard on that plan at the moment and we'll have it in place in time for the end of June.'
Industry regulator Ofgem has said the risks associated with not having a functioning meter include heating and hot water left continually on or off, electric storage heaters charging at the wrong time of day, possibly leading to higher bills, and the supplier being unable to confirm electricity usage during peak or off-peak times.
Charlotte Friel, director for Retail Pricing & Systems for Ofgem, said: 'We have been continually monitoring the industry's efforts to replace RTS meters as this ageing infrastructure reaches the end of its life. 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 increased 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 30 June. 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.
'While this carefully managed phaseout should reassure customers that they will be protected, it remains crucial that these meters are replaced so I would urge customers to engage with their supplier when offered an appointment - even if it is after the 30 June date that marks the beginning of the process.'
The End Fuel Poverty Coalition has written to the watchdog and the UK Government to raise concerns about the pace and communication of the meter replacement effort.
According to Ofgem, you may have an RTS meter if:
Your home has a separate switch box near your meter with a Radio Teleswitch label on it
Your home is heated using electricity or storage heaters
There is no gas supply to your area
You get cheaper energy at different times of day, for example, on an Economy 7 tariff
If you haven't been contacted, Ofgem recommends contacting your supplier to arrange the replacement as soon as possible.
Ofgem also warns that if someone contacts you claiming you need to pay to change your meter it is likely to be a scam.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Telegraph
Miliband plots 15% net zero tax on gas bills
Ed Miliband is considering plans to overhaul green levies, which experts have warned would push up the average gas bill by £120 a year. The Energy Secretary is looking at removing the taxes that are applied to electricity as part of his plans to encourage more people to buy heat pumps. But he has admitted Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, would not cover the £4.8 billion-a-year cost, meaning the charges would likely have to be shifted on to gas bills. Ministers and Ofgem, the industry regulator, have spoken positively about the plans, which experts calculate would add 15 per cent to the cost of gas. Mr Miliband's department insisted that no final decision had been taken and dismissed the projections of how much bills would rise as 'speculation'. Under the proposals, subsidies for pensioners and households on benefits would be increased to cushion them from the impact of higher bills. Officials are likely to argue that the average household, which uses a mix of gas and electricity, would face no increase in overall bills as a result. That is because the levies would simply be shifted from their electric bill to their gas bill, with the cost balancing itself out overall. Homes with heat pumps would benefit most, saving £420 a year, but families who are heavily reliant on gas boilers and cookers could end up worse off. The plans emerged in a report drawn up by the Commons net zero committee, which is chaired by Bill Esterson, a Labour MP and former shadow minister. Backbenchers asked Mr Miliband and Miatta Fahnbulleh, his deputy, about calls from some campaigners to 'rebalance' the cost of gas and electricity. In transcripts released by the committee, the Energy Secretary said that there was a 'principled case' for removing levies from electricity. But he warned that the Treasury was unlikely to agree to picking up the cost of doing so, which has been projected at some £4.8 billion a year. 'There is a world where you transfer all the levies to public expenditure. No doubt all of us in our fantasy world would like that to happen,' he told MPs. 'It is billions of pounds of costs. I do not think it will surprise the Committee if I say that is unlikely to happen in the short term, given the fiscal situation that we face.' 'We need to proceed cautiously' Mr Miliband acknowledged that he was looking at proposals to transfer the levies to gas instead and that doing so would push up bills. He said that officials at his department were 'working through' where the costs would fall and how to mitigate them for the poorest households. 'You have 100 per cent of people, more or less, on electricity, and about 80 per cent of people on gas, so if you are transferring the 100 per cent to the 80 per cent, you then have a potential bills effect,' he said. 'I think the principled case for these levies not falling on electricity is clear. The practical solution to make it happen is more complicated, and in a world where we need to protect fairness. We need to proceed cautiously.' Ms Fahnbulleh, the Minister for Energy Consumers, said that the high price of electricity was pushing up the cost of running heat pumps. 'That is a problem for us because we need the running cost to be as cheap as, if not cheaper than, the cost of a gas boiler,' she told the committee. 'No doubt, when you speak to experts, they will all say that rebalancing needs to happen.' Jonathan Brearley, chief executive of the energy watchdog Ofgem, said there was a 'rationality' for shifting levies away from electricity. He said that it was 'the right thing to do from the perspective of getting to net zero' but that inevitably it would result in 'a lot of people losing out'. The revelations come after the climate change committee, which oversees net zero targets, told Mr Miliband to remove green levies from electricity bills. According to Nesta, a charity which promotes the uptake of heat pumps, the taxes make up 16 per cent of the cost of electricity and 5.5 per cent for gas. That means they add £140 to the typical electricity bill and £50 to the average gas bill. Mike Foster, chief executive of the Energy and Utilities Alliance, said Mr Miliband should be 'cautious' about adopting the proposals. 'We have seen in the debate around the Winter Fuel Allowance that changing household energy bills is politically risky,' he said. 'The political optics of seeing your gas bill increase by 15 per cent, for the 25 million households that use gas, to make using a heat pump that costs £13,000 to fit, £120 a year cheaper to run, may be a bridge too far at this time.' A spokesman for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero said: 'This is speculation – no decisions have been made. 'We will repair our retail energy market and deliver real change, to ensure people have the best possible support to choose more affordable, smarter, clean energy that is right for them.' 'As long as Britain remains exposed to the roller-coaster of global fossil fuel markets, we will be vulnerable to energy price spikes beyond our control. 'That's why our clean energy mission is the best route to protect consumers and bring down bills for good. We will set out further details in due course.'
The National
2 days ago
- The National
Scotland Gas Networks among firms to pay £8m in fines
Regulator Ofgem said Cadent Gas, Scotland Gas Networks and Southern Gas Networks have voluntarily agreed to pay the funds after missing their targets between 2022 and 2023. Ofgem's rules require companies which manage the gas network to attend reports of suspected gas leaks within one or two hours, depending on the incident, in 97% of cases. Southern Gas Networks will pay £5.8m, Cadent will pay £1.5m, and Scotland Gas Networks will pay £700,000. READ MORE: Scottish travel firm puts 10 buses up for auction after closing 'out of the blue' The cash will go into Ofgem's voluntary redress fund, which provides money for projects that support vulnerable energy consumers. Cathryn Scott, director of market oversight and enforcement at Ofgem, said: 'The potential risk to households and businesses if gas leaks aren't investigated quickly is significant, so it's right that the companies involved have acknowledged the seriousness of missing these targets. 'We're confident the companies have improved their systems and processes to make sure this doesn't happen again and have demonstrated their commitment to this by meeting their targets in the two years since the breach.' Ofgem said it opened an investigation into the three companies after they self-reported missing their targets.
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Three gas companies penalised £8m for failing to attend emergencies on time
Companies maintain the gas network and must attend reports of any suspected leaks within one or two hours GAS BLAST Three gas companies penalised £8m for failing to attend emergencies on time Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THREE gas companies have been penalised £8million for failing to attend emergencies on time, potentially leaving customers at risk. Southern Gas Networks will pay £5.8million, Cadent £1.5million and Scotland Gas Networks £700,000. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up Companies maintain the gas network and must attend reports of any suspected leaks within one or two hours, depending on the circumstances. They must arrive in one hour for uncontrolled gas escapes and two hours for controlled leaks in at least 97 per cent of cases. Southern Gas Networks was handed the largest penalty after it missed the 97 per cent target by 5.1 per cent. Cadent was 1.8 per cent adrift, with Scotland Gas Networks 0.4 per cent. Energy watchdog Ofgem looked at their failure to hit targets between 2022 and 2023. The investigation covered Cadent's North London and North West regions, and the other distributors' Scottish and Southern areas. Cathryn Scott, Ofgem's director of market oversight and enforcement, said: 'The potential risk to households and businesses if gas leaks aren't investigated quickly is significant.' She said Ofgem won't hesitate to take action when companies fail to meet their obligations. The companies voluntarily agreed to pay the penalties. The cash will go into Ofgem's redress fund, which provides money for projects supporting vulnerable energy consumers. 1 Three gas companies have been penalised £8million for failing to attend emergencies on time, potentially leaving customers at risk Credit: Getty Residents evacuated after gas leak in Scots town sparks chaos HOME PLUNGE HOUSE sales plunged last month as changes to stamp duty hit first-time buyers, figures show. There were 64,680 sales in April — a third of the number in March. The figure was also well down on April last year, according to HMRC. From April 1, first-time buyers have paid stamp duty on homes above £300,000, down from £425,000. PETROL'S FALL AVERAGE petrol pump prices have fallen to their lowest level for almost four years, but experts predict they will not go lower. They reached 132.3p a litre on Thursday, down from about 135.5p in early April, according to the AA. But it said the impact of low oil prices remains 'disappointing and frustrating' for motorists. GOOD WEEK: DEBBIE Crosbie, boss at Nationwide, after the building society reported a 30 per cent leap in profits to £2.3billion. BAD WEEK: CHRIS Weston, boss at Thames Water, which was fined £122.7million for sewage spills and dividend breaches.
