Latest news with #FrazerScott
Scotsman
30-04-2025
- General
- Scotsman
Smart meter: Warning 100,000 Scottish homes could lose hot water and heating when meters switch off
Thousands of people in cities and rural parts of Scotland could see their heating stuck at 'on' when the automatic radio teleswitch service is switched off in June Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Tens of thousands of households in Scotland could be left without heating and hot water when a dated electricity meter is set to switch off. Energy companies have said it will be "very, very difficult" to replace all Radio Teleswitching System (RTS) meters with smart meters before the old technology stops come June 30. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Most homes have standard meters and will not be affected, whether they have a smart meter or not. However, campaigners have said some 300,000 homes across the UK that have the old RTS meters could be at risk. Energy Action Scotland (EAS) estimates about 30 per cent of those are in Scotland. One of the Radio Teleswitch (RTS) meters that need to be replaced This means some 100,000 Scottish homes could lose heating or have it stuck on constantly in about eight weeks' time. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad EAS said Glasgow was the local authority area with the single largest share of RTS meters left, with about 20,000 still in use in February. Properties using the meters in the islands authorities combined was about 30,000, according to EAS figures, but with a high proportion of residents by comparison. Vulnerable people in remote parts of Scotland could see their heating stuck at 'on' when the automatic radio teleswitch service is switched off in June (Picture: CM Dixon/Heritage Images) | Getty Images The Highlands had about 16,000 RTSs running and Edinburgh 14,000. The governments have called on the industry to "work urgently to continue to increase the pace of replacements". Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad For the past four decades, RTS meters have used a longwave radio frequency to switch between peak and off-peak rates. But the technology is becoming obsolete and energy companies have a deadline to change their customers' meters by June 30. At the end of March, there were still 430,000 households across the UK using RTS meters for their heating and hot water, 160,000 of those in Scotland, according to Energy UK, which represents energy companies. Frazer Scott, chief executive of EAS, said: 'Time and time again consumers are left in the dark by the government and an energy industry failing to deliver on its promises to deliver improvements. 'Let's not forget that many of these firms are making significant profits from customers and yet their customers, including many vulnerable people, may be left without working heating and hot water or facing the prospect of spiralling costs in just a few weeks' time. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The impact of failure in the switchover process on the health and wellbeing of people across Scotland don't bear thinking about.' Simon Francis, co-ordinator of campaign group End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said: 'We know the situation in parts of Scotland is likely to be absolutely critical. Rural areas in particular are being left behind and we doubt the engineering capacity is available to help households meet the deadline.' Energy UK has said more than 1,000 RTS meters were now being replaced each day. However, with the March figure of 430,000 RTSs still in use, the daily rate would need to be more like 5,000 to ensure no one is left out. Ned Hammond, Energy UK's deputy director for customers, told BBC Radio 4 the rate of replacement was rising, but added: "Obviously we'd need to increase from there significantly still to replace all the meters by the end of June."
The Independent
30-04-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Smart meter warning issued as 300,000 homes could be left without hot water
Hundreds of thousands of homes across the UK could be left without hot water and heating this year, campaign groups have warned. Around 300,000 properties could still have the old-style Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) system, which is used to control heating and hot water, after it is switched off on 1 July. These homes have been urged to upgrade to smart electricity meters as soon as possible to avoid being disconnected or having to pay extortionate bills. Around 1,000 new meters are being installed every day in the 430,000 households which currently have the old RTS system, but activists say this is not enough to replace them all in time, leaving hundreds of thousands still without new meters as the date approaches. Simon Francis, coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said: 'There is a very real risk that over 300,000 households will find their RTS meter stops working properly come 1 July 2025. 'With pressures on the replacement programme growing and with limited engineer availability, especially in rural areas, there's a real risk of prolonged disruption, particularly for vulnerable households. 'Government, regulators and energy firms need to face up to the looming crisis and ramp up efforts to help people switch.' Customers may also lose the ability to access cheaper off-peak tariffs and could face inaccurate or inconsistent billing. And in some cases, the meters may stop working properly altogether, the coalition warned. Frazer Scott, chief executive of Energy Action Scotland, added: 'Time and time again consumers are left in the dark by the government and an energy industry failing to deliver on its promises to deliver improvements. 'Let's not forget that many of these firms are making significant profits from customers and yet their customers, including many vulnerable people, may be left without working heating and hot water or facing the prospect of spiralling costs in just a few weeks time. 'The impact of failure in the switchover process on the health and wellbeing of people across Scotland don't bear thinking about.' A Department of Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: 'The technology behind the Radio Teleswitch Service is reaching the end of its operational life and is due to be switched off from June 2025. 'Industry must work urgently to continue to increase the pace of replacements. We are supporting Ofgem and energy suppliers to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible for consumers.' An Ofgem spokesperson said: 'The RTS upgrade programme is an urgent consumer welfare issue and Ofgem is determined to explore every avenue to ensure that customers are protected when this ageing 40-year-old technology is phased out from 30 June 2025. 'Ofgem set up a taskforce alongside Energy UK, bringing together suppliers and the wider sector to accelerate the rate of meter upgrades to its highest level yet, and solve complex technical barriers posed in certain remote regions. 'In recent weeks we have seen evidence of suppliers significantly stepping up their activity in these remote areas, such as the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, and solutions to improve smart meter connectivity in the north have been launched. 'So we urge any customers who may have previously struggled to get their RTS meter replaced to please contact their supplier again to arrange an appointment. 'Ofgem has also demanded action plans from every supplier, which we are scrutinising on an ongoing basis to ensure that robust contingencies are in place to protect any customers who remain on RTS meters after the phased switch-off process begins.'
