Glasgow energy customers urged to contact their supplier about potential RTS meter replacement

The Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS), which uses radio signals to tell some electricity meters to switch on or off, will be phased out from Sunday, 30 June this year, as the system is no longer viable. 

Glasgow has been identified as a key area with 20,000 customers affected, many of whom have electric storage systems and/or immersion heaters in water tanks that heat up overnight. 

ScottishPower, with around 15,000 RTS customers in Glasgow, is spearheading a project for all suppliers to significantly raise the replacement rate in the city. Suppliers are writing to customers in a mass mailing campaign, urging them to arrange an appointment for an engineer to visit and install a replacement meter.  

Door-knocking teams will also be dispatched across the city in an unprecedented effort to directly reach customers and emphasise the importance of getting an upgrade. Door knockers will carry identification with them, will only be approaching households who have already received correspondence about RTS and will at no point ask to enter the property. 

Glasgow City Council is supporting the awareness drive via direct engagement with housing tenants and awareness raising to encourage affected households and businesses to arrange a meter upgrade urgently. 

Councillor Ruairi Kelly, Convener for Housing and Development at Glasgow City Council, said:

"The end of the Radio Teleswitch Service is a serious customer welfare issue and we know that Glasgow is disproportionately affected because of the number of households with electric heating systems.

"We're pleased that energy companies are working in the city to exchange these meters to protect our residents before the service is phased out. It's really important that anyone with one of these meters has it replaced, as it could lead to them not being able to use their heating.

"Most RTS upgrades are a straightforward process, taking no more than a couple of hours. However, a small number of cases could pose technical challenges that may require more than one visit. For that reason, it's important that this work is carried out sooner rather than later - so if you are contacted by your energy supplier, please don't ignore or delay responding to them."

This targeted 'hotspot approach' is being mirrored in other areas of the country where RTS meters are prevalent, most recently in Brighton & Hove where a local campaign launched last month and quickly delivered a nine percent increase in customer contact regarding RTS. 

These projects are among the commitments set out in the RTS Call To Action that energy companies signed up to following the formation of an industry collective Taskforce.  

In September 2024, energy regulator Ofgem gathered suppliers and stakeholders at its office in Glasgow for a summit calling for a collective response to reach as many households as possible before the service is phased out. 

Among the other commitments set out in the Call To Action are: 

· Fast tracking RTS customers for meter upgrades and prioritising known vulnerable consumers, particularly those who are over 75 years old and households with children under five years old

· Tackling technical challenges head on, sharing knowledge and expertise to deliver solutions.

· Providing monthly progress updates to closely track the replacement rate and consider if further action is needed to deliver more improvement.

Charlotte Friel, Director for Retail Pricing & Systems at Ofgem said:  

"One of the key functions of the RTS Taskforce is identifying hotspot areas that need more targeted resources to accelerate the upgrade programme, so it is pleasing to see ScottishPower pushing to drive up the replacement rate in Glasgow.

"Our message to people in the city is that support is ready and waiting. If you are contacted by your energy supplier to arrange an appointment, please book it." 

A ScottishPower spokesperson said: "We're working hard, alongside other suppliers, to ensure customers are ready for the RTS switch off and are doing everything we can contact all those affected to explain the options available to them. For customers, this means upgrading to a smart meter which will offer them similar benefits to the RTS service.

"If you receive a letter, telephone call or a knock at the door, please don't ignore it, we need to speak to you as soon as possible to discuss your next steps and make sure you aren't impacted when the service is switched off."