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Ministers and Ofgem have been warned of an impending crisis affecting hundreds of thousands of households still using outdated Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) meters, according to a letter from the End Fuel Poverty Coalition.
The RTS signal, which these older electricity meters rely on to manage heating and hot water systems—particularly those using electric storage heating—will be permanently switched off on June 30, 2025. Once the signal is deactivated, the meters will cease to function correctly. This could result in customers losing access to off-peak tariffs, facing significantly higher energy bills, and in some cases, losing control over their heating systems, which may be stuck permanently on or off.
A spokesperson from Energy UK revealed that as of the end of March 2025, 430,000 households across the UK were still using RTS meters. However, the replacement programme has been progressing slowly, with only around 1,000 installations per day. This has raised serious concerns about the feasibility of replacing all affected meters before the deadline.
In a letter addressed to Miatta Fahnbulleh MP, Minister for Energy Consumers, and Jonathan Brearley, Chief Executive of Ofgem, the Coalition stressed that the pace and communication surrounding the meter replacement initiative have been inadequate. The letter was also copied to devolved government officials, including Gillian Martin MSP and Rebecca Evans MS.
Simon Francis, coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, emphasized the severity of the situation:
“Our member organisations across the country will continue to do all they can to support the transition and raise awareness of the switch, but urgent action is now required.
There is a very real risk that over 300,000 households will find their RTS meter stops working properly come July.
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.”
He added that it’s essential for the government, regulators, and energy firms to confront the scale of the problem and dramatically step up their efforts to help households transition to modern metering systems. In addition, Francis called for contingency measures to support customers who miss the deadline, including guarantees of fair billing and metering practices.
Frazer Scott, Chief Executive of Energy Action Scotland, echoed the concerns, highlighting the broader implications for public health and household wellbeing:
“Time and time again consumers are left in the dark by the Government and an energy industry failing to deliver on its promises to improve infrastructure.
Let’s not forget that many of these firms are making significant profits from customers, and yet those same customers—many of whom are vulnerable—may be left without working heating and hot water or face spiralling energy costs in just a few weeks’ time.
The impact of failure in the switchover process on the health and wellbeing of people across Scotland doesn’t bear thinking about.”
In summary, the Coalition is urgently calling for accelerated meter replacement efforts, clear communication to affected customers, and robust support systems for those unable to make the transition before the RTS signal is turned off. Without immediate action, hundreds of thousands of UK households could face severe consequences.
