Wishart: ‘We need to avoid RTS chaos’

Shetland MSP, Beatrice Wishart has called for action to avoid Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) chaos, securing party policy change through an emergency motion at the Scottish Liberal Democrat Spring Conference in Inverness last weekend.

RTS is a signal broadcast through BBC Radio 4 longwave radio signals used since the 1980s to switch electricity meters between different tariff rates at different times of the day, allowing for the cost effective and efficient use of storage heaters. The signal will switch off on 30^th June 2025 after two previous deadlines were pushed back.

Smart meters are a way to ensure that customers are able to continue to switch between tariffs and continue to use storage heaters. Shetland and other parts of island and rural Scotland have geographical issues connecting smart meters to the network that supports them as well as a lack of engineers to exchange older meters.

It is not clear what will happen to households with RTS meters that have not been exchanged once the signal turns off. It is also unclear what resilience planning is taking place across local authorities.

Ms Wishart has been working with Alistair Carmichael MP to raise concerns with both the Scottish and UK Governments, Ofgem and with energy companies about the slow roll-out and exchange of meters.

Ahead of the June 30^th Radio Teleswitch (RTS) service switch off date Scottish Liberal Democrats have called for:

• Energy companies to expand their efforts to exchange RTS meters and reach all customers needing their meter exchanged ahead of 30^th June.
• Local resilience partnerships to ready themselves for the potential adverse outcome of the RTS switch off which may include thousands of homes without heating and hot water.
• The Scottish and UK Government to set up an Emergency Summit to support Ofgem, energy companies and relevant stakeholders through the transition, holding them to account where required.
• Smart DCC to enhance the smart meter communications network and plug the existing gaps, particularly in rural and island areas, to improve connectivity.

Proposing the motion at Conference Ms Wishart said:

“There are around 140 thousand RTS meters in Scotland, and disproportionately high numbers in households across the Highlands and Islands. 

“Areas where fuel poverty is high, insulation levels are inadequate, there is no connection to the gas mains and engineers are scarce. 

“It is not clear exactly what will happen when the signal is turned off especially where RTS meters have not been replaced. 

“Storage heaters and the systems that heat water may remain off, leaving households in the cold. 

“They may also remain switched on, bringing concerns about what could happen if heat continues to build in them.”

After the emergency motion was passed Ms Wishart said:

“We need to avoid RTS chaos. We cannot allow anyone to be left without basic hot water and heating.

“Although this change has been a long time coming energy companies have not ensured that customers will seamlessly move through this transition as we should expect. I fear we have been greatly let down by providers across the sector.

“From the figures available it does not feel as though energy companies will be able to exchange all the meters needed in the time available. Which begs the question why did they not act sooner or more swiftly.

“Our part of the world should not be disproportionately impacted from a lack of planning. The UK and Scottish Governments should do all they can to support customers and companies thought this change.”

You can watch Beatrice's speech to conference here.

The full text of the emergency motion put to Scottish Liberal Democrat Spring Conference:

Preparing for the Radio Teleswitch (RTS) switch off

Conference notes:

1. The Radio Teleswitch (RTS) service, used by energy suppliers for some older electric meters particularly in island and rural areas to switch tariffs rates and turn on storage heaters, is set to end on the 30th June 2025, with tens of thousands of customers across Scotland, impacted as they are yet to have their RTS meter exchanged.
2. A national ad campaign run by Ofgem and Energy UK, featuring television presenter Lorraine Kelly, that  launched on the 20^th January has sparked increasing awareness among customers of the need to book a metering appointment.
3. Energy companies are not replacing meters at the pace required before the deadline and large areas of Scotland face technical issues with connecting smart meters and a lack of engineers.

Conference believes:

1. Functioning heating and hot water systems are fundamental to an adequate standard of living.
2. Changes to metering technology should not leave households, particularly those in island and rural communities, worse off than they are and facing the possibility of losing heating and hot water after switch off of the RTS signal.

Conference calls for:

1. Energy companies to expand their efforts to exchange RTS meters and reach all customers needing their meter exchanged ahead of 30th June.
2. Local resilience partnerships to ready themselves for the potential adverse outcome of the RTS switch off which may include thousands of homes without heating and hot water.
3. The Scottish and UK Government to set up an Emergency Summit to support Ofgem, energy companies and relevant stakeholders through the transition, holding them to account where required.
4. Smart DCC to enhance the smart meter communications network and plug the existing gaps, particularly in rural and island areas, to improve connectivity.