Message on behalf of Cllr Gerald Kelly, Cabinet Member for Governance, Regulatory and Environment
Dear Town and Parish Councils,
I am contacting you to share information about the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) that will be switched off permanently on Monday 30 June 2025.
This change will impact households across the country that rely on RTS meters to manage their electricity usage.
RTS uses radio signals to instruct certain electricity meters when to switch between peak and off-peak rates, enabling residents to take advantage of cheaper off-peak electricity, typically used to charge heating and hot water systems overnight.
The decision to switch off RTS meters was made by the government and Ofgem as the equipment transmitting the radio signals to control the meters has reached the end of its operational life and cannot be adequately maintained.
If residents do not upgrade to a smart meter, their heating and hot water may not work properly or may be on constantly. It can also lead to an increased bills due to the inability to switch between peak and off-peak rates.
Residents that have an RTS meter will be contacted by their energy supplier to arrange a date and time to replace the meter and upgrade it with a smart meter. Those who have not heard from their energy supplier are encouraged to contact them before the deadline so not to be affected by the switch off.
West Suffolk Council will be sharing information regarding the switch off, giving advice and signposting residents to utility providers that will move them across to a smart meter before the deadline: Energy saving advice
More information about smart meters can be found here: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/information-consumers/energy-advice-households/getting-smart-meter
Any assistance you can give in alerting residents in your areas about the RTS switch off and how they can avoid any issues by moving across to smart meters, would be most helpful.
Kind regards,
Cllr Gerald Kelly
Cabinet Member for Governance, Regulatory and Environment