HOUSEHOLDS with Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) meters are being urged to contact their suppliers before the service comes to an end in June.
Dumfries and Galloway Citizens Advice Service is urging residents to check their meters and make arrangements with their electricity suppliers to install a smart meter upgrade before the service ends on June 30.
RTS uses a radio signal to tell some older electricity meters when to switch between peak and off-peak rates of electricity.
Energy adviser Zoe Graham explained: “It is really important for anyone with an RTS meter to arrange for it to be replaced by their energy suppliers before the service ends, as it could mean that their heating and hot water supply stops functioning as normal.”
If you aren’t sure whether you have an RTS meter, check for the following things:
– There may be a separate switch box near your meter with a Radio Teleswitch label on it
– You use electricity or storage heaters for your heating
– There is no gas supply in your area – this could be the case in rural areas and high-rise flats
– You get cheaper electricity at different times of day – you may be on Economy 7, Economy 10 or Total Heat Total Control
Zoe added: “If you do not to upgrade, the heating and hot water in your home or business could be affected. You might find that your heating and hot water is continually left on or off, or the charging-up happens at the wrong time of day. Your electricity supplier won’t be able to confirm how much electricity you have used during peak or off-peak times, which means you could end up with higher electricity bills.”
Find out more about RTS by visiting www.dagcas.org.
