Lib Dems reveal 100,000 meters still to be replaced as RTS switch-off begins

Scottish Liberal Democrat Northern Isles MSPs Beatrice Wishart and Liam McArthur have today said that energy companies must “cut the excuses” and make the concerted effort needed to replace RTS meters at the pace and scale required, as they revealed that there are still more than 100,000 meters to be replaced on the day that the RTS switch-off is set to begin.  

The UK Government was forced to row back on switching off every RTS meter on 30th June because energy companies had failed to replace meters at the pace required. If this switch-off were to take place before meters are replaced, households could be left without heating and hot water.

Instead, a phased switch-off of Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) meters will begin today (30th June), with the intention for it to be completed by the end of 2025. What's more, there have also been warnings that the RTS is at risk of breakdown, which could occur within months, rather than years.

Earlier this year, Scottish Liberal Democrats revealed Ofgem figures showing that as of 18th April, across Scotland there were 124,864 meters still needing to be exchanged.

The party is now publishing updated figures from Ofgem which show that as of 30th May, 105,879 meters are still to be replaced, including more than 19,000 households with Glasgow postcodes and 15,000 with Edinburgh postcodes.

The Northern Isles are particularly badly affected, with 3,200 meters to be replaced in Shetland. There are also 3,205 RTS meters waiting to be replaced in the KW (Kirkwall) postcode, which covers Orkney and parts of Caithness.

Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP for Shetland Beatrice Wishart said:

“The implementation of this switch-off has been utterly chaotic.

“Despite knowing for at least a decade that RTS meters were on their last legs, energy companies only started acting at the very last minute, causing so much needless distress among rural communities like my own.

“This phased switch-off is far from the end of the story. Energy companies must cut the excuses and finally get down to replacing meters as a matter of urgency. If they do not, they risk pushing this mess into the winter months, where the impact of having no heating or hot water could be devastating.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP for Orkney Liam McArthur said:

“Customers and households have been thrown under the bus by the haphazard approach of energy companies.

“Ofgem have said that customers will be protected, but the lack of detail about the operation of this phased switch-off does not inspire confidence.

“Despite the delay to the switch-off date, there can be no room for complacency and households must be supported to move away from this obsolete technology as quickly as possible. The government and energy companies must also provide clarity about when each region will be affected by the switch-off, and give firm assurances that no household will lose out as a result.”