Reckless failures and blithe assurances – Carmichael reacts following RTS roundtable

Liberal Democrat MP for Orkney and Shetland, Alistair Carmichael, has today spoken out about the “reckless failures” of energy companies and Ofgem over the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) switch-off, following a ministerial roundtable with MPs, Ofgem and Energy UK (the energy company representative body). The meeting was held following confirmation that the 30th June deadline for the switch-off has been postponed and that a phased switch-off will follow, and was intended to give further detail on this.

During the meeting it was confirmed that the RTS service is still expected to fail within months rather than years, and that the energy companies and regulator are working towards the end of 2025 as the expected end date. This is despite the fact that current rates of meter replacement run at 1000 per day, suggesting that unless the rate is doubled again RTS meters will still be being replaced into summer 2026.

It was also confirmed that MPs and MSPs would be contacted with details of the shutdown in their area including exact dates and planned actions by suppliers for replacements, but it is not clear when this will be. London is expected to be the first area to be fully shut down, with Scotland being among the last.

Mr Carmichael said:

“It is not often that I am genuinely furious coming out of a meeting but the arrogance and complacency of the energy companies over their RTS failures has been something to behold.

“I went into this meeting hoping for a proper explanation of the plans for the phased shutdown of RTS, and some much-needed and much-deserved contrition from Ofgem and the energy companies responsible for this mess.

“Instead there was no acknowledgement of the reckless failures that brought us here. We were treated to blithe assurances that all is well and that the phased switch-off was planned all along – even if that did not merit telling the public until now. We were told that RTS is still on the point of failure and could fall down at any time – but that the new expectation is to finish the shutdown sometime in the winter. It would take a fool or a madman to see this as a responsible solution – but between Ofgem and Energy UK that is what we have.

“Now is the time for the government to stop playing nice with the regulator and the energy companies. Ministers need to make them feel the heat – so that vulnerable households can still get some heat this winter.”