Threat of interruption to electrical heating

9 June 2025

Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS)

From the end of June 2025, North Kelvin residents who have electric storage heaters, panel heaters, electric boilers or immersion heaters in a water tank may find they no longer work.

The reason is that they are designed to be controlled by the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS), a national service that uses a radio signal to switch some electricity meters between peak and off-peak rates, or ‘day’ and ‘night’, or ‘domestic’ and ‘control’ rates.

RTS is being phased out from Sunday 30 June. Glasgow has 20,000 customers who will be affected, 15,000 of them customers of ScottishPower.

Replacement meters

Suppliers are mailing customers about how to arrange for an engineer to install a replacement meter, probably a smart meter.

Door-knocking teams will also call across Glasgow. Please note: door knockers will carry identification, will only approach households who have already been mailed about RTS and will at no point ask to enter the property.

Once your smart meter is installed, you can switch to a different tariff or supplier. Make sure you know how it works and if you need to change how you heat your home and hot water, such as adjusting the controls on your system.

If you’re unsure, contact your energy supplier.

If you have tried to book a meter upgrade and can’t get an appointment before 30 June, you can raise a complaint. Your energy supplier must make sure you have a suitable meter and that your service is not disrupted.

If you’re a tenant

If you’re a tenant, your energy bills are addressed to you, and you pay your energy supplier directly, then you can arrange for the RTS meter to be replaced. You don’t need your landlord’s permission, but you should let them know.

If your gas and electricity are included in your rent and your landlord receives the bills, the landlord will need to arrange for the meter replacement.

How to know if you have an RTS meter

You may well have an RTS meter if:

• you have different electricity tariffs for different times of day
• the names your tariff are Total Heating with Total Control, Economy 10i, Storage Heating Control, Standard Economy & Heating Load, Restricted Hours tariffs A,B,C and D, ComfortPlus White Meter, ComfortPlus White Meter with Weathercall, ComfortPlus Control, or Economy 7
• there is a separate switch box near your meter with a Radio Teleswitch label on it
• your property is heated using storage heaters or other electric heating, or
• your electricity bill lists two MPANs (S-Number), and the first line starts with ‘02’.