Nearly 150,000 households with an old-fashioned electricity meter are being urged to "switch now" or face higher energy bills later this year.
Energy UK and regulator Ofgem are issuing an urgent appeal to approximately 146,000 British households still relying on outdated Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) electricity meters to arrange replacements before the signal is permanently discontinued this summer.
The phased shutdown, which was paused during winter to protect customers from losing heating control in cold weather, will restart next month for properties in England and Wales, with Scottish households following in April.
Despite more than 300,000 RTS meters being swapped out since last year, figures from January 2026 found that out of 154,000 meters still requiring replacement, just 8,000 appointments have been scheduled with energy suppliers.
150,000 households urged to ‘switch electricity meters now’ or risk higher energy bills
|GETTY
The RTS dates back to the 1980s, when it was introduced as a method of automatically switching household electricity between peak and off-peak rates using long-range radio signals.
However, the infrastructure generating these signals has become obsolete over the decades and can no longer be maintained with any reliability.
This deterioration poses a significant risk of sudden, unplanned system failure, which prompted energy companies to accelerate their replacement programme last year.
As a result, this archaic technology meant customers needed to transition to more dependable metering systems, with smart meters now serving as the primary alternative for most affected properties.
Thousands of households use smart meters | PALATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Ofgem took over regulation of heat networks in January this year | GETTYNed Hammond, the deputy director of Policy (Customers) at Energy UK, said: "Suppliers have been working hard to deliver a carefully managed phase out of the RTS signal and have replaced more than 300,000 RTS meters in the last year."
He added: "They've contacted affected customers multiple times, including people in remote and hard-to-reach locations."
Mr Hammond warned that "the final switch off is now imminent and we're expecting a rush for appointments in this final stage".
The energy policy expert advised customers: "Your supplier will notify you when your meter is being phased out but the best way to avoid any impact on your hot water and heating is to book an appointment as soon as you can."
Britons are saddled with billions in energy debt | GETTY Households that fail to arrange a meter swap risk losing the ability to control their heating and hot water systems, or could find themselves billed at incorrect rates throughout the day, resulting in unexpectedly high energy costs.
Energy suppliers are offering the replacement service at no charge and can provide guidance on suitable tariffs for individual heating setups.
Customers may have an RTS meter if they have received communications from their electricity supplier about the issue, have a switch box labelled "Radio Teleswitch" near their meter, use electric or storage heaters, lack access to mains gas, or are on tariffs such as Economy 7 or Economy 10.
Those looking for more information about replacing their RTS meter are encouraged to visit Ofgem's dedicated page dedicated to the issue.
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