Thousands of homes are still at risk of losing heating and hot water as older energy meters near the end of their service life.
But one customer says a simple 45-minute upgrade helped him avoid the threat entirely, offering a clear message to others who have yet to act.
Damian Fox, a customer with Octopus Energy, said his experience of switching to a smart meter was surprisingly fast and stress-free.
He told GB News: "I first heard my RTS meter needed to be changed through the Octopus app.
"It was a bit surprising at first to find out that the meter had to be changed by June, but then the appointment to fit the meter was sorted so quickly that there wasn’t really any chance to worry about it."
Concerns over switching to smart meters are common, but Fox said the reality was straightforward.
He continued: "My only concern was that I heard some people can get a bit obsessed with over-checking their usage, but for me it’s been fine. The experience was great. It was much easier and quicker than I’d expected.
"The engineer was on time and was in and out within 45 minutes. All I had to do was clear out the junk in the cupboard where the meter was."
The switch is part of a wider upgrade program involving hundreds of thousands of customers across the UK. Older meters, which rely on a longwave radio frequency to manage electricity supply and billing rates, are being replaced by smart meters that allow suppliers and households to track usage in real time.
OCTOPUS/GETTY
|Damian Fox, a customer with Octopus Energy, said his experience of switching to a smart meter was surprisingly fast and stress-free
The Government recently announced a delay to the full switch-off of the Radio Teleswitch Service.
Energy minister Miatta Fahnbulleh confirmed that 314,935 homes still had RTS meters at the end of May. She said suppliers would now begin the transition in small, targeted areas while ensuring vulnerable households are protected.
Fox said his smart meter has made energy use easier to monitor, especially with his electric heating system. He is now able to keep an eye on how much his family uses and has peace of mind from that point of view.
GETTY | Octopus Energy says it has expanded its service teams to fast-track installations and ensure no customer is left without heating
He said: "One time, our daughter had turned up the heating to 27 degrees Celsius, and having the smart meter made it easy for us to show her how much it was costing us. Safe to say, it hasn’t happened again since."
Fox added that while he has not yet seen major savings, the upgrade has removed the hassle of manual readings and made bills more transparent.
Octopus Energy says it has expanded its service teams to fast-track installations and ensure no customer is left without heating when the older system is eventually phased out.
GETTY | Energy minister Miatta Fahnbulleh confirmed that 314,935 homes still had RTS meters at the end of May
John Szymik, CEO of Octopus Energy Services explained that all customers affected by the upgrade are being offered a free Octopus Home Mini, a device designed in-house that connects to a customer’s smart meter to display real-time usage and cost data.
He said: "We urge all affected customers, of any supplier, to book their meter exchange now to ensure a smooth transition."
For Fox, the advice is simple: "I would tell other people to just do it. It was fitted for free with minimal fuss and now it’s much easier for us to see exactly how much electricity we use and where we can save money. I can even use the Octopus app to do this."