{"id":103642,"date":"2025-02-07T10:25:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-07T10:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/?p=103642"},"modified":"2025-02-07T09:24:57","modified_gmt":"2025-02-07T09:24:57","slug":"octopus-energy-uk-households-upgrade-meters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/octopus-energy-uk-households-upgrade-meters\/","title":{"rendered":"Octopus Energy Urges 600,000 UK Households to Upgrade Meters Before June Blackout"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Octopus Energy has issued an <strong>urgent warning<\/strong> to UK households using <strong>radio teleswitch meters (RTS)<\/strong>, as these outdated devices will cease to function from <strong>30 June 2025<\/strong>. Around <strong>600,000 customers<\/strong> could be affected, potentially facing a loss of power, heating, and hot water if they do not switch to a modern alternative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Are RTS Meters and Why Are They Being Phased Out?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>RTS meters were first introduced in the <strong>1980s<\/strong> and were designed to switch between <strong>peak and off-peak tariff rates<\/strong> using longwave radio signals from the <strong>BBC<\/strong>. These signals allow customers to access cheaper electricity rates during off-peak hours. However, the system that transmits these signals is now being <strong>decommissioned<\/strong>, making the meters obsolete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once the signal is switched off, <strong>any home still using an RTS meter may lose its electricity supply<\/strong>. Customers who rely on <strong>electric storage heaters, panel heaters, or immersion heaters<\/strong> for heating and hot water are especially at risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Octopus Energy Is Addressing the Issue<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To minimise disruption, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/octopus.energy\/emergency\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/octopus.energy\/emergency\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Octopus Energy<\/a><\/strong> is fast-tracking the replacement of outdated meters. The company has deployed additional engineers to ensure a smooth transition for affected customers. <strong>Nearly a quarter of impacted households<\/strong> have already been prioritised for an upgrade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Customers switching to a <strong>smart meter<\/strong> will gain several benefits, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Accurate real-time energy usage tracking<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Access to smart tariffs<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Participation in free-energy periods when excess green energy is available<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, Octopus Energy is offering <strong>free Octopus Home Mini devices<\/strong> to customers who switch. These devices provide real-time data on energy consumption and costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Additional Facts About the RTS Meter Phase-Out<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While the core message remains the urgency of upgrading meters, several additional details are worth noting :<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Number of customers covered by<a href=\"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/octopus-energys-warning-uks-energy-crisis\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"103238\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> Octopus Energy<\/a>:<\/strong> The company is prioritising <strong>around 150,000 of the 600,000 affected households<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Financial impact:<\/strong> Households failing to upgrade could face <strong>higher energy bills<\/strong>, though specific cost increases are not detailed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Details about the Octopus Home Mini:<\/strong> This device is being provided <strong>free of charge<\/strong> to customers switching to smart meters. It offers <strong>real-time tracking of energy consumption and costs<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Reason for RTS shutdown:<\/strong> The system is being decommissioned due to <strong>ageing infrastructure<\/strong> and the shift towards <strong>smart meters<\/strong>. However, it is unclear whether the decision was made by <strong>the government, energy suppliers, or both<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Other energy suppliers also affected:<\/strong> RTS meters are used by <strong>various energy suppliers<\/strong>, meaning customers outside of <strong>Octopus Energy<\/strong> must also check with their providers about an upgrade.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Should Affected Customers Do?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Customers with an RTS meter are <strong>strongly encouraged to book an upgrade as soon as possible<\/strong>. <a href=\"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/octopus-energys-warning-uks-energy-crisis\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"103238\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Octopus Energy<\/a> has provided an online portal where customers can <strong>register their interest<\/strong> for a smart meter installation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/octopus.energy\/press\/meet-the-team\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/octopus.energy\/press\/meet-the-team\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">John Szymik<\/a>, CEO of Octopus Energy Services, emphasised the urgency:<br><em>&#8220;We urge all affected customers, regardless of their supplier, to book their meter exchange now to avoid losing heating and hot water.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Wider Impact on the Energy Sector<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>phase-out of RTS meters<\/strong> is part of a broader shift towards a <strong>smarter and more flexible energy grid<\/strong>. Smart meters not only improve energy efficiency for individual households but also help integrate <strong>renewable energy sources<\/strong> more effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With the June deadline approaching, <strong>Octopus Energy customers and others still using RTS meters should take immediate action<\/strong> to prevent disruptions and ensure continued access to electricity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thousands of UK households could face power cuts this summer due to outdated meters. Octopus Energy is urging affected customers to take action now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":103645,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-103642","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-energy","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33","no-featured-image-padding"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103642","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=103642"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103642\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":103646,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103642\/revisions\/103646"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/103645"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=103642"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=103642"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=103642"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}