UK Govt must compensate people left behind by RTS shutdown, Lib Dems say
The Highland Liberal Democrats are calling on the UK Government to require energy suppliers provide full compensation to people if they requested a replacement meter before the RTS shutdown but failed to receive one.
David Green, the Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Caithness, Sutherland & Ross, warned it would be “simply unacceptable if anyone in the Highlands is left paying the price for the failure of energy suppliers.”
It comes as his colleague and MSP for Shetland, Beatrice Wishart, leads a debate in the Scottish Parliament today [20 May] where she will highlight the potentially devastating impact of the shutdown, particularly for homes in island and rural areas.
There is just over one month to go until the radio signal that controls old-style RTS electricity meters is switched off. This could leave many households, particularly in the Highlands, without heating and hot water or alternatively with their heating stuck on all the time.
Ofgem has stated that no household will lose electricity supply when the switch-off happens on 30th June. But by the end of April, there were about 423,000 RTS meters still to be replaced in the UK, and nearly 135,000 of these are in the Highlands and Islands.
David Green, the Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Caithness, Sutherland & Ross:
“With little over a month to go before the switch-off, it’s clear that energy companies have not done nearly enough to replace RTS meters. No stone must now be left unturned in ensuring the remaining smart meters are installed and everyone gets a fair energy tariff.
“That said, too many are already anxious and worried. It would be simply unacceptable if anyone in the Highlands is left paying the price for the failure of energy suppliers.
“Liberal Democrats are therefore urging the UK Government to require energy suppliers to right that wrong and compensate households that requested a replacement meter before the RTS shutdown but failed to receive one.
“Meantime, I would urge anyone with an RTS meter to get in touch with their supplier as soon as possible.”
Shetland MSP Beatrice Wishart added:
“This shutdown could be a disaster for households across Scotland.
“It has the potential to cause massive disruption for our island and rural communities, which face the additional problems of engineer shortages and connectivity issues.
“Energy companies have failed to replace meters at the required pace, which is why they must step up, or be ready to compensate all those households left worse off after the deadline.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
As of 18 April, there were 4,204 meters still needing changed with a ZE postcode (Shetland), 3,820 with a KW postcode (Kirkwall), 8,148 with an IV postcode (Inverness) and 6,720 with a PH postcode (Perth) [Source: Ofgem].
Scottish Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael MP led a debate in the UK Parliament last month, 8 April. The Hansard copy can be found here: Radio Teleswitch Service Switch-off: Scotland - Hansard - UK Parliament
The text of Beatrice Wishart’s motion is as follows:
Beatrice Wishart S6M-17484
Radio Teleswitch Service Switch-off
That the Parliament is concerned that the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS), used by energy suppliers for some electricity meters, particularly in island and rural areas, to control heating and hot water systems, is set to end on 30 June 2025, with tens of thousands of customers across Scotland reportedly expected to be impacted as they are yet to have their RTS meter exchanged; understands that, in areas such as the Highlands and Islands region and other parts of rural Scotland, many households are still waiting for a meter exchange and that, as of the end of April 2025, Shetland still had 4,490 meters to be exchanged ahead of the deadline; further understands that energy companies are not replacing meters at the pace required before the deadline; considers that large areas of Scotland face technical issues with connecting smart meters and a lack of engineers; notes the view that functioning heating and hot water systems are fundamental to an adequate standard of living and that changes to metering technology should not leave households, particularly those in island and rural communities, financially worse off than they are on their current tariff, or facing the possibility of losing heating and hot water after the switch-off of the RTS signal; further notes the calls on local resilience partnerships to ready themselves for the potential adverse outcomes of the RTS switch-off, which may include thousands of homes being left without heating and hot water, and notes the calls to plug the gaps in smart meter coverage to ensure that rural areas are not disadvantaged due to their poor connectivity.