Octopus Energy issues urgent warning to households which will see meters deactivated this month
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Fears thousands of power meters won’t work after tech switch-off
- Octopus Energy is urging customers with outdated radio teleswitch (RTS) meters to upgrade to smart meters before 30 June, when the broadcasting signal will be switched off, affecting over 300,000 customers.
- RTS meters, introduced in the 1980s, use longwave radio signals from the BBC to switch between peak and off-peak rates, but this system is being discontinued.
- The energy supplier explained that if you have a large black box next to your meter, you may have an RTS meter.
- Jan Shortt of the National Pensioners Convention noted that many affected households may be unaware of their RTS meters or the impending switch-off.
- Customers who do not switch to smart meters may face overcharges for electricity or be left without hot water and heating.