My energy bill will rocket by £1,136 and limit showers and heating when my meter is switched off in days

The Sun

12 hours ago

PENSIONER Ernest Mustoe fears he will have to pay hundreds of pounds extra a year and limit when he uses his shower or heating because of a huge energy meter switch off.
The 78-year-old lives on his own in a four-bedroom house in rural Aberdeenshire and has a heating system partly controlled by a Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) meter.
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The Government has said it will start switching off RTS meters in a phased approach from June 30 so that households can be moved onto more modern types of meters.
The old-style RTS meters use longwave radio frequency to switch between peak and off-peak rates.
Energy firms have been given a deadline of tomorrow to change customers onto modern meters but the regulator has warned that anyone switching should not be left out of pocket.
Ernest is one of 310,000 households with an RTS meter.
But he has a complex set-up with two electric meters - one for domestic supply and another for heating, which uses RTS technology.
His heating is on a standard variable tariff which controls timed power to storage heaters and a water heater in his home, while his panel heaters, a water boost and shower are controlled by the RTS meter.
EDF told Ernest in July last year it wanted to switch him to a single smart meter on an Economy 7 tariff.
Economy 7 tariffs track day and night use of electricity separately, with cheaper energy offered during night-time hours.
This means you can save money if you tend to use more energy at night - but the day rate is often more expensive than if you were on a normal tariff.
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Ernest estimated that switching from his current set-up to an Economy 7 tariff would cost him £2,954.
He's currently paying an estimated £1,818 a year so that's a huge increase of £1,136.
It would also require rewiring in his home costing an extra £300.
Ernest also says the system he's being offered would leave him unable to use his panel heater, shower and water booth at certain times of the day - including between 10am and 4pm.
"All the options offered would basically render my heating system useless, or cost so much to run that it would not be viable," he told The Sun.
"It's an absolute disgrace... there's no suitable replacement for my meter.
"The only solution they've offered means I will be limited on when I can shower and during the winter I could be left without any backup heating options."
In March, this year he complained to Energy Ombudsman, who said the most suitable option with EDF would be to move him on to an Economy 7 tariff.
Rejected by other suppliers
It advised him to check with other suppliers but Ernest said each company refused to give him a quote until he moved to a smart meter.
The ombudsman also recommended EDF pay a £150 goodwill payment for not telling him sooner that it could not offer him an equivalent set-up.
But Ernest felt this wasn't a resolution and turned down the payment, instead hoping to resolve the issue directly with EDF.
Last week, the retired Met Police inspector was told he could be moved to a twin meter set-up.
But Ernest says even with this it means he would still be left paying more and without heating at certain times of day.
He has now been told by EDF that if he doesn't make a decision by July 1, he will automatically be moved onto a standard variable rate tariff.
He estimates this would increase his bills even further to £2,966 a year - a huge increase of 47% and an extra £950 a year.
Why can't they move me to a like-for-like meter
"I think they are overcomplicating it to make it look like it's such a difficult setup that I've got," Ernest says.
"And yet there must be thousands of customers on this system. You know, this isn't a sort of a system that was dreamt up just for me."
A spokesperson for EDF said that Ernest has a "complex meter set up" and is on a historical energy tariff.
EDF says they have offered Ernest an option where he could access an Economy 7 tariff that means he would have access to heating and his shower during the day.
It added: "We aim to offer like-for-like arrangements wherever possible, however, in some cases, there may not be a direct equivalent to previous industry tariffs. In such instances, we will offer customers the next best available option."
However, Ernest disagrees and does not think that the option would be suitable for him.
Ernest says all he wants is to carry on as he is, with a meter that keeps on working and won't cost him hundreds of pounds extra.
EDF says that if he doesn't make a decision about his RTS meter he is at risk of losing his heating and hot water.
The regulator Ofgem has said no customers on RTS meters should be left worse off.
A spokesperson said: "We have made clear to suppliers that we expect them to treat customers fairly – not only in terms of shielding households from unnecessary costs but also offering the same or equivalent tariffs after their RTS meter has been upgraded.
" It is crucial that customers are protected at every stage of the phased shutdown, and we are spelling out to suppliers key requirements that must be met before an area loses its RTS signal.
"While this carefully managed phaseout process should reassure customers, it remains crucial that these meters are replaced urgently so it's vital to engage with your supplier when offered an appointment."
What is happening with RTS meters?
Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) meters are set to be switched off in less than a week's time.
Hundreds of thousands of customers on Economy 7 and other multi-rate energy tariffs use these meters, which charge customers cheaper rates depending on the time of day.
The switch-off means anyone who does not switch to a smart meter could find their heating or hot water does not work properly.
Suppliers have been urging customers to switch before the deadline and have been individually contacting people to book a smart meter installation appointment.
Smart meters have the same features as RTS meters and can record different prices at different times of the day, which are offered by Economy 7 tariffs.
They use a digital signal and can show your energy usage in real time.
In some cases switching to a smart meter can save you money, particularly as there are more smart meter tariffs than RTS meter ones.
However in some cases like Ernest's, it appears some consumers are being left out of pocket by the switch.
Plus, one in 10 smart meters are thought to not be working properly according to Ofgem.
Some customers have said that their smart meter monitor has a broken display or it will not connect to the network.
How to check if you have an RTS meter
It is easy to tell if your meter is an RTS one.
The oldest RTS-powered meters have a switch box labelled "Radio Teleswitch" located next to the electric meter.
Others may have the RTS switch box within the electric meter as a single box on the wall.
One way to tell is if you get cheaper energy at different times of the day.
You may be on a tariff called Economy 7, Economy 10 or Total Heat Total Control.
Another way to tell is if your home is heated using electricity or storage heaters, according to Energy UK.
RTS meters are also often used in areas with no gas supply, for example with high rise flats or houses in rural areas.
If your home is in one of these locations then it is worth checking your meter.
If you are still unsure then contact your supplier and ask if you have RTS equipment.
They should be able to tell you if you have one.
If you have one of these meters then you should book a smart meter installation as soon as you can.