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The Sun
4 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
My energy bill will rocket by £1,136 and limit showers and heating when my meter is switched off in days
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. 3 3 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. I lost £7,000 after a British Gas smart meter billing error destroyed my credit score 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.
Powys County Times
09-06-2025
- Business
- Powys County Times
Letter: Smart meter deadline worries of Powys residents
Like many other rural homes it is not possible to fit a smart meter in my house. I rely on storage heaters and the Economy 7 tariff but I have seen information that after the switch at the end of June this will either mean higher bills or power will be totally cut off. It seems that the industry is relying on customers to request a smart meter but I have found that no-one else in my area seems to know about this. Therefore I am hoping that you can print a warning to all your readers plus some information for those of us who due to our distance from the signal cannot have a smart meter fitted.
Business Mayor
14-05-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
Can Britons be persuaded to switch off when the wind doesn't blow?
At home in Sunderland, north-east England, Walt Scales and wife Alexis try to finish their washing and cooking by 5pm. Ovo Energy, their electricity supplier, enters them into a prize draw for cutting usage from the mains supply between 5pm and 7pm on weekdays. For the retired bus driver, who switches to a small household battery for essentials in the evening, the benefits are more than financial. 'It means we can relax totally from 5pm, so it's kind of enriched [our lives]. There's more time for each other,' he said. The couple are responding to a push by energy companies and officials to encourage households and businesses to change their habits and adjust electricity use according to supply, as part of the government's goal of decarbonising the electricity system by 2030. This could mean avoiding peak times, such as the teatime rush, or using more power at times of high wind. Along with zonal electricity pricing, it is one way to lessen the amount of new grid capacity that needs to be built and potentially keep costs down. New tariffs, trials and schemes are under way around the country, and the National Energy System Operator wants to see up to five times the current level of flexible power demand in order to meet the national 2030 clean power target. But NESO concedes there are a 'broad range of views' about the feasibility of that goal, which will require technological and commercial developments — and big changes for consumers. 'I think it [demand flexibility] has to happen,' said Laura Sandys, chair of the Green Alliance and board member at EV charging company Ohme Global. '[But] it's probably the most complex part of the jigsaw. This is all about customers.' Walt Scales switches to a small household battery for essentials in the evening © Ian Forsyth/FT Consumers have been encouraged to use electricity outside of peak hours for decades, through 'Economy 7' tariffs offering cheaper power at night, or lower network charges for factories outside peak times. But the idea is taking on more importance given the effort to shift away from fossil fuels, which involves moving from petrol cars and gas-fired boilers to electric cars and heat pumps powered by renewable electricity. Electricity supply and demand have to be matched second by second to maintain system stability. But unlike coal and gas-fired power plants, wind and solar farms depend on the weather and cannot be so easily controlled in line with consumer needs. Demand needs to adjust instead. Excess power can be stored in the form of batteries or hydropower plants, ready to be discharged when needed. But officials believe households and businesses adjusting their behaviour could also help, by, for example, charging electric cars when it is sunny and windy, or turning down industrial freezers when it is not. This is the second part in a series on the future of Britain's electricity grid Spreading demand across the day could also cut the investment required in electricity networks, since they would not have to cope with such heavy peak loads. British wind farms often have to switch off if they are producing more than consumers can use at that time, owing to a lack of grid capacity. 'Flexibility services are crucial for transitioning to a net zero network,' said Northern Powergrid, which serves swaths of northern England. The Berkshire Hathaway-owned company has been offering up to £900 per megawatt hour — more than 10 times the typical rate for electricity bought a day ahead — for business and household consumers to shift their consumption when needed. UK Power Networks, which serves London and south-east England, said it had 100,000 'assets' registered on its network whose demand can be increased or reduced as needed. The network companies' offerings come on top of NESO's national voluntary 'demand-flexibility service', under which households are paid to cut electricity use if a shortage looms. Introduced at the height of the energy crisis in winter 2022, the scheme was initially popular, but critics fear the recent removal of a guaranteed payment level will dent enthusiasm. 'Customers [need] to see and feel good value from doing this,' said Kieron Stopforth, head of flexibility at Octopus Energy, the UK's largest household energy supplier. 'A bit of funding early on can help seed growth.' Octopus and other companies offer or are developing time-of-use tariffs where prices incentivise consumers to respond to constant fluctuations in supply, boosted by market reforms and the rollout of smart meters, which are in about 60 per cent of homes. Combined with plans for regional electricity pricing, the tariffs could lead to consumers in Scotland charging their cars very cheaply when it is windy in the North Sea. The time-of-use model has many enthusiastic proponents. 'Essentially, my fuel for the car is two pence per mile,' said Tesla owner Iain Turner, a customer of Octopus's Intelligent Go tariff. He also sets his washing machine, tumble dryer and, in the summer, swimming pool pump to come on at night. 'About 50-60 per cent of my electricity is now at a cheap rate,' added the Colchester resident. Yet there is also the risk of consumers missing out on benefits if they are less engaged, or get caught out by surge pricing, the flip side of some tariffs offering ultra-cheap electricity at certain times. 'Overall we see [flexibility] as an opportunity for consumers,' said Andy Manning, head of energy systems transformation at consumer watchdog Citizens Advice. '[But] it needs to be underpinned by effective protections [for them].' Industrial users' appetite for shifting their electricity use varies. Some factories are already running power-hungry machinery during brief spells of negative electricity prices triggered by surges in supply. But dialling up and down is not always suitable because it can damage equipment. Getting users on board is not the only challenge. A study in November of 900 homes, 408 of which had electric vehicles or an electric vehicle charger, showed their electricity demand peaked in the middle of the night when cheap overnight tariffs kicked in. 'There's a certain critical mass where you've created a peak somewhere else through herding behaviour,' said Claire Rowland, at Energy Systems Catapult, a government-backed research and technology organisation, that carried out the study. Iain Turner sets his car, washing machine, tumble dryer and swimming pool pump to come on at night © Daniel Jones/FT Trials are also under way to see whether households can be flexible about when they run heat pumps. That could involve switching them on a few hours before they come home and then off during peak times, relying on the home to hold warmth for a few hours. In a survey at the end of a trial run by National Grid and others last year, known as Equinox, about half of the participants reported discomfort 'sometimes' for themselves or other household residents from using power more flexibly. But almost all — 91 per cent — said this was 'mild'. The University of Wales Trinity St David, Lampeter, has installed technology that automatically turns down electric heating in students' rooms when the local network provider is looking for electricity savings. Dan Priddy, head of sustainability at the university, said it might be rolled out further, but noted 'we wouldn't want it to come on midway during a washing [machine] cycle'. Voltalis, the French company behind the technology, has said it plans to invest £1bn in Britain by 2030, following market reforms last year that allow aggregators to be paid for saving, rather than generating, electricity. Randall Bowen, managing director in the UK for Voltalis, said: 'The opportunity is greater in the UK than we've seen in other countries.' Despite many uncertainties Scales, whose prize draw entries could win him a year's worth of free energy, is happy to be at the forefront of a changing system. 'I never stop talking about it,' he said. 'It's important that people pay attention to national consideration.' Data visualisation by Janina Conboye
The Sun
12-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Easy energy bill mistake that could see you paying hundreds of pounds more
A SIMPLE energy bill mistake could see you paying hundreds of pounds more than you should be. Energy bills remain high for millions of households with the Ofgem price cap set at £1,849 a year. 1 This is the average amount a household on a dual-fuel tariff paying by direct debit is having to fork out. So it pays to cut costs where possible. Make one simple mistake and you could end up paying out hundreds of pounds more on your electricity than you should be though. Economy 7 and 10 tariffs charge you two different rates for electricity based on the time of day. You are usually offered a cheaper rate for seven or 10 hours during the night and a more expensive one during the day time. However, if you're on one of these tariffs and don't make the most of the off-peak rates, you could end up paying more than if you were on a standard tariff. Natalie Mathie, energy expert at Uswitch, said the simple error could end up costing you £219 more a year under the current price cap. She explained: "One major UK energy provider charges 34p per kWh for electricity to its standard customers, on average. "Its night rate for Economy 7 tariff customers is just over 16p per kWh, compared with more than 42p during the day — which is around a fifth (21%) more expensive than the unit rate on a standard tariff. "But the average UK household uses 2,700kWh of electricity a year, so if they used this all at an Economy 7 day rate of 42p it would cost them £1,138 – compared with only £919 on a standard deal." From TV to energy... tips to save you money on 7 bills that are going up in April Of course, the likelihood of someone being on an Economy 7 or 10 tariff and using all their electricity during peak hours is unlikely. But, in any case, it's worth checking if you're on one of the tariffs using the bulk of your energy during peak times and could save money switching to a standard tariff. You can also quickly find out if you're on an Economy 7 or 10 tariff by checking your bill. If you're considering switching from an Economy 7 tariff to a standard tariff, get in touch with your energy firm. If you're not happy with the rates they're offering you on the new standard tariff, you can always shop around and go with another supplier. What are Economy 7 or 10 tariffs? Economy 7 or 10 tariffs charge you different rates of electricity based on the time of day. Economy 7 tariffs are more common than Economy 10, with cheaper rates for Economy 7 tariffs usually running from midnight to 7am. The main advantage to them is that you can save money on your overall energy bill if you use more electricity during off-peak hours. For example, if you need to charge an electric car or a storage heater, which is an electric appliance that stores heat generated during off-peak hours and releases it during the day. They are also mainly designed for households that generate all their power from electricity rather than electricity and gas. To sign up to an Economy 7 tariff, you'll need a smart meter or a dedicated Economy 7 meter installed in your home. If you think you might be suited to an Economy 7 or 10 tariff, make sure you shop around for the best deals and rates. You can do this through price comparison websites like Go Compare and Uswitch. It's worth bearing in mind, some older Economy 7 meters are set to stop working from later this summer. Any that use the "Radio Teleswitch Service" (RTS) to transmit and receive data will become defunct from July 1. If you think you have an RTS meter, contact your supplier to find out when it can be upgraded, most likely to a smart meter. Some RTS meters have a transmitter or separate teleswitch box next to your electricity meter. How to save money on your energy bills The quickest and surest way of saving money on your energy bills is reducing how much energy you actually use. This means dialling down your thermostat by one or two degrees, or switching halogen lightbulbs for LED ones, which the Energy Saving Trust says saves you around £1-£4 per year per light bulb. Beware of appliances that guzzle through energy as well, including tumble dryers which are notoriously expensive to run. In the current market, you could save money by switching from a standard variable energy tariff to a fixed tariff too. Fixed tariffs charge you the same unit rate for gas and electricity over the contract term rather than standard variable tariffs where the unit rates fluctuate based on the price cap. Whether you'll save money opting for a fixed tariff really depends as you pay different amounts based on where you live and your usage.
BBC News
01-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
RTS electricity meters: Why Scotland could be hit the hardest
A worrying deadline is looming for nearly 135,000 Scottish homes that have old-style RTS electricity meters installed. From 30 June, the radio signal that controls them will be switched off - with a risk customers could be left without heating and hot water. Another scenario is that heating could start running running all the time and customers could see their bills soar. Energy suppliers are racing against the clock to replace the old equipment. But meeting the deadline is a huge challenge, particularly in Scotland which accounts for a third of the total number of RTS meters in the UK still waiting to be upgraded. What are RTS meters? RTS stands for Radio Teleswitch Service - a system dating back to the 1980s that uses a radio signal to tell meters to switch between different electricity price rates. It uses the longwave radio frequency, which is becoming obsolete, and the equipment that generates the signal is due to be switched off this households, including those with older meters, will be for homes that use electric storage heaters or pay different electricity rates at different times of the day, there is a higher risk they will be affected. Why does Scotland have so many of them? Figures obtained by BBC Scotland have found that, by the end of April, there were about 432,000 RTS meters still to be replaced in the UK - with nearly 135,000 located in Scottish properties. The reason for the disproportionate number in Scotland is partly due to a large rural population in areas like the Highlands and Islands, many households are off the mains gas grid and therefore more likely to use electricity for hot water and heating. Urban areas are also affected because Scottish energy suppliers were pro-active in encouraging use of storage heaters in the late 20th Century, promoting cheaper tariffs such as Economy 7 or Economy heaters were also seen as a good option for replacing open fires in local authority or social housing. Many of these homes are now privately-owned. About half of the meters waiting to be replaced are believed to be in the Highlands and Islands, but around 20,000 are thought to be in Glasgow. Will RTS meters be replaced in time? Energy suppliers have been writing to customers, urging them to make an appointment to get their RTS meters replaced with a smart meter. But the rate of replacement appears to be way behind what is required to meet the 30 June deadline when the signal is switched off. In September, there were about 175,000 RTS meters waiting to be replaced in Scotland and since then that figure has fallen by about 40,000 - a replacement rate of under 6,000 per month. Meeting the 30 June deadline would require a 12-fold increase in the number of replacements being carried out. The issue was debated at Westminster in early April when UK energy minister Miatta Fahnbulleh said the replacement rate was "not acceptable".However she said that suppliers were promising a "spring sprint" to try to meet the deadline in Scotland. The SNP has called for the 30 June switch-off date to be delayed, or for a guarantee of compensation so that no customers face increased costs. How do I know if I have an RTS meter? Some - but not all - RTS systems have a separate box near the electricity meter with the words "radio teleswitch" or "radio telemeter". If you pay a different tariff for electricity at different times of the day - and the switching occurs automatically - this is an indication you may be affected. Electricity tariffs named "Comfort Plus" and "Total Heat Total Control" are linked with RTS meters. Homes with electric storage and water heaters are more likely to use the equipment. If in doubt, the best advice is to contact your electricity supplier. Suppliers should replace the old RTS meters free of charge. But there might be charges if the meter needs to be moved or wiring replaced. Suppliers should inform customers if this is the case. Can smart meters solve the problem? Smart meters can work in a similar way to the old-style meters by providing automated switching between peak and off-peak should also be able to turn hot water systems off and on. However, customers will have to move onto a new smart meter tariff which could involve changes such as different off-peak times. Orkney MP Alistair Carmichael has reported complaints from constituents who say the cheapest tariff is no longer available to them after replacements, and that their bills have risen. The regulator Ofgem is working with suppliers on how to fulfil a pledge that customers should be no worse off as a result of the switchover. Another issue with smart meters is that they sometimes struggle to work in areas like the Highlands and Islands where there is poor network connectivity. An alternative in such cases is to have a smart meter which is pre-programmed to switch to different rates at certain times of the day.
