Octopus Energy issues warning to all customers as households risk being cut off

Octopus Energy has issued an urgent call to UK households with outdated electricity meters, warning that they must upgrade or risk losing power. The energy provider has highlighted that those with a radio teleswitch meter (RTS) need to act, as these meters will cease functioning in June this year.

First introduced in the 1980s, RTS meters depend on longwave radio signals from the BBC's RTS meters to switch between peak and off-peak tariff rates. However, the broadcasting equipment is nearing obsolescence and will be deactivated on June 30, impacting approximately 600,000 customers.

Households failing to upgrade could find themselves without heating or hot water and potentially face increased energy bills once the system is shut down. If a customer uses electricity for heating and hot water - through electric storage, panel heaters, and/or immersion heaters - and benefits from cheaper rates during off-peak periods, they likely have an RTS meter.

Typically, there will be a large black box adjacent to the meter.

Octopus Energy is prioritising upgrades for its customers, accounting for nearly a quarter of affected households. Additional engineers are being mobilised to ensure households can transition to smart meters before the deadline, reports the Express.

The supplier emphasises that, besides maintaining their heating, switching to a smart meter offers numerous advantages such as improved energy usage overviews, access to smart tariffs, and the chance to participate in free-energy periods when the grid is abundant with green energy.

Octopus Energy Services' CEO John Szymik has announced enhanced service measures, stating: "Octopus has boosted its service capability to offer fast-tracked assistance and ensure that no one