Carmichael to lead debate in Parliament on RTS shutdown

On Tuesday, Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, will lead a debate in Parliament on government preparations for the radio teleswitch service (RTS) switch-off in Scotland.

The debate comes with less than three months to go until the planned switch-off of RTS, impacting households across the country.

Thousands of energy meters in the Northern Isles rely on RTS for tariffs such as Total Heating with Total Control, but these will need to be replaced ahead of the signal shutdown on 30th June, though Ofgem has stated that no household will lose electricity supply as a result.

Mr Carmichael said:

“People across the isles have been increasingly concerned about the upcoming RTS shutdown. The answers we have been getting from ministers, energy companies and Ofgem simply have not been good enough, whether that is on signal issues, fair tariff replacements or any number of other issues. With less than three months to go this debate could not be more urgent.

“For years energy companies and Ofgem were asleep at the wheel when it came to the RTS shutdown. At the current rate of replacement there will still be tens of thousands of RTS meters across the country when the switch off happens in June, and a disproportionate number of these are likely to be in the isles. Islanders deserve some confidence that these issues will be sorted and that we will get fair energy tariffs on replacement meters.

“The clock is ticking and we are not getting the information we need – the minister had better come prepared with answers.”