“Spring Surge” in meter replacement last chance for success – Carmichael leads RTS debate

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has led a debate in Parliament on government preparations for the radio teleswitch service (RTS) switch-off in Scotland. During the debate the responding minister for energy, Miatta Fahnbulleh, outlined a planned “Spring Surge” of meter replacements by energy companies, focused on Scotland, with the Northern Isles one of the first areas to receive focused support to replace RTS meters in the coming weeks. She also committed to reconvene an MP roundtable on the issue at the end of April.

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 (part of 47,277 remaining in the Highlands and Islands) 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.

Speaking after the debate, Mr Carmichael said:

“This ‘Spring Surge’ described by the minister is the last chance to make a success of the RTS transition for our communities. It seems that there is a coordinated surge in meter replacement appointments planned for the isles so the more information we can receive on how this will work in practical terms, the better. If we get this right in the Northern Isles then it will build momentum for the whole country to get this done.

“It is also essential that tariff fairness is delivered when people replace their meters. Ofgem has stated that energy suppliers should give tariffs which would leave customers ‘no worse off’ than their existing tariff arrangement when their meter is replaced. This really is critical. It is a promise that has to be delivered both as a matter of fairness and in practical terms, giving families the confidence that they can replace their RTS meter in the knowledge that they will not be worse off. We have to see this promise borne out in results.

“The minister inherited a poor situation from the previous government but she has taken a more proactive and energetic approach than her predecessors. If any previous minister had taken this level of interest even two years ago we would be in a much better place today, but we are relying on her and the government to keep pushing so that we get to the best possible – or least bad – position we can get to by the end of June.”