RTS (Radio Teleswitch Service) Shutdown Update

Hey ​@thelearner 

Thanks for popping back again with that update, really glad to hear that went smoothly this time! I’ll try and pass that feedback to SMS too.

If you do ever have any other questions or issues, always feel free to stop by and we’ll do what we can to help.😊

I’m an OVO customer who has a Landis+Gyr meter 5246C installed in 2012 by the then energy supplier SSE.

We are on the Economy 10 electricity tariff. Heating and hot water is generated by an 11.2kW Ecodan Heat pump which runs on electricity.  We have an underfloor heating system. 

is our Landis+Gyr meter 5246C affected by the RTS shutdown?

No. There’s no sign of any RTS control in your photo.

I’m wondering why you’re on an Economy 10 tariff when most of your electricity usage is probably going towards running the heat pump. I understand that HPs usually work most efficiently when they run continuously, so you might be using a lot of energy at the peak rate. Economy tariffs were designed for heat storage systems, using cheaper electricity to charge them at offpeak times ready for heat release when you need it. They’re not usually a good option for underfloor heating.

There are quite a few knowledgeable HP users who post in these forums, some of them with Ecodan systems. You might have a look through the many HP threads in the Home & Heating category to see how other customers are getting on.

Thanks for your reply. 

The Heat Pump was fitted 2½ years ago prior to that underfloor heating was on Heatrae Sadia electric boiler, installed when house was built in 2008, by builder and heating engineers. They set up Economy 10 meter for this. HP system is much cheaper to run.  

It could well be that Economy 10 was a good choice for an electric-boiler-driven underfloor heating system in 2008, but I’m not sure it’s the best option for a heat-pump-driven system in 2025. There are a few years until your meter reaches its best-before date (September 2031), but you might consider accepting the offer of a smart meter now so you have better control over your energy use and a choice of tariffs.

Hi ​@JohnH68 and a warm welcome to the OVO Forum! I’ve added your Heat Pump badge 😁.

I can see ​@Firedog has given some really helpful advice here, and I’m in agreement that a smart meter would be a great idea. You can find some more info on smart meters in these previous Forum topics:

• Are there any disadvantages to getting a smart meter? F.A.Q.

• Smart Meters and In Home Displays - Topic Hub Tutorial

• How to book a smart meter appointment on your online account or OVO app Tutorial

I am in a PH postcode and my appointment was cancelled due to operational reasons with little explanation.

It turns out it’s a signal issue and they have no idea when it will be fixed or if it will be fixed in time for the shutdown. I only was told this because I phoned back despite being told I’d be able to get the next available appointment when my appointment was cancelled and they would phone me.  

furthermore I haven’t been able to speak to someone that knows when this issue will be resolved I’ve just been put on a callback list. I’m getting a little worried now that I might be trapped. 

Hey ​@Jkraw1 

Sorry to hear about this, sadly you’re not alone in this and there are a few others on the Forum who are awaiting a fix for similar issues.

The team will be in touch as soon as they have further development on what’s going to work for yourself, the solutions may be different for some people so they will be in touch directly.

I’ve linked below to a couple of similar topics which may also be helpful:

I’m sorry it’s not quite the answer you’re looking for, but hopefully the team will have a solution for you ASAP.

Do keep us updated on how you get on.

Had appointment booked to install smart meter on 22nd April. All last week I kept getting emails and text messages reminfing me about it and what would happen. This morning (the 21st) I’ve received an email saying appointment has been cancelled. No explanation, No reason given. This doesn't bode well for getting them all done by the switch off.

Friends have just bought a flat with storage heaters and immersion for hot water, this is their meter. Is there anything peculiar about it that they need to be aware of before booking a smart meter ? The meter cupboard is outside their front door on the second floor stairwell. They are in KT5 and with Octopus.

Hey ​@awills61, 

I’m sorry to hear that your appointment was cancelled. If you reach out to our Support Team they’ll be able to confirm the reason for the cancellation and help you book an alternative appointment. 

Booked new appointment for 20th May hopefully this one goes ahead. If not will definitely be cutting it fine for RTS switch off.

The link below seems to indicate that a Economy 10 type meter needs to be replaced. This is contrary to advice given above.  

 Radio Teleswitching Service | OVO

juliamc wrote:

Friends have just bought a flat with storage heaters and immersion for hot water, this is their meter. Is there anything peculiar about it that they need to be aware of before booking a smart meter ? The meter cupboard is outside their front door on the second floor stairwell. They are in KT5 and with Octopus.

​@Firedog anything odd here ⬆️?

That article is only about RTS-controlled systems, which yours apparently isn’t. Your meter doesn’t have to be replaced until 2031, but it might be a good idea to have it exchanged for a smart meter before then, to give you better oversight of your electricity usage.  

Hi Julia

Nothing that a feather duster and a baby hoover wouldn’t fix! 

To my inexpert eye, that looks like quite a straightforward job for a competent meter engineer. Everything in one place, and plenty of room for the new meter. Assuming the storage heaters and the immersion heater are all on a switched circuit for charging, I can’t see any reason to suspect that a smart meter exchange couldn’t be completed in an hour or two.

Thanks, that’s great news !! I’ll take a duster next time I’m there… 🥲

No damp cloths, mind. They don’t play nicely with old live electrical cables⚡

Just worth mentioning ​@juliamc that there is a split feed from the main fuse 

(2 live cables and 2 neutrals).

It shouldn’t be too much of a problem but the engineer might need to remove one of the feeds as the smart meter will only take one of each

Oo.. does that mean further works in the flat’s electrics ? Any thoughts where the two feeds might go ?

They have an electric oven and electric shower as well as the immersion and 4 storage heaters. There’s a gas supply for the hob (the only gas appliance).

You can see that one feed goes to the normal meter and the other goes to the teleswitch. That’s probably to do with the different circuits being energised at different time slots.

With the new smart meter (presumably on E10?), it will provide the switch for peak and off-peak although I can’t see the various circuits so don’t know how they’re currently connected.

Ah, I see. Thanks. It just looked like a dusty tangle to me 🤦‍♀️.

😁 well looking further, the outputs from each of the meters goes into a tube at the base of the cupboard so I presume these then feed into the consumer unit /DB 

That main fuse is rated 415V 60/80A. Might that suggest that there is in fact a three-phase supply, with one of two feeding only the heavy duty stuff via the RTS?

There’s only one fuse which means it’s single phase