RTS (Radio Teleswitch Service) Shutdown Update

​@Chris_OVO ​@Bradley_OVO ​@Lukepeniket_OVO 

a look back in this thread explains that ​@thelearner has been able to establish that this is not a three phase supply via photographs provided and the local DNO confirmation.

Can someone hand hold this through to completion as I can see it becoming a continuing problem otherwise.

It’s really sad to hear of this sort of bungle. A couple of comments:

1. Is your elderly relative on the Priority Services Register? He ought to be, and this might help when trying to communicate with OVO Support (calls from customers on the PSR should automatically be diverted, quickly, to an agent specially trained to help the more vulnerable customer). 
     
2. Since you are helping him, you should make sure that you’re named on his account and that the email registered is yours. This may involve a phone call, because Uncle will have to give his oral consent for the arrangement (don’t ask why!).
     
3. I’d then suggest that communication thereafter all take place via webchat rather than phone. You can get a transcript of the whole conversation - so no more ‘he said she said’ disputes - and you also have the ability to upload images like the ones that failed to make it via email. 

Hey ​@BPLightlog, 

The member has been provided with the contact options and the options for compensation as per our GSoP process. As we don't have account access through the Forum, we are unable to provide support for this issue here. The Support Team will be able to work with them to get this resolved if they contact them.

I know this isn’t going to offer any help on the current situation but we need to be clear on what’s within our scope to support with. Account issues aren’t sadly which is why we signpost to the correct team. 

Any questions reach out to me 😊

I’m not convinced in this case 

🤦🏼‍♂️ while I understand the limitations of the forum, I think this needs some additional attention 

I spoke to OVO earlier today and I always find the staff helpful - the lady confirmed that I was not mentioned on my uncle’s account - which bemused me as was sure we had done this already and I have emailed OVO and received replies. Anyway did as she advised and went in to my uncle’s and phoned OVO and got Tom to add me and my email again to my uncle’s account. Tom could not give me another appointment as the system was down - I have to call again next week - I will try web chat but think that may only be if you have account registered online? 

I am now away to send the DNO email to OVO. I will ask about the £40 for missed appointment as this is the 3rd appointment and I have made myself available for every one. I asked my uncle and got the engineer who phoned mobile number. I called it - went straight to voicemail. Texted explaining whet DNO had told us no reply. 

Will update here again with my next update. Not many people can understand the process for contacting the DNO - who I have been in touch with twice before - and I always find to be excellent. 

Thanks for all the replies - this forum has also been excellent. 

I had a letter from OVO in December last year informing me about the RTS shutdown and need for a meter change.  It told me to wait to be contacted.  I am still waiting.  As June is not far way should I be concerned?

Hi ​@ianbar ,

In that case… I’d suggest checking in with OVO Support ASAP when you get a chance. You can use any option listed at https://ovoenergy.com/help and you’ll want to check in with Squad 70.

Hey ​@ianbar 

Sorry to hear you’ve not been contacted yet about your replacement, but I’m glad to see one of our volunteers has already stopped by with some helpful advice on this.

The Support Team will be able to check if they can now book a replacement.

Let us know how you get on.

Thank you,  I called earlier today and after a few transfers I was able to book an appointment for mid-April.

Hey ​@ianbar 

Thanks for the update, glad to hear you’ve been able to get that booked!

I tried the OVO WhatsApp could not get past the guard not.

I did the online chat and it worked fine, next appointment is 9th April. I have sent the DNO SSEN email to OVO. 

I never got an email with chat transcript. 

Also had an email from OVO on Friday saying £40 credit had been applied to my uncles account, he is prepayment card so I assume this just goes on there.

So here is hoping all goes ok on April 9th.

Hey ​@thelearner 

I’m glad to hear you were able to get an appointment sorted! 

At the moment we don’t sent out automatic transcripts after a chat session ends, but hopefully that might be something that’s brought in future.

Keep us updated on how the appointment goes!

Hi there,

Any idea what is happening in areas lacking signal for the new smart meters?

I live in a PH postcode and, when I called to organise a meter swap, I was told there is no signal in my area to accommodate a smart meter. The person on the phone said he thinks it should be sorted by June but did not sound very confident about it.

-------

Currently on a THTC setup, although running on a single rate as we no longer have any storage heaters and the water boiler is turned off.

Hi ​@Emiin05 ,

In a case like yours, you can probably just move to an Anytime tariff and not worry about it too much. June 2025 is the widely advertised stage 1 shutdown, but the final stage 2 shutdown is actually September 2025. You’ve got time yet*

*Droitwich Transmission Station is on the final set of valves, so the signal WILL end when the current set blows regardless of other factors.

Well it has happened! Around 10 days ago a 3 phase engineer arrived to change our 2 meter Superdeal system to E10 with a smart meter. Here for around 6 hours but it appears to all work ok! Only hiccup appears to be that I am still being charged the Superdeal tariff despite the display showing the E10 tariff! In the last few days my current billing has suddenly disappeared from my account so wondering if they have removed it for adjustment? New rates come in on the 1st of April so maybe it is due to that.

NICE! Glad to hear it! :)

I suspect it’s the six week thing where your meter swap is still being processed by the industry (it’s complicated!). Everything should update on your account sooner or later.

You might be on a Billing Suspension in the meantime. Please make payments as normal and OVO will update you when there’s news.

Hey ​@johndebs 

Glad to hear that!

As Blastoise186 has mentioned it may just be a case of the meter details still settling, this can take up to 6 weeks, so I’d have another check back on it then, and if anything is still not as you expect then, I’d get in touch with the Support Team so they can fix anything like the tariff if that doesn’t update after 6 weeks. 

Do keep us updated with how you get on, but thanks for popping back with that update!

So the engineer arrived at the designated time yesterday. He said when he saw history the day before he got OVO to send him a picture, and when he got picture he was bemused as to why job was not done at previous visits, knew it was a looped supply which he said is very common for those age houses in our area.

Job done with no issues. The company name on his van was sms. He did a very nice job.

The old peak consumer unit is still wire fuses. That's being replaced by local electrician in a couple of weeks, the off peak consumer unit was replaced when the new storage heaters were fitted. 

Sweet, nice one ​@thelearner ! Thanks for the update, I will let the Forum Moderators know.

Just so you know, I need to give you some boring but important info because the powers that be make me say it:

• The old meter will be destroyed - there’s no going back now you’ve been migrated
• Your billing may be temporarily suspended while the meter and tariff gets updated on your account - please continue making payments as normal
• It may take a couple of weeks for your new meter to start sending readings

Thanks for bearing with us. Give us a shout if ya need anything! :D

Thanks, it is a pre payment meter. Display went to emergency credit as engineer said it would, said it might take 4hrs until credit transferred. It was transferred in 15 minutes. 

Thanks for all the support on here.

Gotcha. In that case, you should have your Personal Account Number(s) already, so you should be able to top-up immediately via the app. If you need them, let Support know!

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.