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lyeuhm
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lyeuhm
Rank 1
February 27, 2023
Solved

THTC / Separate Radio Teleswitch and Meter- Can I get a smart meter?

  • February 27, 2023
  • 291 replies
  • 8052 views

Hoping someone here can help because this has been an on-going battle since before OVO took over SSE and it’s gotten progressively worse recently. 

I live in a house that’s meters haven’t been checked, inspected, whatever since at least 1993.  I have two meters - one for my storage heaters and water tank, and one for standard electricity.  I’ve been trying to get this changed to either a smart meter if available OR just a standard single meter with a day or night rate. 

I have email chain(s) going on with SSE/OVO (One email chain is using @sseenergyservices.com and the other is @ovo.com hence posting here) that I seem to just be going around in circles.  I finally got through to the Electric Heating Team (EHT) about two weeks ago who changed me onto a single rate THTC tarrif, so both my standard and heating meters are at the same rate - but based on the readings that I’ve been providing, it’s still nearly 500 a month just for two storage heaters and a water tank.

Has anyone else had problems being switched to a single meter?  It’s driving me insane and I can’t change providers even if I wanted to because I’m currently bent over a barrel with an old meter system that they won’t change that no one else supports.

 

Edit: Just to add, it’s Radio Teleswitch Total Heat Total Control (THTC) to be specific.

Best answer by Emmanuelle_OVO

Updated on 16/05/25 by Emmanuelle_OVO:

 

Update on RTS shutdown:

 

As part of the RTS Project development, we are really happy to share with you our progress:

 

As you may be aware, the RTS signal that instructs some of our meters when to move to the “Off Peak Period”  will be closing down soon and we need to arrange for all of our RTS customers to have a meter exchange so they don’t lose any of their meter functionality.

 

The RTS signal will end for our customers on 30 June 2025. The period between 1 July - 30 September 2025 will then be used to close-down the RTS signal and allow us to manage any unexpected customers impacted.

 

After a very successful pilot, from the 17th June 2024 we will begin writing to our Economy 10 RTS customers to invite them to call us to arrange for their meter exchange. 

 

We are continuing to work at pace to enable the same solution for the majority of our other RTS customers and our aim is to begin writing to these customers in Aug 2024. 

 

We will continue to update you on our progress.

Hey @Noz1954,

 

I don’t know the exact figures, I’ll see if I can find out. I’d imagine a few thousand as Blastoise advised.

 

We’ve had a couple of customers on the Forum who’ve advised they have THTC set ups, would be interesting to get a conversation going. 

 

 

We’ve got an FAQ on exotic types which might have some useful information:

 

 

291 replies

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T
Newcomer
ToSH67
Newcomer
May 24, 2024

Hi

Seems like I’ve touched a nerve here! Don’t mean to cause offence, but you’ve just described the challenge of creating a smart version of the THTC system. We don’t want that! We want rid of it and  to replace it with a simple single meter solution as already working in millions of homes across the UK. The only legacy of the THTC will be two consumer units where normally there would only be one. 

    Blastoise186
    Super User
    Blastoise186Super User
    Super User
    May 24, 2024

    That’s because Smart THTC seems to be the direction that’s being taken at this time, rather than completely nuking THTC altogether. The one upside is that it would become a single meter, rather than two meters.

    Unfortunately, it’s a necessary evil and there’s no easy fix without upgrading the distribution infrastructure.

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    T
    Newcomer
    ToSH67
    Newcomer
    May 24, 2024

    Hi

    Yes, I get that a decision has been made to go for smart THTC. It's just that I think it's the wrong decision. You can achieve time of use metering in a host of different ways now on a device by device basis - our new storage heaters can do it! I think OVO are making work for themselves unnecessarily. 

     

      Blastoise186
      Super User
      Blastoise186Super User
      Super User
      May 24, 2024

      And I agree with that capability being a thing.

      Unfortunately, 99% of this stuff is beyond OVO’s control. OVO just has to go with whatever the industry - and Ofgem - desires. OVO never created THTC as it was the brainchild of some engineers over 30 years ago and the industry is basically stuck with it.

      The whole reason it exists was to defer having to do massively expensive infrastructure upgrades - even to this day National Grid and the DNOs really don’t wanna do them, but they’ll have to eventually. Only then can THTC finally be extinguished.

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      C
      Rank 4
      Cassie511
      Rank 4
      May 24, 2024

      Hi

      Seems like I’ve touched a nerve here! Don’t mean to cause offence, but you’ve just described the challenge of creating a smart version of the THTC system. We don’t want that! We want rid of it and  to replace it with a simple single meter solution as already working in millions of homes across the UK. The only legacy of the THTC will be two consumer units where normally there would only be one. 

      EXACTLY our problem!! There must be thousands of us in the same position.  

      Blastoise186
      Super User
      Blastoise186Super User
      Super User
      May 24, 2024

      IIRC there were still something like 200,000 RTS Meters in operation last time I checked the stats but it has probably changed since then.

      However, not all of them are THTC given the wide range of RTS Meters and exotic setups out there.

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      T
      Newcomer
      ToSH67
      Newcomer
      May 24, 2024

      OK, let's accept OVO is not to blame (and I do actually) who do I pester? Ofgem? National Grid? My MP? I’m retired so making a nuisance of myself will be a good use of my time!

        Blastoise186
        Super User
        Blastoise186Super User
        Super User
        May 24, 2024

        To be honest… The true answer to that question is a minefield and an absolute spider web. You’ll rapidly get bogged down in red tape.

        As far as I’m aware, there is no single party you can contact about this per se. It’s an industrywide thing and it’s taken me over four years of research just to gather together what I know. Alas, some of my sources have since… Ceased to exist…

        Even I’m struggling to know who to turn to - and I specialise in research!

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          T
          Newcomer
          ToSH67
          Newcomer
          May 24, 2024

          I feel your pain. 

            C
            Newcomer
            ColinRG
            Newcomer
            May 29, 2024

            Hi, Not everyone with THTC wants to move to a single meter set up. We are currently with Octopus and pay 13.3p/kwh for all heating and hot water via the the THTC meter and 24.5p/kwh for all other electricity from the standard meter. Moving to one meter would presumably mean paying 24.5p/kwh for everything. Hence our heating costs would nearly double. The problem here is not THTC itself but the reliance on the RTS.

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