The nationwide Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) 'big switch off' has been delayed, which will come as a relief to landlords who had struggled to book an appointment to replace outdated meters in their rental properties.
Ofgem expected suppliers to replace all RTS meters across Great Britain with a smart meter before 30th June. Instead, the government has started a gradual phase out on a significantly smaller scale in areas with very few RTS customers.
One landlord in Scotland had made five attempts to replace the obsolete device at his rental flat and was given a new appointment for 28th July, almost a month after the deadline.
It is thought about 314,000 households are still using the meters – typically if the properties are heated by electric storage heaters - equal to around 1% of British households.
The RTS automatically switches the electricity between peak and off-peak rates in the morning and evening and can also be used to turn heating and hot water systems on and off at specific times of the day.
Before any phase out activity in their area, energy suppliers will inform households if their meters are affected. Tenants who pay the electricity bill will receive this communication, but landlords are being encouraged to ask tenants to watch out for this, otherwise any electric storage heaters or hot water tanks might stop working when the RTS technology is switched off.
The NRLA explains that tenants have the right to choose a smart meter however, many tenancy agreements include a clause requiring tenants to obtain the landlord’s written permission before altering the meter.
It explains that second-generation smart meters (SMETS2) are designed to work seamlessly across different suppliers, so that before arranging a smart meter installation, it’s worth confirming that it will be a SMETS2 meter.
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