Carmichael secures PM commitment to government meeting on RTS energy meter concerns

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has today secured a commitment from the Prime Minister to facilitate a meeting with the Energy Minister, energy suppliers and consumer groups to discuss the upcoming switch off of the BBC’s longwave radio transmission, which will affect almost a million energy customers across the UK.

Mr Carmichael raised concerns about the planned switch off, currently expected in June 2025, and the potential harm to customers in rural and island communities like the Northern Isles, where smart meter rollout has been slow and at times unreliable and where many families use tariffs like Total Heating, Total Control which is only available to RTS meters. 

Mr Carmichael welcomed the meeting offer but said that there must be “no detriment” for energy customers, either in the cost of their electricity after the switch off, or in the reliability of their connection.

As of 1 February 2024 there are still 910,406 RTS meters in GB homes and small businesses. of which 246,662 (27.1%) are in Scotland. At the current rate of disconnections from RTS meters, it will take 29 years to end their use in Scotland, while limiting the reliability of RTS meters and their access to favourable tariffs.

Speaking in the House, Mr Carmichael said:

“When the BBC ends longwave radio transmission next year they will also end access to electricity tariffs like Total Heating, Total Control, relied on by almost one million households across the UK. Switching to smart meters is not going to fix this for most people, not least because the rollout programme is so far behind. 

“So will the Prime Minister or his Secretary of State for Energy get the energy companies, the regulator and the customer groups together, so that we can stop passing the blame around and find a solution that does not yet again leave people in the Highlands and Islands behind, and out in the cold?”

Responding, the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

“I understand that an agreement has now been reached to ensure that radio teleswitching services will continue until June of next year, and Ofgem are also engaging with suppliers on their plans to support consumers through the transition. 

“Whilst households that are currently on the service should not be disadvantaged by the switch off, it is energy suppliers who are best placed to advise on tariffs. However I will make sure that he gets a meeting with the relevant minister to ensure that his constituents are not left behind during the transition.”

Reacting after the exchange, Mr Carmichael said:

“Having pushed water up a hill for some time on the looming risks from the RTS switch off for some time I am glad that the Prime Minister appears to recognise the seriousness of the issue. I look forward to seeing further progress once we have the meeting that he has offered.

“Almost a million people across the UK and particularly in the Highlands and Islands are affected by the RTS shutdown. Families need proper assurances about both the price of their energy and the security of their supply under new systems. The end to RTS may be unavoidable but we need a cast-iron guarantee from the government and from energy suppliers that there will be no detriment to any family affected.”