Martin Lewis has issued an urgent warning for hundreds of thousands of households with an old type of meter ahead of a deadline this month.
Radio teleswitch service (RTS) meters are being switched off on June 30 - meaning anyone with this type of meter needs to upgrade their system to a smart meter now.
If you don't switch, it could mean your heating and hot water stops working properly. were introduced in the 1980s and they use a radio signal to switch between peak and off-peak electricity rates.
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In a post published on X, said: “Warning! Got an old Economy 7 or multi-rate electricity meter? The 'Radio Teleswitch Service' which allows some old (non-smart) meters to function will be switched off at end of this month.
“It could mean your heating & hot water won't function properly, or incorrect bills. You need a meter upgrade now.”
If you need to replace your meter, contact your electricity provider as soon as possible. They will be able to upgrade you to a smart meter, or another alternative, free of charge.
You may have an RTS meter if you have a switch box near your energy meter labelled Radio Teleswitch, if you have electric or storage heaters, if there is no gas supply to your area, or if you get cheaper energy at different times of day.
Simon Francis, co-ordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, last month warned there will still be hundreds of thousands of RTS meters on the date they are due to be switched off.
Mr Francis told the Work and Committee: “The process is doomed to failure. We are not going to see the RTS switch off on the first of July.
“There’s still going to be hundreds of thousands of RTS meters in people’s homes on the date that they’re saying they’re going to start winding down the signal.
“We don’t know what is going to happen. The risks that have been outlined are either that your hot water and your heating are always on and you’re going to be running up a massive bill, or it’s always off.“
Charlotte Friel, director for Retail Pricing & Systems for Ofgem, said: “We have been continually monitoring the industry’s efforts to replace RTS meters as this ageing infrastructure reaches the end of its life.
“Last year we decided more needed to be done so convened the sector and made clear to suppliers they have to move faster. Following that intervention, the rate of meter replacements has increase from around 1,000 a month to more than 1,000 a day.
“However suppliers need to do more and ensure customers are protected from detriment, which is why industry is putting in place a phased area-by-area shutdown beginning from 30 June.
“We have made clear that the signal serving a specific area should not be switched off until suppliers have demonstrated that they are ready and able to respond quickly to any issues customers experience.“