Storage heaters and Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS)

[thomaspotato]

Could someone explain what's happening with storage heaters now that the off peak ( Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS)) meters are being switched off?
Old storage heaters just needed an off peak supply ( separate board off a white meter/off peak). Then newer ones in t he last 10 years or so needed an off peak and 24hr supply. So what happens now that the off peak supply is being turned off ?
Does the off peak board now need wired into the 24hr meter? and if so does that not mean that the storage heaters will be heating up 24hrs a day instead of the just during the cheap rate at night?

 

[littlespark]

Only the radio teleswitch system is being turned off. The actual radio signal that operates the switch is being shut off.

The storage heaters will still work as they did IF there’s another type of timer involved.

That could be an old mechanical timeclock…. If it’s still fitted, it’ll still work….

Or the electric suppliers preference… is to have a smart meter installed by them that has a time switch built in.


It has to be done by the supplier so that they switch the tariff rate each night when the heating comes on.

 

[Don Vosper]

Radio 4 longwave on 198kHz was supposed to be switched off on 1st July, its valves are getting old and there are allegedly no spares and they don't want to pay for new ones when they fail. However, it is still transmitting and no-one seems to know exactly when it will evenually go. As far as I can tell my radio timeswitch is still working.
However, EDF say from the 1st July I will pay the full amount for off peak electricity unless I have a smartmeter installed. The RTS will eventually have to be replaced as it will be either permantly on or off, not sure which.
There is some opposition to switching off longwave but I guess even if it is left on the supply companies will still want you to have a smartmeter.
Funny how the French have managed to keep a longwave transmitter going to provide a time signal for their railways.
Don

 

[oscar21]

A lot of the tele-switches have a built in 100A relay so they directly switch the heaters on and off as well as click the meter onto the cheap rate, so these setups will probably stop working altogether. It should be down to the meter providers to ensure the heaters stay working, not the homeowner in my oppinion as most people who still have a storage heater/teleswitch setup will prbably be the older more vulnerable people in society.

 

[Avo Mk8]

Could someone explain what's happening with storage heaters now that the off peak ( Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS)) meters are being switched off?
Old storage heaters just needed an off peak supply ( separate board off a white meter/off peak). Then newer ones in t he last 10 years or so needed an off peak and 24hr supply. So what happens now that the off peak supply is being turned off ?
Does the off peak board now need wired into the 24hr meter? and if so does that not mean that the storage heaters will be heating up 24hrs a day instead of the just during the cheap rate at night?

The electricity suppliers are legally obligated to replace the RTS with alternative equipment (typically a smart meter) to maintain a similar timed supply and tariff.
I'm not sure suppliers always know what equipment each customer has - probably the reason customers are being encouraged to talk to their supplier.

Apparently rather than a 'switch off' it is now a 'phased approach', which seems sensible if there really are still 800,000 people needing their electric heating to be reconfigured!

RTS meter switch off: what you need to know

From 30 June 2025, the radio teleswitch service will be phased out, so you might need to replace your meter. Here’s what you need to know.

energysavingtrust.org.uk

 

[Avo Mk8]

Radio 4 longwave on 198kHz was supposed to be switched off on 1st July, its valves are getting old and there are allegedly no spares and they don't want to pay for new ones when they fail. However, it is still transmitting and no-one seems to know exactly when it will evenually go. As far as I can tell my radio timeswitch is still working.
However, EDF say from the 1st July I will pay the full amount for off peak electricity unless I have a smartmeter installed. The RTS will eventually have to be replaced as it will be either permantly on or off, not sure which.
There is some opposition to switching off longwave but I guess even if it is left on the supply companies will still want you to have a smartmeter.
Funny how the French have managed to keep a longwave transmitter going to provide a time signal for their railways.
Don

As well as the transmitter situation, there's a complex 'front-end' of data collection and management. I understand the system originally had an objective of supply dynamic load management, but also became used for adjusting tariff timing for 'cheap-rate' heating. I think hardware and software has already been revamped some while ago, and probably would need further investment to keep it going.
There's a little bit about it here: Radio teleswitch - https://www.energynetworks.org/industry/engineering-and-technical-programmes/radio-teleswitch

 

[freddo]

My father has just had his RTS replaced with a smart meter because of the proposed switch off. Not ideal, the 'smart' meter doesn't transmit the readings, he has to send them manually each month, and now he has a smart meter they told him this week he is now going to pay the same rate for O/P electricity as he is for Normal electricity. What a scam.

 

[Avo Mk8]

they told him this week he is now going to pay the same rate for O/P electricity as he is for Normal electricity. What a scam.

Thats not right. I hope he or you pursue this, or take it up with the Ombudsman (which will take a while, but will get a result!) if they don't provide off peak. I can understand poor/no communication with the meter, but he should still have a cheap rate supply. They can't use no radio link as an excuse.

 

[freddo]

Thats not right. I hope he or you pursue this, or take it up with the Ombudsman (which will take a while, but will get a result!) if they don't provide off peak. I can understand poor/no communication with the meter, but he should still have a cheap rate supply. They can't use no radio link as an excuse.

I will get to it this weekend.

 

[EricMark]

There are loads of people who still have an old time clock, it does not need to be linked to some wireless system that turns it on and off. The press release explains and it says

In most cases, this will involve switching to a smart meter, which can work in the same way as RTS meters, with automatic peak and off-peak rates, and the ability to turn heating and hot water systems on and off, ensuring minimal disruption to households.

but there are other methods, if the smart meter does not work in the area you are in, they need to use a different method.

If the smart meter works, then you have two options, have a smart meter, or loose the off-peak supply, but if it does not work, then the supplier MUST fit an alternative method, so actually better off to people who have never had off-peak, for them, they can simply say tough, smart meter will not work, you have to have a single tariff.

As to if the Economy 7 is worth having is another question, since the peak power costs more, one needs to use a lot of off-peak to make it worthwhile, I have seen 70% talked about, which since only needed in the winter, means in winter it needs to be more like a 15% - 85% split, so for the year it hits the 70%.

Basic there are three common off-peak tariffs, and the time for off-peak can vary from 3 to 10 hours, there are also intelligent tariffs, where the supplier takes control of your equipment, but depending on how long the off-peak is for, the charge for off-peak varies, so for 5 hours off-peak you may pay 8.5p/kWh but for 10 hours of off-peak it can go to 17p/kWh and getting exact figures is hard, as one needs to enter ones post code. With 23.86p/kWh for a single all day tariff, and some peak tariffs being over 35p/kWh it is easy to end up costing more.

People like me, with batteries, so we rarely use anything but off-peak, are sure to gain, but with storage heaters, if you were using a simple convection heater instead, there would be times when rooms are not heated, so using less power as well, seems likely we will see the end of storage heaters.

 

[7029 dave]

When I worked for one of the big six, if a customer had no hot water or heating E7 (electric supply) it was classed as priority emergency.
So ring your supplier if this happens