Martin Lewis issues warning to 300,000 UK households over hot water from end of June

Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis has issued a warning to over 300,000 households across the UK over their electricity meters – with people urged to act fast

Martin Lewis has sounded the alarm for UK households, as a staggering number of homes could find themselves without hot water by month’s end.

The Money Saving Expert took to X on Tuesday, issuing an urgent alert: “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.” He elaborated: “It could mean your heating and hot water won’t function properly, or incorrect bills. You need a meter upgrade now.”

Over 300,000 residences are in jeopardy of losing their hot water and heating supply from July 1 due to this impending shutdown.

Energy specialists have pointed out that the system is being decommissioned because it relies on a unique type of vacuum tube no longer in production, with reports suggesting fewer than ten remain globally, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Energy providers are racing against time to update the system before the June deadline, but the prospect of transitioning all customer meters to the new setup by then appears unlikely.

A representative for Energy UK, the trade association for energy companies, noted that as of March’s end, 430,000 homes were still equipped with an RTS meter, with over 1,000 replacements occurring daily.

Ned Hammond, the deputy director for customers at Energy UK, recently spoke to BBC Radio 4’s You And Yours programme, revealing that while the pace of meter replacement is picking up, there’s still a mountain to climb: “Obviously we’d need to increase from there significantly still to replace all the meters by the end of June.”

When quizzed on the feasibility of swapping every RTS meter by the June 30 deadline, he admitted: “I wouldn’t want to say impossible – but clearly very, very difficult to get to that point.”

Ofgem, the industry watchdog, has warned of the perils of not having a working meter, which range from uncontrolled heating and hot water systems to electric storage heaters guzzling power at costly times, potentially inflating bills, and suppliers being in the dark about when electricity is used most.

You might be living with an RTS meter if you spot a separate switch box with a Radio Teleswitch label near your meter, rely on electric heating or storage heaters, lack a gas supply, or enjoy off-peak energy rates like those offered by Economy 7 tariffs.

If you’ve not been nudged by your supplier about a meter change, Ofgem’s advice is to get on the blower and sort it out yourself.

But a word of caution: if you’re approached by anyone demanding cash for a meter swap, chances are it’s a con artist trying to pull a fast one.

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