EDF Provides Customer Support and Free Meter Upgrades Ahead of RTS Switch-Off in South East England

EDF Provides Customer Support and Free Meter Upgrades Ahead of RTS Switch-Off in South East England

(IN BRIEF) EDF is preparing customers in the South East of England for the upcoming Radio Teleswitch Service shutdown starting on 2 March, which will affect around 21,000 households using RTS-controlled heating or hot water systems. The company is offering free meter upgrades and has contacted affected customers to arrange replacements. Additional support measures include distributing electric heaters to vulnerable households and prioritizing assistance for customers experiencing heating or hot water problems. The RTS shutdown is part of a nationally coordinated programme to retire legacy metering technology and transition customers to modern energy systems.

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 27-Feb-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — EDF has outlined the support measures it is providing to customers in the South East of England ahead of the phased shutdown of the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS), which begins on 2 March. The switch-off forms part of a nationwide programme coordinated by the RTS Taskforce and will affect around 21,000 customers across the region whose heating or hot water systems depend on RTS-controlled electricity meters.

Originally introduced in the late 1980s, RTS technology allows certain electricity meters to automatically control heating and hot water systems, typically in homes using electric heating. Customers whose properties rely on gas heating will not be affected by the change. For customers using RTS-controlled systems, the long-term solution is the installation of a modern replacement meter, which EDF is providing free of charge. The company has been contacting customers through letters, phone calls and appointment scheduling to arrange meter replacements ahead of the service withdrawal, following similar programmes already completed in other regions.

Customers may have an RTS meter if their property includes a separate radio teleswitch box near the electricity meter, uses electric storage or panel heaters, or is located in areas without gas supply such as rural communities or high-rise buildings. RTS meters are also commonly associated with time-of-use tariffs including Economy 7, Economy 10 or Total Heat Total Control. EDF is encouraging anyone who believes they may still rely on an RTS system to contact the company to arrange support and meter upgrades.

To support the transition, EDF engineers and delivery partners have been visiting homes to provide temporary electric heaters to customers identified as particularly vulnerable. Approximately 870 heaters are being distributed, focusing on households with higher heating needs, including individuals with serious medical conditions or those recently discharged from hospital. The heaters are intended as a precautionary measure to ensure customers remain comfortable and reassured during the changeover period.

EDF has also prepared additional support for the day of the switch-off. Customers who report a loss of heating or hot water will be given priority assistance, and the company plans to proactively contact vulnerable customers to confirm that their systems are working properly.

The RTS withdrawal is part of a coordinated national programme involving National Grid ESO, energy suppliers, distribution network operators, government bodies, Smart Energy GB and Ofgem, aimed at replacing legacy metering technology with modern alternatives.

Further information is available at www.edfenergy.com/rts-shutdown-2025.

About EDF

Media Contact:

email: media@edfenergy.com

SOURCE: EDF