EDF sets out support for customers ahead of RTS switch-off in the South East
From 2 March, the Radio Teleswitch Service, RTS, signal will be permanently switched off in parts of the South East as part of a nationally coordinated programme. Around 21,000 customers across the industry in the region will lose their RTS signal during this phase, including some EDF customers. The withdrawal is being coordinated nationally through the RTS Taskforce, which includes National Grid ESO, energy suppliers, Distribution Network Operators, government, Smart Energy GB and Ofgem.
RTS was introduced in the late 1980s and is used to control heating and hot water on certain legacy electric meters. Only customers whose heating or hot water relies on an RTS controlled system may be affected, while customers with gas heating will not see any change. The solution is a free upgrade to a modern meter. EDF has been writing to customers, making outbound calls and arranging appointments to exchange RTS meters ahead of the switch off, and similar phased programmes in other areas have already been completed successfully.
Customers who are unsure whether they have an RTS meter can look out for the following:
- There may be a separate switch box near your meter with a radio teleswitch label on it
- Your property is heated using storage heaters or electric panel heaters
- There's no gas supply to your area. This includes households in rural areas and high-rise flats
- You get cheaper energy at different times of day. Your tariff might be: Economy 7, Economy 10 or Total Heat Total Control.
Any customer who believes they may still have an RTS meter is urged to contact EDF as soon as possible so that support and a permanent solution can be put in place.
To provide additional reassurance, EDF engineers, supported by delivery partners, have this week been carrying out door-to-door visits to deliver approximately 870 electric heaters to customers identified as most vulnerable. This includes those who rely on heating for serious medical conditions or who have recently been discharged from hospital. While the heaters are not expected to be needed, this proactive measure is designed to ensure customers feel protected, supported and confident throughout the transition.
On the day of the switch off, EDF will prioritise any customers who report a loss of heating or hot water. The company also intends to proactively call vulnerable customers to check that they are not experiencing any issues.
Carrie Jordan, Senior Ops Leader Field Support at EDF Retail, said: “We know how important it is that customers feel fully supported, particularly those who rely on electric heating and hot water. We have been working carefully to contact customers, arrange free meter upgrades and provide additional reassurance where it is needed most.
“Our teams are out in communities this week delivering heaters directly to customers with the highest needs, and we will be proactively checking in with vulnerable customers on the day itself. We would strongly encourage anyone who thinks they may still have an RTS meter to get in touch so we can help.”
Further information is available at www.edfenergy.com/rts-shutdown-2025.
About EDF
EDF is driving the transition towards An Electric Britain – a secure, affordable, low-carbon future for everyone. As Britain’s biggest generator of zero carbon electricity, we are investing more than £100 million weekly in Britain’s electricity infrastructure. We supply millions of customers with electricity and help homes and businesses switch to electricity for heating, transport and industrial processes.
We operate five nuclear power stations and more than 35 onshore wind farms and three offshore wind farms. Since 2009, EDF has invested almost £9 billion in the nuclear fleet to improve reliability and extend station lifetimes. The five generating stations currently supply about 12% of the UK’s electricity demand.
EDF is building the UK's nuclear renaissance with the construction of a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point C. We are a minority investor (12.5%) in and major supplier to a replica plant at Sizewell C in Suffolk. Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C will provide low carbon electricity to meet 14% of UK demand and power around 12 million homes. EDF Group companies Framatome and Arabelle Solutions have a presence in the UK and manufacture critical equipment such as reactor pressure vessels and turbines.
EDF is enabling its 5 million customers, both in business and at home, to choose electric solutions that save cash and carbon, whether it is buying an electric car, generating and storing electricity, selling energy back to the grid or installing solar panels or a heat pump. In 2025, EDF’s Customers business was ranked as one of the Sunday Times’s Best Place to Work.
It is also one of the UK’s leading developers of renewable energy through EDF power solutions UK and Ireland. We have more than 2GW of renewable generation in operation and over 10GW in construction, planning and development across a range of technologies including onshore and offshore wind, solar and battery storage.
We are one of the largest suppliers to British business and a leading supplier of innovative energy solutions that are helping businesses become more energy independent. In addition, the company’s energy services business, Dalkia, one of the UK and Ireland’s largest technical service providers.
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