I haven't replaced my meter yet. Does the RTS turn off at the end of June affect lights and sockets? I don't use electric for heating. Will the turn off just means I won't get the economy 7 off-peak rate, or does it mean I won't get any electricity whatsoever in the off-peak hours? Thanks.
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RTS turn off
- Thread starter DiyNutJob
- Start date
It’s not your job to.
The RTS only provides power to off peak heating and off peak immersion heating through the separate consumer unit provided for those devices.
It sounds like you no longer have those devices? So the RTS switch off won’t affect lights and sockets.
If you aren’t sure, post pictures of the area where the meter is and of the consumer units etc.
PS Make sure you aren’t still on an Economy 7 etc tariff, and don’t need it. You may be paying over the odds for your 24/7 supply. Talk to your energy supplier to get that changed.
It sounds like you no longer have those devices? So the RTS switch off won’t affect lights and sockets.
If you aren’t sure, post pictures of the area where the meter is and of the consumer units etc.
PS Make sure you aren’t still on an Economy 7 etc tariff, and don’t need it. You may be paying over the odds for your 24/7 supply. Talk to your energy supplier to get that changed.
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Economy 7 is a tariff, it started with the White meter and a completely independent fuse box, this was before the consumer unit had been invented, the problem was everything else, even during the 7 hours of off-peak, was still supplied with peak priced electric, so a number of improvements have been made over the years, from twin immersion heaters and special timers, to using a trigger supply to turn on items during the off-peak, and supply all with the off-peak supply.
Even the smart meter, can have a dual output, or rely on the user to set timers, mine relies on me to set timers, on washing machine, tumble drier, dishwasher, immersion heater, and battery.
So RDS turn off, may affect all, and it may have no effect, it depends on how it has been set up, and what signals are sent before it is turned off, since the user has nothing he can do, it seems pointless telling people what is going on, the only thing which the user can do is accept or reject a smart meter, and to have off-peak he/she has to accept the smart meter. Otherwise, you can't have an off-peak supply.
Where I live, with Octopus, with no off-peak it costs 23.86p/kWh, with the off-peak I have selected it cost 8.5p/kWh for 5 hours 00:30 to 05:30 and 30.17p/kWh rest of the time, they also pay me 15p/kWh for export, so I charge out batteries with off-peak, so use very little peak power.
But there are a whole host of tariffs, some with three stages and only 3 hours off-peak, some, where you give the supplier control of when your battery charges and discharges, some with 7 hours, some with 10 hours, some change every ½ hour, I noted one where peak tariff was 39.9p/kWh, so one has to be careful to select the one that suits you.
Also, standing charges change tariff to tariff. Personally I wanted to select and forget, once done, that was it, many you are locked into for 12 months, but with an off-peak tariff you need to have something which uses it, be it solar, EV charging, storage radiator, and since the suppliers offer different deals area to area, it is no good, for someone outside your area trying to advise, seems Ulster is very bad with tariffs offered.
It is unlikely there is any problem with Smart meters and loss of RTS in London, the problem is where Smart meters will not work, mainly Wales and the North above the Liverpool - Hull divide
there has been nothing I have seen which says what will be done if the Smart meter will not work, over the years the power suppliers have changed their mind many times, we all remember creature comforts 
with off and on-able. Seems odd now, where gas is controlled with up/down and on/off is seen as bad and old-fashioned.
But the suppliers have known for years there are no replacement valves for the BBC long wave radio 4 transmitter, so at some point it will be turned off, but it seems they think by magic a new valve will be found, but nothing the user can do.
Even the smart meter, can have a dual output, or rely on the user to set timers, mine relies on me to set timers, on washing machine, tumble drier, dishwasher, immersion heater, and battery.
So RDS turn off, may affect all, and it may have no effect, it depends on how it has been set up, and what signals are sent before it is turned off, since the user has nothing he can do, it seems pointless telling people what is going on, the only thing which the user can do is accept or reject a smart meter, and to have off-peak he/she has to accept the smart meter. Otherwise, you can't have an off-peak supply.
Where I live, with Octopus, with no off-peak it costs 23.86p/kWh, with the off-peak I have selected it cost 8.5p/kWh for 5 hours 00:30 to 05:30 and 30.17p/kWh rest of the time, they also pay me 15p/kWh for export, so I charge out batteries with off-peak, so use very little peak power.
But there are a whole host of tariffs, some with three stages and only 3 hours off-peak, some, where you give the supplier control of when your battery charges and discharges, some with 7 hours, some with 10 hours, some change every ½ hour, I noted one where peak tariff was 39.9p/kWh, so one has to be careful to select the one that suits you.
Also, standing charges change tariff to tariff. Personally I wanted to select and forget, once done, that was it, many you are locked into for 12 months, but with an off-peak tariff you need to have something which uses it, be it solar, EV charging, storage radiator, and since the suppliers offer different deals area to area, it is no good, for someone outside your area trying to advise, seems Ulster is very bad with tariffs offered.
It is unlikely there is any problem with Smart meters and loss of RTS in London, the problem is where Smart meters will not work, mainly Wales and the North above the Liverpool - Hull divide
there has been nothing I have seen which says what will be done if the Smart meter will not work, over the years the power suppliers have changed their mind many times, we all remember creature comforts with off and on-able. Seems odd now, where gas is controlled with up/down and on/off is seen as bad and old-fashioned.But the suppliers have known for years there are no replacement valves for the BBC long wave radio 4 transmitter, so at some point it will be turned off, but it seems they think by magic a new valve will be found, but nothing the user can do.
The hot water tank has immersion heater in it. But it is never used because the water and central heating are heated by gas. I am not sure if I have economy 7. When I send in the meter readings, I have NORMAL and LOW readings. The sticker on the RTS says GROUP 7. Is that economy 7?
Is this "BBC long wave radio 4 transmitter" the RTS being turned off? If I look, I may be able to find a china valve for them. Honestly, I am not into electrics to understand what you are saying.
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The valve is huge, not like the little ones used in old radios and TV's. It sounds as if you would be better off without the teleswitch and any off-peak supply.
Cost of DHW gas v electric is not easy. Every time a boiler fires up, it has to heat the mass inside the boiler, but the immersion heater heats the water direct, I am waiting for a plumber to arrive now to fix my immersion heater, as use around 5 kWh per week with immersion heater, and 25 kWh per week using oil, so to break even, oil or gas needs to be 1/5th of the price of electric.
My electric costs me around 15p/kWh on average. And oil cost more than 3p/kWh.
Cost of DHW gas v electric is not easy. Every time a boiler fires up, it has to heat the mass inside the boiler, but the immersion heater heats the water direct, I am waiting for a plumber to arrive now to fix my immersion heater, as use around 5 kWh per week with immersion heater, and 25 kWh per week using oil, so to break even, oil or gas needs to be 1/5th of the price of electric.
My electric costs me around 15p/kWh on average. And oil cost more than 3p/kWh.
Your electric bill will tell you if you are on E7. Or similar. How many fuse boards have you got. Picture of those with the cover flap open needed.
The R4 LF (low frequency) valves were end of life when I was working (2005) and ex-BBC Transmission staff had already bought all existing stocks up.
My understanding is that the RTS units should still switch at the last programmed time ... but the time will drift with no daily correction ...
Programmed times... which can be changed by the energy companies via the RTS signalling system.
and
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_teleswitch are worth a read?
RTS Group number refers to the 'blocks' of meters that are controlled together by the different energy companies.
Get the meter changed. Even in 'dumb mode' smart meters can do some time related switching to control the household in a very similar way to the RTS.
My understanding is that the RTS units should still switch at the last programmed time ... but the time will drift with no daily correction ...
Programmed times... which can be changed by the energy companies via the RTS signalling system.
and
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_teleswitch are worth a read?
RTS Group number refers to the 'blocks' of meters that are controlled together by the different energy companies.
Get the meter changed. Even in 'dumb mode' smart meters can do some time related switching to control the household in a very similar way to the RTS.
Simple answer, check your electricity bills. If they record two readings, and two different costs per Kwh for the two - then you are being charged for E7.
Rumour has it, that went the RTS goes off, that it will leave some meters permanently charging on the day rate, some permanently on the E7 rate. It's up to the suppliers, to resolve the mess.
Or you may not be; I looked at this for someone who was only using the night rate for their dishwasher, and it turned out that their daytime rate was essentially the same as they would be paying without the Economy 7 option.
Rowlocks.
This is from the link to the RTS system I gave - under "Spec"
So there will be a default switching programme the units should use.
It's trivial to transmit that to all units while the kit is still broadcasting.
Wonder if the PO has been receiving letters designed to scare people into having a smart meter fitted. I have had plenty - and phone calls warning me that my heating wont work.
Years ago I was on economy 7 but it turned out that the day rate part was higher than a normal all day rate and it meant that I was actually paying more on E7 than a normal rate.
I never had any devices using the radio signal. I changed the tariff to normal so when I give a reading the low and normal are just added up
Years ago I was on economy 7 but it turned out that the day rate part was higher than a normal all day rate and it meant that I was actually paying more on E7 than a normal rate.
I never had any devices using the radio signal. I changed the tariff to normal so when I give a reading the low and normal are just added up
AFAIK it will freeze in day or night mode, depending on when the signal is switched off. I'm in the same position, so I moved to a tariff (Octopus) with same rate per kWh day and night. Then it clearly doesn't matter which mode it freezes in (usage in the other mode zero).
There was some scaremongering about things not working correctly after switchoff, to push people into going for a smart meter.
That is the rumour I heard..
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