Households living in these 10 postcodes have been issued a warning as older energy meters are switched off.
From the end of June, the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) phase out began. It means that anyone who has Economy 7 meters will no longer be able to use them, as the radio signal that powers them is being deactivated.
There are still more than 2.5 million households using RTS powered Economy 7 meters. Typically, Economy 7 is used by households with night storage heaters in order to power heating cheaply overnight. Economy 7 tariffs give households much cheaper energy at night, between midnight and 7am, and much more expensive unit rates the rest of the day.
Households use the Economy 7 savings to power night storage heaters, which take in energy overnight when it’s cheapest, and slowly release it through the next day. Many on Economy 7 tariffs also set off washing machines, tumble dryers and other expensive appliances on the cheap night rates.
Following the RTS switch off, Economy 7 meters are being replaced across the country in a ‘phased approach’ to avoid mass disruption.
Posting on Twitter last month, Money Saving Expert’s Martin Lewis warned households: “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.
“It could mean your heating & hot water won’t function properly, or incorrect bills. You need a meter upgrade now.”
Meanwhile, Steve Ferguson, from Jefferson Gas, gave some energy saving tips for people adjusting to new meters and tariffs after the switch off.
He said: “The advantage of Economy 7 tariffs has always been the ability to carry out tasks that use a lot of energy at times when the pricing is lower or ‘off peak’.
“With the RTS switch-off meaning that this may no longer be possible, people who have relied on this to cut their energy bills may find themselves having to change their habits in order to adapt.
“While it would require an initial investment, those with the available budget may wish to change their electric heating system to Gas, as per unit, electricity on average is around 25 pence per KWH with a daily standing charge of 51 pence, and gas is on average around 6-7 pence per unit.
“Depending on your consumption, you may be able to recoup your investment in a relatively short amount of time.
“Similarly, it’s worth checking the energy efficiency ratings of any older appliances and updating them where possible, as this will minimise the amount of energy used in everyday tasks such as cooking or laundry.
“Even small steps such as switching from filament to LED lightbulbs can help to lower your consumption. Ultimately however the best way to cut usage is by building better habits.”
The change is set to hit highest users the hardest, as the more you use, the more you pay, and the cheap Economy 7 tariff will no longer be an option.
According to the Government’s latest available data, the CR0 postcode in Croydon, London used the most combined electricity and gas during 2023.
The postcode saw 224,034,930.99 kWh of electricity being used by the 61,886 households in the area. This means an average of 3,620.12 per household, which is almost 1000 kWh over the national average of 2,700.
The top 10 postcodes for energy use are: CR0, E14, LE2, LE3, SL6, N1, BN2, SE1, E17 and BN3.
