Millions urged to do simple check to stop power ‘switching off’ in July

Those with an older energy meter could lose power next month

Hundreds of thousands of people have been warned they could lose heating and hot water at the end of June.

Households with old Radio Teleswitching System (RTS) meters will see them switched off at the end of June as the country moves to newer smart meters and households with the old system could see energy switched off or permanently stuck on if they do not upgrade in time.

OFGEM says RTS meters usually work on separate system to the rest of the household's electricity, so it means lights and other devices will not be affected by the switch off but it does mean heating and hot water will be cut off.

The government has set a deadline of 30 June for the old meters to switch off and energy companies are now trying to change hundreds of thousands of meters UK in time. Energy UK, which represents energy compoanies, says there are still 430,000 households using RTS meters at the end of March.

You can check if you have an RTS meter by seeing if you have a separate switch box near your electricity meter labeled "Radio Teleswitch". You may also have one if your property is heated by electric or storage heaters. If you have an RTS meter you should have been contacted by your supplier.

Part of the reason some people have been reluctant to change their old RTS heater is because many energy companies want to replace them with smart meters.

People are being asked to contact their supplier if they have an RTS meter to arrange a replacement or they can switch to another supplier who can fit a new meter. The good news is switching could also potentially save you money on your energy bills.

There is a quick way to check if you are overpaying for energy and save an average of £388 on your bills by using an energy switching service.

Switcheroo is offering free energy switching to every home in the country and says it can switch you to a cheaper tariff to combat the price rises. You can check your postcode here.