Fears of freezing homes as electricity meters to be switched off | Politics | News

A former cabinet minister has revealed his father’s electricity supply was shut down without warning as part of a nationwide switch-off of energy meters. John Berry, father of former MP Sir Jake Berry, spent hundreds of pounds on electricians trying to figure out why his heating system wasn’t working – only to discover his meter had been remotely deactivated.

Former Northern Powerhouse minister Sir Jake, who was Tory party chairman under former prime minister Liz Truss, said: “One cold morning, his house was like an icebox. No letters. No phone calls. Nothing. He spent hundreds of electricians trying to find a fault that didn’t exist.”

On his father’s property in North Wales was a device known as a Radio Teleswitch (RTS) meter, which used radio signals to switch between timetables at certain times of the day. It was installed because the house is equipped with an Economy 7 heating system, which provides cheaper electricity throughout the night.

RTS meters are also found in properties without a gas supply, meaning they are completely dependent on electricity for heating. However, the system has reached the end of its life and is now being replaced, and the radio signals on which it depends are also coming to an end.

Despite a publicity campaign spearheaded by presenter Lorraine Kelly, the Government was forced to abandon plans for a mass lockdown on 30 June due to fears that many households were not prepared for the change.

Instead, the remaining 314,935 meters will be replaced in phases, ministers said. Energy suppliers are required to notify affected customers at least two weeks before the switch-off and offer an appointment to have a new “smart” meter installed free of charge.

But Sir Jake said his father’s experience showed this did not always happen.

And he accused the Government of using the lockdown as an opportunity to force homeowners to accept smart meters, which monitor energy use throughout the day and send measurements directly to suppliers.

Sir Jake, who announced in July that he was leaving the Conservative Party to join Reform, said: “This is blackmail on the fly.”

He said: “Energy giants and Whitehall want every home to be equipped with a smart meter. They say it’s about cutting bills and getting to net zero. But the devices also tell suppliers when you’ve turned on the heater, boiled the kettle or gone to bed. It’s a hobbyist’s dream disguised as progress.”

Mr Berry’s energy supplier, Octopus, said it was unable to detect the presence of an RTS meter before it was shut down. The company said a new meter was installed in his home earlier this week.

Energy minister Martin McCluskey will hold cross-party talks with MPs to discuss the closure and how his constituents will be affected.

Campaigners at the End Fuel Poverty Coalition have held talks with energy regulator Ofgem to ensure all customers are treated fairly during the transition. A coalition spokesman said: “This is exactly the kind of situation we were concerned about – the emergence of powerless people.

“One of the key points is that the closure has been paused over the winter, so in the new future no one will be affected, but it will start again next year.”

An Ofgem spokesman said: “Ofgem has been clear that customers need to be protected at every stage of the phased area-by-area shutdown and we have detailed to suppliers the key requirements that must be met before any area switches from RTS signaling to an alternative.

“We also expect energy companies to move forward faster, building on the work of the cross-sector task force set up by Ofgem, which has seen the upgrade rate increase from 1,000 meters per month to over 1,000 meters per day.

“While this carefully managed phase-out process reassures customers, it is vital that these meters are replaced urgently, so it is vital that you contact your supplier when offered an appointment.”

A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesman said: “This should not have happened and Ofgem and its suppliers must ensure consumers are not left without heating and hot water.”