Households in Swindon with outdated Radio Teleswitch (RTS) meters have been warned of supply issues if they do not switch to smart meters within the next year.

Octopus Energy, the UK's largest power company, has urged more than 130,000 households in southern England to make the change to avoid potential disruptions.

RTS equipment receives updates through a long wave radio broadcast, the same frequency the BBC uses for radio programming.

However, the BBC has announced plans to migrate unique long wave content to other platforms, effectively ending RTS communication capabilities on June 30, 2025.

In light of this, Octopus Energy, which supplies a 10th of the affected homes in southern England, has launched a campaign to fast-track new meter installations for its RTS customers in the area.

The power company said its engineers will have added capacity to visit all affected properties in Swindon throughout autumn and winter.

This will ensure its RTS customers are fast-tracked to getting a smart meter, minimising any potential disruptions to their energy supply.

John Szymik, CEO of Octopus Energy Services, said: "Octopus has boosted its service capability to offer fast-tracked assistance and ensure that no one is left without power.

"We urge all affected customers, of any supplier, to book their meter exchange now to ensure a smooth transition."

The company said customers who use electricity for heating and hot water (via electric storage/panel heaters and/or immersion heaters), and have a tariff that offers cheaper rates during off-peak periods may have an RTS meter.

This is usually indicated by a large, black box next to the meter.

Octopus Energy also highlighted the importance of smart meters in the energy transition.

It said they allow customers more control and oversight over their energy consumption and costs.

To further incentivise the switch, Octopus is offering all RTS customers who opt for the change a free Octopus Home Mini, the company’s first hardware product.

This device securely connects to a customer’s smart meter, giving them real-time visibility of how much energy they are using and how much it is costing them.

The hope is this will help them to better manage their bills at the click of a button on their phone.

Affected customers who are looking to switch to a smart meter can register their interest on their online account.

Octopus Energy delivers energy to eight million households across 18 countries.