Meeting of the Parliament 20 May 2025
I thank Beatrice Wishart for bringing the motion for debate. As we have heard, the closure of the radio teleswitch service on 30 June is fast approaching. I have heard from many constituents who have experienced issues and delays with having meters exchanged. I should declare an interest, as that includes me. It was reported that, at the end of April, 432,000 meters still needed to be replaced in the UK, more than a quarter of which—nearly 135,000—are located in Scotland.
It has been estimated that the rate of replacement is about 6,000 a month. I therefore echo the concern that other members have raised that meters are not being replaced at a rate that will meet the deadline. In fact, at the current rate, it will take six years for the work to be completed.
Many people have had to wait months for an appointment, and for many rural households that are total heating, total control customers, the changeover to a smart meter has been a lot more complex and time consuming than expected, which has added to the delays. I know of constituents whose smart meter installations have failed more than three times due to the wiring of their homes. The length of the process is very worrying, given the number of homes that are still to be connected. I have worked with an elderly vulnerable constituent who lives by herself to chase up her installation but, months in, she still does not have an appointment.
Given that I have also heard from constituents who have experienced poor communication about the RTS switch-off, there is an additional concern that some households might not even be aware that the switch-off is taking place. In fact, a poll by Age Scotland shows that nearly half the people who need their meter to be switched over are still not aware of that. It is simply not good enough. It is of great concern that people who still need to have smart meters installed face the possibility of losing hot water and heating or having their bills skyrocket to unaffordable heights.
Although technological upgrades are necessary and the switch-over will, ultimately, make bills more accurate, we must not let rural communities be left at a disadvantage. Whether we are talking about improvements to broadband or the energy systems in our homes, our rural communities are always the last to benefit from upgrades. I would be interested to hear what conversations the SNP Government has had with the UK Labour Government on the matter, with a view to ensuring that all properties will be upgraded by the deadline and that rural homes will not be left behind.
18:41