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Chamber

Meeting of the Parliament 20 May 2025

20 May 2025 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Radio Teleswitch Service Switch-off
Martin, Gillian SNP Aberdeenshire East Watch on SPTV

As I said, Ofgem is responsible for the process, and the responsibility to replace the meters lies with the energy companies. We have called for certain protections to be put in place, some of which I will outline. I hope that that will be of help to Ms Hamilton.

The number of meter upgrades that are outstanding is completely unacceptable, because Ofgem and the companies that have to replace the meters have known for years what was going to happen. We make that view clear at every opportunity. The Acting Minister for Climate Action, Alasdair Allan, wrote to the UK Government to seek penalties for suppliers that fail to replace RTS meters with fully functional or pre-programmed smart meters by June this year. I am pleased to say that Ofgem has listened and that, once refreshed licence conditions are in place, it will take compliance action against suppliers that fail to take reasonable steps to upgrade meters on time.

However, I am a little nervous, because I have heard examples of situations, including in my constituency, in which people have been unsuccessful in arranging a meter upgrade. Some people think that they have arranged an upgrade but the engineers do not turn up or, if they do, they are insufficiently trained to upgrade the meter in question. Elena Whitham gave the example of engineers turning up and being surprised by what they find in front of them and not knowing what to do. That is absolutely unacceptable. Companies must not be allowed to use the loophole of saying, “We took reasonable steps.” I heard from one person that they were on the phone, thinking that they were arranging for someone to come round to change over their meter, but, when they were asked about parking and access to their home, all of a sudden, there was a problem, because two engineers would be needed. The company said that they would phone back, but they never did. Would the reporting mechanism show that an attempt was made? An attempt was made, but the company did not phone back and the work was not done.

The Data Communications Company, or DCC, controls the digital energy infrastructure for Great Britain and it collects and shares smart meter data with energy suppliers via the wide area network, or WAN. I agree with Beatrice Wishart that it is wholly unfair that people in significant swathes of Scotland have been unable to connect to this smart meter network. We believe that penalties should also be applied to the DCC for failing to deliver coverage across every part of the country.

In my intervention on Tim Eagle, I meant to say that, for areas in Scotland that do not have coverage, we have been calling for the use of cellular technology to access the smart meter network. Christine Grahame also mentioned that in her speech. I understand from Energy UK that agreement has now been reached to allow the use of that technology, which will support many more rural and island customers to access the WAN.

Members will welcome our investment in the 4G infill programme to proactively address poor network coverage. As I mentioned in the same intervention, we have activated 55 4G masts to fill those gaps.

I am pleased that Pam Duncan-Glancy has taken part in the debate and given an urban perspective. She made the point that it is not only the areas that have connectivity problems that have an issue; there is a wider issue due to the lack of engineers going out. To my knowledge, there are no problems with digital connectivity in Glasgow, yet there are still issues with people getting smart meters installed there.

Ariane Burgess, Pam Duncan-Glancy, Emma Harper and many others mentioned that it should be a given that nobody becomes financially worse off as a result of the switch-over. I was going to say that I am pleased that our calls for suppliers to be mandated to

“take all reasonable steps to provide a tariff that leaves the consumer ‘no worse off’ than under their existing arrangement”

have been heeded. We had been told that that will happen; however, today, I am hearing from members that there is doubt about that. I will take that away and make sure that we are getting the right information. If we are getting the right information, that must be communicated to members and to the many—

In the same item of business

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur) LD
The final item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S6M-17484, in the name of Beatrice Wishart, on the radio teleswitch service switch-off. Th...
Beatrice Wishart (Shetland Islands) (LD) LD
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I am sorry not to join members in the chamber in person this evening. I thank members who have supported the motion and...
The Deputy Presiding Officer LD
As we move to the open debate, I advise the chamber that there is a lot of interest in the subject, and therefore I must ask members to stick to their speaki...
Elena Whitham (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) SNP
I thank Beatrice Wishart for bringing this important and urgent debate to the chamber, and I fully support her motion. The RTS switch-off is of great conc...
Tim Eagle (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Con
I am grateful to Beatrice Wishart for securing a debate on what is becoming an increasingly serious issue, for many of the reasons that have been mentioned. ...
The Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy (Gillian Martin) SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Tim Eagle Con
I think that I have time, so yes.
Gillian Martin SNP
I was not expecting to talk about R100 today, but I should say that we have activated 55 4G masts in areas where economic factors and challenges would have m...
Tim Eagle Con
I am talking not about what has been done but about the fact that the programme has not been rolled out according to the deadline that the SNP promised. I wa...
Pam Duncan-Glancy (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab
I thank Beatrice Wishart for securing this debate on an issue that affects people across Scotland, from Glasgow to the Shetland isles. Figures from Ofgem sh...
Emma Harper (South Scotland) (SNP) SNP
I thank Beatrice Wishart for bringing this members’ business debate to the chamber. She has outlined extremely well the problems that will be caused for her ...
Rachael Hamilton (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Con
I thank Beatrice Wishart for securing this important debate. The urgency with which we need to deal with the issue is growing with each passing day. Schedul...
Emma Harper SNP
Rachael Hamilton has just highlighted the challenges that some really vulnerable people are facing, especially the 97-year-old person in Duns. Does she agree...
Rachael Hamilton Con
That is why it is so important that Beatrice Wishart has brought the debate to the chamber. I hope that it will almost be an awareness campaign for those who...
Ariane Burgess (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Green
I, too, thank Beatrice Wishart for bringing this important and urgent debate to the chamber. I speak on behalf of my constituents in the Highlands and Island...
Christine Grahame (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) SNP
I congratulate Beatrice Wishart on securing this debate on the motion, to which I was a signatory. Much has been said about smart meters—often about their un...
Alexander Burnett (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Con
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 ...
The Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy (Gillian Martin) SNP
Like other members, I begin by thanking Beatrice Wishart for securing a debate on the hugely important issue of the RTS switch-off. Members will know that e...
Rachael Hamilton Con
An issue that I did not get to in my speech is the fact that some of the remedial works are not being covered. Could the Scottish Government help with the pr...
Gillian Martin SNP
As I said, Ofgem is responsible for the process, and the responsibility to replace the meters lies with the energy companies. We have called for certain prot...
Christine Grahame SNP
Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention?
Gillian Martin SNP
Yes, I will.
Christine Grahame SNP
In taking all reasonable steps to ensure that customers are no worse off, should there be a discount on the bill if, to use my example, white metering means ...
Gillian Martin SNP
My reading of suppliers being mandated to “take all reasonable steps to provide a tariff that leaves the consumer ‘no worse off’” is that it involves exact...
Rachael Hamilton Con
When I talked about remedial works, I meant rewiring. That is what I was talking about.
Gillian Martin SNP
Right. Thank you. We have asked for a fund to support consumers who are in that position, and we have called on Ofgem, the UK Government and industry to mak...
The Deputy Presiding Officer LD
Thank you, cabinet secretary. That concludes the debate. Meeting closed at 18:50.