McArthur and Carmichael highlight 'tone-deaf' RTS communication from energy company

Orkney's MSP and MP have today written to one of the UK's biggest energy suppliers, urging them to reconsider their "tone-deaf" approach to communications about the RTS switch-off.

In a letter to Octopus Energy CEO Greg Jackson, Orkney's MSP Liam McArthur and Orkney and Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael expressed serious concerns about the company's recent communications strategy, which focusses on "urg[ing] all affected customers, of any supplier, to book their meter exchange now". Mr McArthur and Mr Carmichael have highlighted that a 'customer awareness' approach flies in the face of significant supplier-side delays and limitations in the islands.

The parliamentarians highlighted that while Octopus Energy claims to be "fast-tracking upgrades" for households with RTS meters, they have received reports that constituents in Orkney have received no communication from the supplier regarding RTS replacement.

Mr McArthur and Mr Carmichael emphasized that with Orkney's particularly high fuel poverty rates, ensuring a smooth transition from RTS meters is especially critical for their constituents.

The parliamentary representatives have requested specific data from Octopus Energy regarding their smart meter installation capacity in Orkney, including the number of customers upgraded to date and those still awaiting installation.

Commenting, Mr McArthur said:

"The suggestion that customer awareness or apathy is the primary bottleneck to timely smart meter installation is completely at odds with the experience of constituents.

"The reality is that many Orkney residents are not only well aware of the impending switchover but have been actively trying to arrange for meter replacements, often with lengthy delays or without success. For energy companies to frame this as a customer engagement issue rather than addressing their own capacity constraints is unacceptable and misleading.

"This is particularly concerning given that Orkney households already face some of the highest rates of fuel poverty in the country and cannot afford further delays or complications in their energy supply arrangements."

Mr Carmichael added:

“I suspect it would be a surprise to islanders who have faced delays and cancellations to their meter upgrades – sometimes for weeks on end – to learn that this is all their own fault.

“Ultimately the problem is not with islanders but with the one-size-fits-all approach that appears to be preferred by Ofgem and energy suppliers. We cannot afford to reach the end of June with disproportionate numbers of homes in the isles left without meter upgrades, so Octopus and other suppliers are going to need to raise their game rather than making excuses. They have had years to plan for the RTS switch-off so they cannot be allowed to leave islanders in the lurch.”