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HOUSEHOLDS in Dumfriesshire with ageing energy meters are being urged to contact their supplier to arrange an upgrade. Advice Direct Scotland has warned that the current pace of upgrading around 100,000 meters to smart meters is still too slow, leaving households reliant on obsolete technology that risks higher bills and unexpected disruption. Suppliers had originally been working to a June deadline for the complete switch-off of the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) signal, but only 31 households are now due to have their RTS signal switched off by the third week of July. That comes after UK ministers stepped in at the last minute to announce a phased approach to the change. Introduced in the 1980s, RTS meters use outdated longwave radio signals to switch between peak and off-peak rates. Unless the meters are replaced, customers risk losing control of heating and hot water or being moved to more expensive single-rate tariffs. Support is available at energyadvice.scot.