Some Garvald residents are looking to rent a small storage/studio space in the area, ideally somewhere affordable, not too damp and with access to running water. If anyone knows of anything suitable, please use the contact form, below:

A resident of Garvald is looking to give away some kitchen cabinets which are being removed in the next few days.  They would rather offer them free to anyone in the village who can use them instead of them going to land fill.

If you are interested, please use the contact form, below, to be put in touch with the relevant person:

Please see the link, below, for information and how it may affect you and your electricity meter: https://neighbourhoodwatchscotland.co.uk/communities/energy-advice-from-e-on-next

Watch Scotland (NWS) are partnering with E.ON Next to help reach communities most likely to be impacted by the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) switch off on the 30 June 2025.

This will affect households that use an older electricity meter for heating their home and for hot water, with some types of electricity meter needing changed. As part of this partnership, NWS is helping to raise awareness of this issue in Scotland.

What is the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS)?

RTS is a radio-based system introduced in the 1980s which enabled older electricity meters to switch between peak and off-peak rates. RTS is used for some traditional multi-rate meters and was designed to support those who use electricity for their heating and hot water. This may include those who use electric storage systems, panel heaters or immersion heaters in water tanks – some of which typically charge up overnight.

RTS is now reaching the end of its natural operational life. This means that the equipment that produces the radio signal cannot be adequately maintained anymore.
The Radio Teleswitch service is due to be closed from 30 June 2025 so if you have one, it will need to be upgraded before that happens.

How to find out if you have an RTS meter?

If you are not sure whether you have an RTS meter, there are a few things you can look out for:

• There may be a separate switch box near your meter with a radio teleswitch label on it.
• Your property is heated using electricity or storage heaters.
• There is no gas supply to your area, this includes households in rural areas and high-rise flats.
• You get cheaper energy at different times of day. Your tariff might be Economy 7, Economy 10, or Total Heat Total Control.

What happens if I do not upgrade my RTS meter?

If you decide not to upgrade, the heating and/or hot water provisions in your home or business could be affected.- Your heating and hot water may not work correctly. You may find that your heating and/or hot water is left continually switched on or off; or the charging-up happens at the wrong time of day.

• Your bills could increase. Your electricity supplier will not be able to confirm how much electricity you have used during peak or off-peak times, which means your electricity costs could be much higher than before.