Advice for change of ugly outside Gas Metre Box

[Maddie-Rose]

Hi I joined this group some years back, but lost the link annoyingly, but have just found you all again

Not sure if anyone can help or advise me, but I live in a little Victorian Chapel, & am attempting the outside of it now finally. I've recently removed lots of Ivy, hence the ugly pic.. I'm hoping to change the ugly plain metre box, but wondering if anyone knows of any company's that make something a bit more appealing with character, or even gothic to match my Chapel ? Or any ideas would be great too,

Thank you

Edit to say can't add my pic, as too large grr

 

[LadyArowana]

The best way to get your picture on here is to use a photo hosting site and then post the link. You can do it via Facebook too, upload a picture to your account, but set the audience to "only me" then it won't show on your feed, but you can still link to it.

 

[Owain]

They have to be made to safety standards. Some styles are available in brown
http://www.meterboxes.co.uk/products/domestic-meter-boxes/gas.html
Probably the best thing is to camouflage paint it to match stone/brick. You can get faux ivy on concertina-type twig wattles you could conceal it with.

 

[Maddie-Rose]

Thank you Ladyarrowanna I will have a go at that !

Thank you Owain but I really don't do 'faux' & I've already seen those boxes which are far to modern for what I'm hoping for. But thank you anyway

 

[Flyfisher]

They have to be made to safety standards.

You're probably right, though I'm not entirely sure what safety standards they must meet or why any other waterproof enclosure would not be acceptable - for example, a wall recess fronted by, say, a small oak door allowed to weather naturally. More in keeping with a Victorial chapel than a hideous plastic box, I'd say.

Alternatively, if the plastic box has to stay and can't be hidden, what about a simple oak frame around it with a suitable oak door to match?

When we had our electricity supply changed from overhead to underground cables, which involved a new meter and horrid meter box, we took the opportunity to have it relocated to an outbuilding and then connected to the house via underground cables. Even though it is mostly hidden behind a bush, I still don't like it and so we had the new mains gas supply connected to a meter inside the same outbuilding, so it seems that external plastic boxes are not mandatory (or certainly weren't about 8 years ago).

Perhaps it would be possible to have the meter moved to somewhere inside the house and remove the external plastic enclosure altogether?

 

[Maddie-Rose]

Thanks fly fisher

The plastic box is literally hanging from the wall, as the ivy we removed had got behind it and lifted it off the wall (shame ). They used to belong to the gas company, but now the home owner owns & replaces if need be. When I looked at replacing same they are about the £60 mark, so thought I'd see if I could find or make a more decorative feature box. The wooden box sounds a good idea, but it's finding someone who makes such a thing, even if a company exists.

I don't have outbuildings, & too move the gas metre would have no benefit either, and would cost huge amounts, and have nowhere to hide it indoors either..

Thank you for your reply

 

[Flyfisher]

I doubt you'll find a company making decorative wooden meter boxes (though one never knows!) but it shouldn't be too difficult to find a local joiner who could make one to your specification. It shouldn't be a difficult job.

As for the existing box, it sounds like it is a wholly external one. Ours is inserted into the wall and only protrudes by about 4cm. It required more work to install but is not as intrusive as a big lump hanging off the wall. Perhaps that might be another option, depending on your walls of course?

 

[Hobden]

They used to belong to the gas company, but now the home owner owns & replaces if need be.

More buck-passing. I hate that. How do they get away with it?

 

[Maddie-Rose]

Yeah I agree, I mean if I left the metre exposed, I guess they woukd fine me as a danger to the public

 

[Maddie-Rose]

I doubt you'll find a company making decorative wooden meter boxes (though one never knows!) but it shouldn't be too difficult to find a local joiner who could make one to your specification. It shouldn't be a difficult job.

As for the existing box, it sounds like it is a wholly external one. Ours is inserted into the wall and only protrudes by about 4cm. It required more work to install but is not as intrusive as a big lump hanging off the wall. Perhaps that might be another option, depending on your walls of course?

Yes it is an external wall mounted box.

I think I'm going to draw up a gothic arched cupboard /box & see if I can find a joiner that's artistic to make it for me

To be honest I'm surprised there isn't any company that supplies such a thing to cover ugly utilities