Does anyone have any views on the pros and cons of having an electric
meter located inside one's house vs. outside in a plastic cabinet set
inti the wall? I have to make a decision. Thanks for any input.

Jim

On Fri, 18 May 2007 12:27:20 +0100, Jim wrote:


Does anyone have any views on the pros and cons of having an electric
meter located inside one's house vs. outside in a plastic cabinet set
inti the wall? I have to make a decision. Thanks for any input.

Well, unless you have a little spy window for the meter, you'd have to
stay in for the meter to be read...
Not so much a problem nowadays since many (most?) people send their
meter readings on line.

--
Frank Erskine

On Fri, 18 May 2007 12:27:20 +0100, Jim mused:


Does anyone have any views on the pros and cons of having an electric
meter located inside one's house vs. outside in a plastic cabinet set
inti the wall? I have to make a decision. Thanks for any input.

Many REC's will only install new supplies to outside meter cupboards,
so that may limit your choice.

I'd stick it outside anyway.
--
Regards,
Stuart.

Lurch wrote:
On Fri, 18 May 2007 12:27:20 +0100, Jim mused:

Does anyone have any views on the pros and cons of having an electric
meter located inside one's house vs. outside in a plastic cabinet set
inti the wall? I have to make a decision. Thanks for any input.

Many REC's will only install new supplies to outside meter cupboards,
so that may limit your choice.

I'd stick it outside anyway.
Ask yourself who is coming to read your meter. These days the meter
readers are not employed by the power companies, are poorly paid and got
off the dole line in many cases. If a meter reader comes into your house
might he/she see something valuable, then go down the pub and talk about
it? Anyway the less people with access to your house surely the better.

On 18 May, 12:34, Frank Erskine wrote:
On Fri, 18 May 2007 12:27:20 +0100, Jim wrote:

Does anyone have any views on the pros and cons of having an electric
meter located inside one's house vs. outside in a plastic cabinet set
inti the wall? I have to make a decision. Thanks for any input.

Well, unless you have a little spy window for the meter, you'd have to
stay in for the meter to be read...
Not so much a problem nowadays since many (most?) people send their
meter readings on line.

But even though they encourage this by giving me Nectar points, they
say they will still send someone to knock on the door occasionally (in
practice every quarter) under the laughable excuse of "making safety
checks", so better to avoid this hassle by having it readable from
outside.

Chris

On Fri, 18 May 2007 15:21:41 +0100, Broadback
wrote:

Lurch wrote:
On Fri, 18 May 2007 12:27:20 +0100, Jim mused:

Does anyone have any views on the pros and cons of having an electric
meter located inside one's house vs. outside in a plastic cabinet set
inti the wall? I have to make a decision. Thanks for any input.

Many REC's will only install new supplies to outside meter cupboards,
so that may limit your choice.

I'd stick it outside anyway.
Ask yourself who is coming to read your meter. These days the meter
readers are not employed by the power companies, are poorly paid and got
off the dole line in many cases. If a meter reader comes into your house
might he/she see something valuable, then go down the pub and talk about
it? Anyway the less people with access to your house surely the better.

Thanks for the replies so far. Yes, I seem to recal that more often
than not people prefer their meters to be outside now. The only
opposite preference was from someone who thought they were prime
targets for vandals.

I wonder if there's anyone here who prefers their meter to be indoors,
and why.

If the leccy co does insist on putting it outside, will they give me a
key to the cabinet, or is the key issued only to the supply co's
meter-readers?

If so, is there any rule prohibiting me from jig-sawing a 2" x 1" hole
in the cabinet door and sticking a perspex window on it so I can read
the meter myself?

Jim

"Jim" wrote in message
...

If the leccy co does insist on putting it outside, will they give me a
key to the cabinet, or is the key issued only to the supply co's
meter-readers?

AFAIK the key will be a simple triangle thing - not a proper lock at all. So
you can have one of your own.

cheers,
clive

On Fri, 18 May 2007 16:50:41 +0100, "Clive George"
mused:

"Jim" wrote in message
.. .

If the leccy co does insist on putting it outside, will they give me a
key to the cabinet, or is the key issued only to the supply co's
meter-readers?

AFAIK the key will be a simple triangle thing - not a proper lock at all. So
you can have one of your own.

I had a box full of meter keys, I've not got enough keyrings, tool
boxes, vehicles, pockets etc... to put them all in.
--
Regards,
Stuart.

Jim wrote:

If the leccy co does insist on putting it outside, will they give me a
key to the cabinet, or is the key issued only to the supply co's
meter-readers?

When we recently moved house and changed electricity suppliers the new
suppliers welcome pack included a meter cabinet key.

Our meters are under the stairs...

Guy
-- --------------------------------------------------------------------
Guy Dawson I.T. Manager Crossflight Ltd

On Fri, 18 May 2007 16:37:35 +0100, Jim wrote:

If the leccy co does insist on putting it outside, will they give me a
key to the cabinet, or is the key issued only to the supply co's
meter-readers?

Yes you get a key by rights and replacements if required.

Does anyone have any views on the pros and cons of having an electric
meter located inside one's house vs. outside in a plastic cabinet set
inti the wall? I have to make a decision. Thanks for any input.

If you're in a rough area, bear in mind that the scrotes will:

a) have a meter cupboard key available
b) be able to switch off your supply at the conveniently located
isolator in the outside cupboard
c) wait until the battery in any alarm system has run down, then get
in without any further ado

On Fri, 18 May 2007 19:46:37 +0100, Colin Wilson
o.uk wrote:

If you're in a rough area, bear in mind that the scrotes will:

a) have a meter cupboard key available
b) be able to switch off your supply at the conveniently located
isolator in the outside cupboard
c) wait until the battery in any alarm system has run down, then get
in without any further ado

Ah, yes! I felt sure there were going to be some disadvantages in
having it outside (apart from mere vandalism). I'm not in what I'd
call a rough area, but the hazards you mention still seem worthy of
serious consideration ...especially since it costs an arm and a leg to
get them to reposition it once the location has been chosen.

Jim

Ah, yes! I felt sure there were going to be some disadvantages in
having it outside (apart from mere vandalism).

I haven't come across it often, but the alarm issue has cropped up
maybe 3 or 4 times over the past 10 years or so that i've dealt with
customers (either directly or indirectly), but the problem with people
having their supply switched off comes up more often - sadly, it's
often old dears who are least able to sort the little b*stards out, or
get to the outside cupboard safely that seem to get it :-/