Surface mount or recessed electricity/gas meter box

tallac

I need to install new utility meter boxes and deciding between surface or recessed mounting.

The utility boxes are going on the side of the house where there isn't a huge amount of space so my preference is going with the recessed mounting. The wall is a newly built wall which is double walled with cavity wall insulation.

What impact does this the recessed box have with the structural side of the brick wall? Does it require a lintel or some structural supports to be put in place? What impact does it have on thermal heat loss?

Are there any other aspects that should be taken into account when deciding between the two?

Mickey666

A recessed box will require the outer skin of the cavity wall to be removed to allow the meter box to be recessed.  If the cavity insulation is of the rigid type then it will also have to be at least partially removed, which will obviously compromise insulation and potentially leave the inside wall with a ‘cold spot’ that could attract condensation.
I can understand the wish to install a recessed meter box because the surface ones are ugly as sin, though the recessed ones are not much better IMO.  When I replaced my meters I didn’t want an ugly box on the side of the house so I installed a recessed box in the wall of an outbuilding, which was single brick skin and insulation wasn’t a concern.  But it necessitated a large hole right through the wall, which I ended up covering with wood on the inside - ok for an outbuilding but hardly ideal for a dwelling.
I can see no real benefit to installing a new recessed meter box in a house.  It will significantly complicate the job, will add extra expense and will compromise the thermal performance of the wall.

tacpot12

It will need a lintel and it does have a significant impact on thermal insulation in that area, but it's a relatively small area of wall so not enough to make an appreciable difference. If the tails are going into the back of a consumer unit and the consumer unit is going to be in a cupboard, the effect will be negligible. Other considerations: you'll need some mechanical protection for the cables passing through the cavity (an offcut of scaffold pole would be ideal, providing the ends are deburred), with a flush box you'll need a shorter length of protection and if you are on the limit of the length of the meter tails (3m), you'll have more leeway with a flush box. 

fenwick458

Mickey666 said:

I can see no real benefit to installing a new recessed meter box in a house.  It will significantly complicate the job, will add extra expense and will compromise the thermal performance of the wall.

I'd prefer a recessed one, seen plenty of 30 year old fiberglass/plastic surface boxes that just disintegrate and fall off the wall, or just start to fall apart a bit and then all it takes is one knock or leave the door open in the wind and it falls to bits. it's a lot less likely to happen with a recessed box. they also discolor to a yellow/green/white and just look awful
what stage is that wall at? if it's not been rendered yet go for a recessed one no question
one meter box is 0.25m2, so the lack of that insulation is just insignificant when you have a load of doors and windows in a house with a lower insulation value than a single block.

tallac

I was totally leaning on the recessed box up until Mickey666 mentioned about having a cold spot and the possibility of having condensation from that. No way I want any chance of any condensation for sake of slightly better aesthetics so I've decided to go with surface mounted boxes.

Jeepers_Creepers

Yes, surface-mounted are an affront to carbuncles.

How about a 'semi' (missus!)? https://www.meterbox.co.uk/semi-recessed-medium-meter-box

EssexExile

Jeepers_Creepers said:

Yes, surface-mounted are an affront to carbuncles.

How about a 'semi' (missus!)? https://www.meterbox.co.uk/semi-recessed-medium-meter-box

And paint it so it blends in rather than stands out.

Jeepers_Creepers

EssexExile said:

Jeepers_Creepers said:

Yes, surface-mounted are an affront to carbuncles.

How about a 'semi' (missus!)? https://www.meterbox.co.uk/semi-recessed-medium-meter-box

And paint it so it blends in rather than stands out.

!Matron!

fenwick458

powder coated steel... AKA it'll be flaking off and bright orange in 5 years time

tallac

Thanks for everyone's help on this.