How ugly/offputting is an External GasMeter Box on a house?

[GameWheelsAlarm]

We have a big cupboard that we use for shopping bags/rucksacks and picnic paraphenalia, just by the front door, that also houses the gas meter.

The gas company is doing work digging up the road and replacing pipes, and as part of that they apparently have to take the gas meter out of that cupboard and put it in a big white plastic box outside next to the front door.

I dislike it and think it's ugly, but that might just be because I am not used to it. How big a deal is it really, in your view? Does it make a house look uglier and how common is it to try to make it look less horrible? I was wondering about some kind of adhesive decal like I have seen on wheely bins?

I don’t think I’ve ever lived in a house where the gas meter hasn’t been on the front of the house. Mine is painted a colour to match my garage door but honestly I don’t even think about it.

The decals can draw attention to it. I'd hide it with plants (containers not bed), for easy access but also ease on the eye.

I don't think it is ugly (I have one), just need to keep it clean from time to time, and know where your gas box key is.

That's a thought @Mafstonight - I'm going to be getting a new front door at some point in the next year or so anyway, so I could get a matching paint for the box assuming I can find a paint that will stick to plastic.

The majority of houses have their gas boxes on show.

Ours is half submerged and large, as in large enough to put parcels in, really useful! Grow plants if you want to

Ugly but not uncommon. Do you have space to plant a shrub in front of it?

Necessary evil unfortunately…I spray painted mine same colour as render.

My house has the gas meter outside - the first time I've experienced this.
It's not next to the front door though. It's on the front wall over by the hedge dividing my garden from my neighbour's.

When I moved in the box looked really unsightly - absolutely ancient and dirty cream and discoloured. I was going to see about replacing it then decided to paint it. The only outdoor paint I had was some black paint from my last house designed for metal railings. Not specifically intended for plastic. But I used that and it looks really good. Thats five years ago and it's withstood the weather. I've got got some small shrubs in tubs underneath and around the box and it looks fine.
So I think.you will be fine with the outdoor meter box if you paint it a suitable colour and perhaps have some strategically placed planters.

It will look hideous if you try disguising it with sticker! Just leave it as it is, all houses have them and no one gives a second look

Are you my neighbour? We are having the whole road dug up and they have moved my gas meter from a fairly inaccessible kitchen cupboard to outside but its at the back of the house where we keep the bins so it doesnt matter that its a bit ugly, try negotiating for them to put it elsewhere if possible.

I wish mine was outside instead of taking up space in the understairs cupboard.

When we had ours installed, we had it recessed into the wall so it was practically flush (like the adjacent electric box).
Having them surface mounted is a dislike of mine so it was worth the (little extra) work to have it flush.

They tend to be inside on older houses I think, I live in a row of Victorian terraces and no one has one on the front. Ours is inside the house in a cabinet, it's easier having them outside if you meed maintenance or checks on them. But they are so commonplace I don't think anyone will bat an eyelid.

I’d jump at the chance to have mine moved for free, it normally costs thousands.
Mine is in the cupboard under the stairs and is in the way of everything.

Well they’re pretty unsightly but you can either put pots in front of it or paint it to help it blend in a bit or move your bins in front of it if they live at the front of the house anyway.

Ours is on a side wall, so less visible. Would that be possible for you?

Ours was installed outside at our last house, I never even thought about it.

It's installed in an indoor cupboard here, a bit of a pain to do honest as haven't got so much useable space.

Mine is very like GPF7M - EXT on this web page.

www.meterbox.co.uk/gas-meter-boxes

Anything is better than the gas man coming round to check the meter and you have to take out 6 months worth of junk that’s been stored in the cupboard Under the watchful eye of the gasman 😂😂😂

Thanks all. Good advice here. Will wait and see what it looks like before deciding but I expect it will be fine.

You may want to be proactive as when it is installed, it will cost a lot to have it changed later.

When we had our gas installed, we had the meter box fitted flush to the wall (involved removing the outside skin of bricks and the empty box set in) then when the new gas supply was installed, they just ran the pipes into the box.

Result was far more unobtrusive than neighbours who had the whole box fitted externally meaning it stuck out.

It's too late for that - The first I knew of it was at about 11:10 this morning (about 4 minutes before I started this thread) when they told me the new pipes couldn't be fitted all the way to the current meter location and they would have to relocate it. They had told us about the pipe work (assuring us it would just mean having the gas cut off for about 2 hours, though actually it was more like 6 hours) but I'd not had any idea they'd be moving the meter until the work was already underway and our gas supply was already off - objecting would have meant weeks or months with no gas supply (and therefore no hot water) while some alternative was arranged. It's done now and we just have the joy of a big hole in the crazy paving at the front of the house which will apparently be repaired on Wednesday. But removing the outer skin of bricks must mean you have a cold patch on your wall where there is less insulation and I certainly wouldn't want something that interfered with the structural fabric of the building rushed through without careful thought in order to minimise the interruption of the Gas supply!

ITA, we had to pay to have ours moved, as we were having an extension. It cost a fortune!

It’s ugly but relatively normal. Plenty of people will be grateful for the fact they don’t need to allow access to their home for any meter checks etc so I doubt it’s off putting. It’s the meters that are tucked away so engineers can’t do work on them or need to remove cupboards or appliances that are off putting.