A gas meter box is not only a technical part of an installation but also something visible on a property, and it can affect the look of a fence. A properly planned and enclosed gas box delivers safety, easy access for service engineers and a coherent appearance across the whole property. Here is how to position a gas meter box in a fence, which rules govern its installation, and how to match the enclosure to the style of your fence so that function and elegance go together.
The gas box enclosure
A gas meter box is an important part of many buildings. It is responsible for the safety of the installation. What matters is finding a place for it that is easy to reach while still suiting the style of the property. Here are some proven approaches to safe gas boxes: where one can be fitted, and what the rules say.
Gas meter boxes — the applicable rules
A gas box is fitted outside the building (on the facade) or on the fence. For ease of reading, mounting it on the fence is decidedly the better solution because of the quick access: the gas company’s engineer can read the meter easily. The enclosure should allow easy access for readings.
Where can a gas meter box go?
In the UK the position of a gas meter box is not fixed by a single measurement — it is agreed with your gas transporter or supplier, who will confirm where the box can sit and how the connection runs. What they are looking for is straightforward: the meter must be readable, and the emergency control valve must be reachable quickly.
Three box types are in common use:
- surface-mounted boxes fixed to an external wall,
- semi-concealed boxes recessed into the wall,
- boundary boxes, used where the meter sits at the property line — the type that a fence enclosure is usually built around.
Work on the connection itself may only be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer, as required by the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. Once the box is in place, keeping it accessible is the property owner’s responsibility.
Confirm the exact position with your gas transporter before the fence line is set out — moving a meter afterwards is expensive.
Who installs a gas meter box?
A gas connection may only be made by a qualified person. Once the gas is connected, the installation is checked for leaks. After that it falls to the property owner to keep the gas box in sound technical condition. If anything gives you cause for concern, you should notify your gas supplier immediately.
Gas meter box — dimensions
There are no strictly defined rules on the dimensions of a gas meter box. The principle is simple — it has to be large enough to hold all the key parts of the installation: the meter, the gas pressure regulator and the gas valve.
Gas boxes most often measure 60 × 60 × 25 cm, but smaller and larger ones exist too.
How do you conceal a meter box?
There are several ways of making a meter box less visible:
- fitted to the building, recessed into a wall niche,
- fitted to the facade,
- built into the fence.
A gas box in a fence — how does it work in practice?
The technical conditions for building a gas connection are set out in the connection agreement signed with the gas supplier. Gas boxes are often fitted in the line of the fence on the street side. Positioning them this way allows easy access when the situation calls for it — particularly when the meter has to be read or the supply shut off.
At Fello we can build you a fence that allows for a gas box. You will find that a gas box does not have to be an eyesore. We will gladly design a fence that makes it disappear.
A gas box enclosure in a fence — a proven approach
The key parts of the connection have to sit in a ventilated box.
The market offers many different types of gas box — plastic, laminate (polyester-glass composite) and metal (acid-resistant steel). The last of these are very durable and resistant to harsh weather. Go for maximum protection.
Where to put a gas box — can it sit in front of the fence?
You now know that a gas box can be placed in a fence and concealed beautifully. Planning to build a fence? Take care of a suitable gas box enclosure at the same time.