Letter slot in electricity / gas meter cupboard ?

[lacherry]

Hi,
Not sure which section to post this in so please excuse me if I've got it wrong.
I am moving into a property that has a leccy and gas meter cupboard next to the front door, set into the wall. I'm sorry I don't know any technical terms for this - I suspect part of the external wall was left out in the building and the supply cupboard was put in there, then a door put on it so it is flush with the front door. If that makes sense. It is quite a large cupboard housing both meters and it referred, amusingly, by the hosting association as a "shed". It's about an external doors width wide and maybe just under a foot deep, and about five foot tall.
My question is - I have a large dog unhappy with post coming through the front door. Where I live now I have an external mailbox to prevent him throwing himself at the door when the poor postie delivers. However I had the idea of asking the housing association when I move in if I could put a letter slot into the meter cupboard and have the mail just go into there (and blocking the front door letterbox up as I have done here) - there's plenty enough space. Assuming they will give me permission to do it, are the any regulations that state meter cupboards / sheds should not have something like a letter slot in them ? The housing association don't seem to have a problem with one storing, say, garden tools or brooms or what have you in there as they refer to it as a shed. It is locked with a key which is like a normal shed or gate key (not one of those diamond shaped things for meter boxes) and only I as the tenant have access, I will have to open it for the meter reader.
Many thanks for any advice.

 

[big-all]

is it inside or outside??
not sure if a meter would like being hit by a wet letter or phone book
could you attach a wire cage to the door to one side away from the meter
would it be possible to box in the meter ??

 

[Taylortwocities]

I would be concerned that posted items might damage any cables.
You could put a baffle to stop any risk of this, or an internal basket to catch the mail.

There's no rules about it. It's your cupboard.
Just make sure there isnt a notice saying something like
"Boards Equipment Only"

 

[lacherry]

is it inside or outside??
not sure if a meter would like being hit by a wet letter or phone book
could you attach a wire cage to the door to one side away from the meter
would it be possible to box in the meter ??

Hmm. I was thinking of putting the letter slot below the level of the meters, so anything put through wouldn't come into contact with the meters, it would drop straight down. The cupboard is outside, with the door on it being outside. IYSWIM.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Should be OK then.
You might like to check the inside of the cupboard doesnt get wet in heavy rain.

 

[lacherry]

Should be OK then.
You might like to check the inside of the cupboard doesnt get wet in heavy rain.

Should be okay there - it and the front door are under an overhanging porch.
Thanks for the replies folks. Much obliged.

 

[big-all]

another though from a security point off veiw

if you are in a good area it wont matter
if you are in a bad area the thought off an easier to open cupboard with possibly mail in it may be tempting so try and reduce the visibility ??

 

[Alarm]

Lockable post box on the wall?

http://www.glencall.co.uk/1gi/pillh.html

 

[lacherry]

Not a bad area really, and the garden is 6'6" close board fencing with a matching solid lockable gate (for the dogs) so one would have to know the cupboard was there to know it was there, iyswim. Looking at the door today when I went up there it's the same construction and lock as the actual front door rather than a gate key as I thought, been newly put in when the association did all the windows and doors for the houses. I think it's as secure as it can be on that front. The house fuse board is in the cupboard too, right at the very top of the cupboard. I will be needing to stand on something to reach if a fuse trips out !

 

[lacherry]

Lockable post box on the wall?

http://www.glencall.co.uk/1gi/pillh.html[/QUOTE]

That is the other option, it's what I have here.

I have however had problems with postie / delivery man not pushing the stuff into the box properly and leaving it sticking out or just leaving it on the step - which is a problem as I am virtually blind and I have tripped on such things a few times or caught my face on stuff stuck out, which also sometimes gets wet if the rain blows the right way. I thought that as the cupboard was quite large stuff would fall straight in and not stick out.

 

[Alarm]

They make extra large freestanding.

Or you could get one made, local metal works could do it for you.

 

[lacherry]

They make extra large freestanding.

Or you could get one made, local metal works could do it for you.

I had a gander at a couple of the ones on the link above as it goes (thanks for that) - they sound like they could be better options than the letter box in the cupboard door. I had looked for larger boxes before but I didn't find anything quite as large as the safepost 34 on that link, for example, and I was worried I'd get the same problems as I have now - don't think that if Yellow Pages will go through the slot that there's any danger of that though ! The safepost 34 is pricey (for me) but it has to be done.
I think I may go that route instead.
Thanks for all the help folks.