The meter box takes the weather for decades, and older ones are often cracked, crowded or built on panels that may contain asbestos. We replace the box and panel, line our work up with your distributor for the meter, and have it inspected before the power goes back on.
When to get it checked
A cracked, rusted or broken box
A door that's missing or won't close, broken hinges, a cracked cover or rust coming through the base.
Water or insects inside
Damp marks, dirt, spiders' nests or ants inside the box mean the seals have failed.
A dark, brittle backing panel
Older meter panels may be pitch-based or contain asbestos. Cracks, crumbling edges or dust are a reason to leave it alone and get it checked.
Ceramic fuses beside the meter
Older meter boards often carry the circuit fuses on the same panel as the meter, with fuse-wire carriers and no safety switches.
No room for what's next
There isn't space for a bigger main switch, a new switchboard or heavier mains, or the meter can't be mounted properly.
Someone has flagged it
A defect notice from the network, a pre-purchase report or a meter change visit noted a problem with the box.
Why it happens
4 common causes
Original meter boxes
Many homes still have the meter box they were built with, exposed to sun, rain and wind for decades.
Meter and fuses on one panel
Older homes often have the meter, main switch and circuit fuses on the same board, so upgrading the circuits means dealing with the meter panel too.
Supply upgrades
Heavier or three-phase mains need room in the box and a panel set up for them.
Renovations
Extensions, new driveways or recladding can mean the meter box has to move.
What the job covers
What we usually do on this job. Your quote confirms it for your place.
- Box, panel, mains and earth inspected
- Panel checked for possible asbestos
- Distributor meter request lodged
- New weatherproof enclosure fitted
- Non-asbestos meter panel installed
- Mains and main earth reconnected
- Switchboard upgrade quoted if needed
- Independent inspection arranged
- Certificate of Electrical Safety issued
Your options, explained
Repair the enclosure
Low disruption- Best for
- A sound panel with a broken door, hinge or seal
- How it works
- Doors, hinges, latches and seals are repaired or replaced so the box closes properly and keeps the weather out.
- Worth knowing
- Only where the panel and everything on it are in good condition.
New meter box and panel
Medium disruption- Best for
- Cracked, rusted or crowded boxes, or panels that may contain asbestos
- How it works
- A new enclosure and non-asbestos panel replace the old ones, with the meter removed and refitted on the distributor's side.
- Worth knowing
- A deteriorated asbestos panel may need a licensed removalist.
Meter panel and switchboard together
High disruption- Best for
- Older homes with the meter and fuses on one panel
- How it works
- The meter panel is replaced and the circuits move to a new switchboard with circuit breakers and safety switches.
- Worth knowing
- One shutdown, one inspection, and the old fuses gone.
New box for a supply upgrade
High disruption- Best for
- Homes moving to heavier or three-phase mains
- How it works
- The box and panel are sized for the new mains and meter as part of the upgrade.
- Worth knowing
- Planned with the distributor's approval for the new supply.
The people behind the work
Our own photos from jobs like this one. Based in Altona Meadows, with 19 years in the industry.
Licensed electrical contractor (REC 38187)See more team photos
Worth knowing before you book
- The meter is the network's
- Your distributor handles it, on their booking.
- Old panels may contain asbestos
- We check before anything is disturbed.
- Pair it with the switchboard
- If the fuses share the panel, do both together.
What affects the price?
The right scope depends on your installation. These are the details we check so your quote is useful, with any additional work explained before it proceeds.
Panel material
A panel that may contain asbestos changes how it comes off, and a deteriorated one may need a licensed removalist.
What's on the panel
If the meter panel also carries the fuses and circuits, the switchboard becomes part of the job.
Where the box is
A box on a boundary fence, behind a locked gate, high on a wall or due to move changes the work involved.
Mains and earth
Old consumer mains or a poor main earth found during the job need fixing before reconnection.
Distributor requirements
The distributor handles the meter and sets its own requirements, and any charges, for that part.
How it runs
- 1
Inspect
Box, panel, mains and earth checked.
- 2
Plan and book
Scope, price and the distributor's visit.
- 3
Replace
New box and panel, mains reconnected.
- 4
Inspect and certify
Inspected, meter refitted, certified.
Step by step, in more detail
5 steps
Inspect the box and panel
We check the enclosure, panel material, service fuse, mains, main earth and switchboard, and note anything that may contain asbestos.
Plan the job
You get the scope and price, including whether the panel needs a licensed asbestos removalist and whether the switchboard is upgraded at the same time.
Book the distributor
We lodge the request for the meter to be removed and refitted, or a new meter fitted, and line our work up with that booking.
Replace and reconnect
The new enclosure and panel go in, the mains and main earth are reconnected, and the main switch and circuits are set up and labelled.
Inspect and certify
A Licensed Electrical Inspector checks the prescribed work before switch-on, and you receive the Certificate of Electrical Safety.
What is safe to do, and what to leave to us
Safe for you to do
- Keep the meter box door closed and the area around it clear and dry.
- Keep plants, vines and sprinklers away from the box.
- If the box is damaged, keep children and pets away and have a licensed electrician check it.
Leave these to us
- Drilling, cutting, sanding or cleaning an old meter panel, which may contain asbestos.
- Spraying water, insect spray or cleaner into the box.
- Touching the meter, service fuse or mains cables.
- Unlicensed work in the meter box. Energy Safe Victoria says unlicensed electrical work is illegal and potentially fatal.
When to get us in
- The meter box door is broken, missing or won't close
- Water, insects or dirt are getting inside
- The panel is cracked, crumbling or looks like old pitch or fibre board
- Ceramic fuses sit on the meter panel
- A supply upgrade or renovation needs the box replaced or moved
More detail
Meter box, meter panel and switchboard
The meter box is the enclosure, usually on an outside wall or fence. Inside it, the meter panel carries the network's meter and service fuse, and in many older homes the main switch and circuit fuses too. Newer homes usually have the switchboard separate, inside the house or in its own enclosure.
Where everything sits on one old panel, replacing the meter panel and upgrading the switchboard are really one job. Doing them together means one shutdown, one inspection and no ceramic fuses left behind.
Who does what with the meter
The meter and service fuse belong to the network, so your distributor handles them, with its own crew or someone it authorises. We lodge the request, prepare the new box and panel, and line our work up with the distributor's booking so the house is off for no longer than it needs to be.
We can't set the distributor's dates. What we can do is have everything ready, the inspection booked and the switchboard side finished, so the job isn't held up on our end.
Handling an old panel safely
You can't tell by looking whether an old panel contains asbestos. We treat dark, fibrous or pitch-type panels with care, don't drill or cut them, and plan the removal before work starts. WorkSafe Victoria's compliance code says a licensed asbestos removalist may be needed if a mounting board has deteriorated or there's asbestos-contaminated dust.
If an asbestos-containing panel has to come out, the code says it must be replaced with non-asbestos material, and that's what goes in.
Local rules and conditions
Victorian requirements and local conditions that shape this job, with the sources listed at the foot of the page.
The meter box is yours to maintain
From the point of supply, the property owner is responsible for maintaining and repairing the installation. Powercor lists an insecure or missing service hook, a defective fused mains box and a defective meter box as customer installation defects, which the customer has to fix.
Asbestos in older panels
Hobsons Bay's planning scheme says post-war growth transformed Altona and Laverton. WorkSafe Victoria lists switchboards and their backing boards as a typical asbestos location in buildings built or renovated before the late 1980s, and its examples include ceramic fuses and pitch-based boards.
Who handles your meter
That depends on your street. Powercor supplies Laverton, Altona Meadows, Werribee, Hoppers Crossing and Point Cook through Altona Terminal Station (West), Jemena's area reaches Williamstown and Footscray, and CitiPower supplies parts of Port Melbourne. We book the meter work with whichever one serves you.
Useful reading
Guides to read before you decide, with checklists and questions to bring to the quote.
- Ceramic fuses and old switchboards: what to look forA look-but-don't-touch guide to old switchboards: rewireable fuses, a missing safety switch, suspect backing panels, heat marks and what replacement involves.
- Planning a switchboard upgrade without surprisesWhat the electrician needs to check, how to compare the scope and what to organise before the power goes off.
- Power out? How to tell if it's the network or your houseDark street or just your place? A few checks from the front window to the meter box tell you who to contact first, without opening anything.
- Certificates of Electrical Safety explainedWhat a Victorian COES records, how prescribed and non-prescribed work differ, when your copy should arrive and why it belongs in your house file.
Common questions
Questions people ask about this
- Is my meter box the same as my switchboard?Not quite, though they are often in the same place.
- My meter box door is broken or won't close. Who fixes it?The property owner.
- Will my fridge and freezer be OK during a switchboard upgrade?Usually, with some planning.
From the blog
- Upgrading the electrical in a heritage home in Williamstown or YarravilleFront-wall meter boxes, lath and plaster, basalt walls and period fittings all shape how a heritage home in Melbourne's inner west gets rewired.
- What affects the cost of a three-phase upgrade?Distributor works, the mains route, trenching, the meter box and the switchboard decide what a three-phase upgrade involves. Here's how to read the quote.
Sources for the rules and local facts on this page
12 sources, with the date each was checked
- 1.Energy Safe Victoria: The point of supply is the changeover point from the electricity distribution network to the electrical installation, where the property owner becomes responsible for the maintenance and repair of the electrical… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 2.CitiPower & Powercor: Customer installation defects fall under customer responsibility and require prompt rectifications to ensure either the safety of the electrical installation, unhindered access to our assets by our employees or that our… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 3.Victorian Government, Hobsons Bay Planning Scheme (PDF snapshot, last updated by VC292 on 11/09/2025): The heritage places of Hobsons Bay reflect the key themes that have shaped the development of the city since the establishment of Williamstown in the 1840s as the first port of Melbourne, through the development of… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 4.WorkSafe Victoria: A person who has management or control of a workplace, and employers or self-employed persons and employees should be aware of the typical uses and applications of ACMs, particularly in buildings constructed or… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 5.Powercor Australia, Project Assessment Draft Report: Altona Terminal Station (West) (June 2025): It supplies part of Melbourne’s western growth corridor. This includes the areas of Laverton, Laverton North, Altona Meadows, Werribee, Wyndham Vale, Mount Cottrell, Eynesbury, Tarneit, Hoppers Crossing and Point Cook… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 6.Jemena Electricity Networks (Vic) Ltd, 2025 Distribution Annual Planning Report (2 December 2025): Figure 1-1 shows the JEN supply area, which ranges from Gisborne South, Clarkefield and Mickleham in the north to Williamstown and Footscray in the south, and from Hillside, Sydenham and Brooklyn in the west to… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 7.CitiPower, Distribution Annual Planning Report December 2024 (hosted by the Australian Energy Regulator): The zone substation in Fisherman’s Bend (E) is served by two sub-transmission lines from Fisherman Bend Terminal station (FBTS). The zone substation supplies areas of Fisherman’s Bend and Port Melbourne. Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 8.WorkSafe Victoria: If the condition of electrical mounting boards has deteriorated or ACD is present an asbestos removal licence holder may be required to undertake asbestos removal work For example, if an ACM electrical mounting panel… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 9.Energy Safe Victoria: 'Prescribed' certificates are for electrical installation work that requires inspection by a Licensed Electrical inspector. This includes (but is not limited to): Consumer mains cables, main switchboard, meter box and… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 10.Energy Safe Victoria: A prescribed certificate is for all major electrical wiring work in all types of premises. In a domestic property this covers all work done on wiring and equipment where the electricity cannot be switched off. This… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 11.Victorian Legislation (legislation.vic.gov.au) - Electricity Safety Act 1998, authorised version 089 (effective 8 Sep 2026): (a) in the case of prescribed electrical installation work, is 4 business days after the certificate of inspection of that work is given under section 45(3); and Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 12.Energy Safe Victoria: Gas and electricity are inherently dangerous and it’s illegal and potentially fatal for unlicensed and unqualified people to undertake any electrical or gasfitting work. Homeowners and consumers must always use… Accessed 30 September 2026.
