Irish Water are, justifiably in my opinion, getting a lot of criticism regarding their forms and agreements but there is one thing that they do better than the other utility companies – Irish Water’s meter cabinets are in the ground.
Meter boxes used to be indoors until about thirty or so years ago when external electric and gas boxes were introduced – to allow the meters to be read when the residents are not at home.
The technology exists for automated meters with inbuilt SIM cards which can be called by the Utility Company to collect the reading but our government or our local authority have not compelled such technology to be used.
Our government and local authority still consider it acceptable to have plastic covered meter boxes on the face of buildings, plastic covers which are regularly damaged by vandalism, plastic covers which often come off their hinges, plastic covers which never blend in with the remainder of the property no matter how painted.
Our planners and political leaders consider these acceptable despite the alternative.
The treatment of the meter cabinets at Douglas St is an improvement on the original but ground level chambers or automated readers internally would surely be even better.
Meter boxes used to be indoors until about thirty or so years ago when external electric and gas boxes were introduced – to allow the meters to be read when the residents are not at home.
The technology exists for automated meters with inbuilt SIM cards which can be called by the Utility Company to collect the reading but our government or our local authority have not compelled such technology to be used.
Our government and local authority still consider it acceptable to have plastic covered meter boxes on the face of buildings, plastic covers which are regularly damaged by vandalism, plastic covers which often come off their hinges, plastic covers which never blend in with the remainder of the property no matter how painted.
Our planners and political leaders consider these acceptable despite the alternative.
The treatment of the meter cabinets at Douglas St is an improvement on the original but ground level chambers or automated readers internally would surely be even better.
