How to Hide an Electric Meter on Front of House – Cover Ideas!

Updated: | Author: Brad Javernick | Affiliate links may be present.

Your front yard is the first thing you see every time you arrive home! It is also the first impression that guests will make of your house. It’s no surprise that many people put lots of hard work and money into attractive landscaping to make their homes appear beautiful and inviting.

However, an unsightly electric meter on the front of your home can detract from all of your hard work. They can stick out like a sore thumb on the front of your home. Use the tips below to cover it up and increase your curbside appeal!

An electric meter on the front of your home can be quite the eyesore! The goal should be to hide it while keeping it easy to access for readings and maintenance. Plants can be used in many creative ways to hide the meter. Paint, window shutters, cabinets, or a decorative gate are also easy ways to get the job done!

Carefully Placed Plants

Plants are one great way to hide an electric meter and increase your curbside appeal. Just keep in mind that the plant shouldn’t be too close! You need to leave at least 2 feet of clearance between a plant that is planted in the ground and the box so that it can be easily accessed when needed.

Large potted plants are great for this purpose because they can be moved whenever you need to reach the electric meter. Try putting the potted plant on a platform with wheels to make it even easier to move.

Taller plants such as trees are particularly good for camouflaging anything on the outside of your home. Consider using an evergreen plant so that it will offer coverage even in the winter months when other plants would lose their leaves.

Hanging plants from the side of your home is another great way to cover the meter! Use plant hooks above the meter and hang a plant big enough to hide the view of it from the street.

A Planter Wall

Instead of one large plant, try many smaller plants on a planter wall! Hang a planter wall from study hooks above the electric meter or simply lean it against your home. This way it can be removed when needed. You can also create your own plant wall from wood pallets.

Using hooks you can hang small potted plants from the wall, creating a beautiful vertical garden. This is an especially great way to expand your garden space if you have a smaller yard.

You can hang flowering plants, viney plants that will hang down, or a mix of the two. Alternatively, plant herbs and small fruit or vegetable plants such as tomato or baby bell pepper plants.

A Trellis with Climbing Plants

Another way to use plants to hide anything on the outside of your home is using a climbing plant with a trellis. A potted rose bush with a trellis high enough to cover the electric meter will look beautiful and be the envy of your neighbors!

Tomato plants will also look great on a trellis. This way you can cover the electric box and enjoy garden-fresh tomatoes for months!

Cover It with an Outdoor Cabinet

A backless cabinet can cover the meter while also providing some extra storage space for gardening tools or your children’s outdoor toys. Depending on the height of the meter you can use a cabinet that sits on the ground or hang a smaller cabinet over it.

If you enjoy crafting and have time for the project, you can build your own cabinet with an open back or a hole big enough to fit the meter.

Alternatively, you can buy any outdoor cabinet that you like and use a handsaw or a round saw drill bit to cut out an area where the meter can fit.

Paint It to Match Your Home

In some cases, the easiest way to camouflage an electric meter can be to paint the meter and its cover the same color as your home. Be sure to check in with your power company first to make sure that they allow this!

One thing to keep in mind when painting over an electric meter is that dried paint can make it harder to access. If the meter has a cover, make sure to run a knife along the seams and hinges after painting so that the paint doesn’t seal it shut.

Decorative Gate

You can hide the meter while also keeping it easy to access with a decorative gate. Place two posts in the ground on either side of the box. You can put them in cement for a more sturdy gate or simply make sure they are buried deep enough to keep them stable.

Attach a gate between the two posts. You can paint the gate and posts to match the color of your home for more subtlety or paint them the same color as your trim or shutters.

Decorative Window Shutters

Try hanging window shutters to create a faux window that conceals the electric meter. Buy shutters to match the ones already on your home or use unique customized shutters to add something new to your home’s decor.

You will need to make sure that the shutter hangs far enough from the siding to allow space for the meter. Measure how far out the meter goes from the siding and then find hooks this length or ideally a couple of inches longer.

Once you have the hooks in place on either side of the meter, you can easily hang the shutters the same way you would hang a painting. Try steel hangers for a very sturdy solution. If the hooks that you are using won’t fit in the steel hangers, you can use a wire hanger connected to the back of the shutters in the same way you would for a painting.

Final Thoughts

Increase your curbside appeal by covering up your electric meter with these easy tips! They can be adjusted to fit your own style and create the front yard of your dreams.

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About Brad Javernick

Brad is a licensed home inspector and the editor of Home Oomph. He's a massive DIYer, and loves to take on new home renovation projects!

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