An asbestos meter board is the flat panel your electricity meter and main switch are mounted on, made from bonded asbestos cement in homes wired before the late 1980s. It is safe while intact, but nobody will drill into it, so it has to be replaced before a meter swap or switchboard upgrade can go ahead.
Most people find out when a meter installer turns up, looks at the board, and leaves without doing the job.
What is an asbestos meter board?
It is the backing panel inside your meter box, not the meter itself. Bonded asbestos cement sheet was the standard mounting material for meter panels and switchboards from the 1940s through to the late 1980s, because it does not burn and does not conduct. Some panels still carry a legible brand name such as Zelemite, Ausbestos or Lebah.
The asbestos is bound into cement, which makes it non-friable. Painted and unbroken, it is not putting fibres into your home. The risk starts when someone drills, cuts or snaps it, and that is exactly what mounting a new meter or a new run of breakers requires.
How do you tell if your meter board contains asbestos?
You cannot confirm it by eye, but the age of the house and a few visual cues get you close enough to act on.
| What you see | What it suggests | Sensible next step |
|---|---|---|
| Dark grey or black matte panel with a slightly fibrous edge | Bonded asbestos cement, common in pre-1990 boards | Treat it as asbestos until an electrician says otherwise |
| A name such as Zelemite, Ausbestos or Lebah on the panel | A known asbestos backing board brand | Treat it as asbestos |
| Ceramic rewireable fuses and no safety switches | Board is of the right era, so the panel very likely is too | Plan the panel and the switchboard as one job |
| White or cream plastic panel with modern breakers | Board replaced after about 1990, no asbestos backing | Nothing to do |
| Painted panel, age unknown | Paint hides what the sheet is made of | Have it checked before anyone drills |
Do not sand or scrape it to find out. If the house was wired before about 1990 and the panel has never been changed, assume asbestos and say so when you book any work at the board.
Why did the meter installer refuse to fit your smart meter?
Because fitting a new meter means drilling the panel, and drilling bonded asbestos is not work their metering technicians are sent to do. Your retailer arranges the exchange through a metering provider, and that technician's job is the meter, not the board it hangs on.
When they find asbestos, undersized mains, no main switch, or a panel with no space left, the appointment is abandoned and you are told to get an electrician first. Our guide on what to do after an Ausgrid defect notice covers the related case, where the network operator rather than the meter installer is the one asking for the work.
Once the board is replaced, the retailer re-books the exchange. DM Electrical handles the board side of that sequence as part of its smart metering work.
Who is allowed to replace an asbestos meter board?
A licensed electrician can do it, and in New South Wales a meter panel is small enough that removing it does not require an asbestos removal licence. SafeWork NSW allows non-friable bonded asbestos up to 10 square metres to be removed unlicensed, provided it is handled with the right controls. A meter panel is a fraction of that area. Friable asbestos is a different matter and always needs a Class A licensed removalist.
The panel should still come out whole rather than broken up, with no power tools on it, then wrapped, double bagged and taken to a facility licensed to accept asbestos waste.
Accreditation matters as much as the licence. If the work touches the point of attachment or the consumer mains, or needs the supply disconnected and reconnected at the network's equipment, it is Level 2 ASP work. DM Electrical is Level 1 and Level 2 ASP accredited, so the disconnection, the board and the reconnection happen on one visit instead of across three separate trades.
Meter swap knocked back over the board?
DM Electrical replaces asbestos meter panels and switchboards across Sydney, including the disposal and the paperwork your retailer needs before it will re-book the meter exchange. Level 1 and Level 2 ASP accredited, based in Brookvale, available 24/7.
What does the replacement actually involve?
The old panel comes out and a new enclosure goes in, and in almost every case the switchboard is rebuilt at the same time. The sequence on a typical single dwelling:
- The supply is isolated, which means pulling the service fuse or arranging a network disconnection.
- The meter and the existing switchgear come off the panel.
- The asbestos panel is removed whole, then wrapped and bagged for licensed disposal.
- A new enclosure and mounting panel go in, with a new main switch, RCDs and circuit breakers.
- Consumer mains are re-terminated and tested, and the supply is reconnected.
- Paperwork goes to the network operator so your retailer can book the meter exchange.
Because the board is open anyway, this is the natural moment to fix anything else that has been marginal, whether that is missing safety switches, ceramic fuses, or mains too small for the load. A switchboard upgrade done at the same time costs far less than the same work as a second job. If a heat pump, ducted air conditioning or a car charger is on your list, ask about three phase power while the mains are being handled.
What does it cost, and who pays for it?
You pay, because the meter board is your property. The dividing line is the point of attachment. The network owns the supply up to it, your retailer's metering provider owns the meter itself, and everything else, including the panel that meter is screwed to, belongs to the property owner. Strata is the exception. A board on common property is the owners corporation's responsibility, not the individual lot owner's.
Cost depends on how much comes with it. As a general range in Sydney, replacing an asbestos meter panel together with a new switchboard typically runs from about $1,500 to $4,000, and higher if the consumer mains need replacing, the board is being relocated, or the property needs a network disconnection and reconnection. Anyone who quotes a firm price without seeing the board is guessing.
Frequently asked questions
Is an asbestos meter board dangerous to live with?
Not while it is intact. Bonded asbestos cement holds the fibres in place, so an undamaged panel sitting in a meter box is not releasing anything into the air. The risk comes from disturbing it, which is why drilling, cutting or breaking the panel is the thing to avoid. If it is cracked, crumbling or has been knocked about, get it looked at rather than left.
Can I replace the meter board myself?
No. The work sits on live supply equipment behind the main switch, so it is licensed electrical work regardless of the asbestos. Removing the panel also means isolating the supply, which on most properties needs a Level 2 ASP because the service fuse or the network connection has to be pulled and restored.
Will my retailer pay to replace the board?
No. Your retailer arranges the meter and its metering provider owns that device, but the panel it is mounted on belongs to the property owner. The retailer re-books the meter exchange once the board has been replaced and the paperwork has gone through.
How long does the job take?
Most single dwelling replacements are a day, with the power off for several hours of it. Add time if the consumer mains are being replaced, if the board is moving to a new position, or if the network has to attend to disconnect and reconnect the supply. You should be told beforehand how long you will be without power.
The bottom line
An asbestos meter board is rarely urgent, but it does block everything else. Nothing new gets mounted on it, so a smart meter exchange, a switchboard upgrade or a new car charger circuit all wait until the panel is replaced. Budget for a day's work, and for the cost sitting with you rather than your retailer. DM Electrical holds Level 1 and Level 2 ASP accreditation and works across the Northern Beaches, North Shore, Eastern Suburbs and wider Sydney. Get in touch and we will take a look at your board.