# Another "What is this thing?" post

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-is-this-thing-post/815422>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 4, 2018, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-is-this-thing-post/815422 "2018-06-04T18:08:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-is-this-thing-post/815422/21 "2018-06-06T03:04:29Z")

</div>

My Grandma’s house was in Spokane. Must be a regional thing and that’s why I can’t search for one on Google.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-is-this-thing-post/815422/22 "2018-06-06T13:47:24Z")

</div>

> [@sitchensis](#):
>
> My Grandma’s house was in Spokane. Must be a regional thing and that’s why I can’t search for one on Google.

I’ve searched every which way on google and google images and cannot find out anything else on these things. Interesting to see they were possibly used for the power bill as well as outgoing mail.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-is-this-thing-post/815422/23 "2018-06-06T14:48:08Z")

</div>

I’m 57 years old, and I’ve never known a time when the meter reader would be the guy who gives you your electric bill (or “light bill” as us old-timers say). The meter reader would log it but the bill would be mailed from the power company.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-is-this-thing-post/815422/24 "2018-06-06T17:08:46Z")

</div>

> [@CurtC](#):
>
> I’m 57 years old, and I’ve never known a time when the meter reader would be the guy who gives you your electric bill (or “light bill” as us old-timers say). The meter reader would log it but the bill would be mailed from the power company.

Sounds like it might be a regional thing. I now have confirmation from two others that live fairly close to me that they are familiar with this setup.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-is-this-thing-post/815422.md?page=1)