I guess this is what you might call the 'discussion' or 'negotiation' stage.
As a bare minimum, I want to be able to turn off the power at the meter- manually, automatically, or both. I don't care. I just want you to be able to do SOMETHING when Granny bangs a picture-hanger into those high-amp wires ... besides cooking marshmallows for arriving firefighters, as you wait on the PoCo.
Trip curve? Ambient compensation? In nearly every instance, I don't really care how accurate the breaker is. It's powering a feeder, with far smaller branch circuit protection downstream.
FWIW, some of the hottest parts of the USA are also the places where ALL of the breakers are mounted outside the house. High-ambient nuisance tripping does not seem to be an issue.
Rust? I see no reason for the disconnect box to rust any faster than the meter pan. As wet as Canada may be, I defy them, or anywhere else, to compete with the industrial cities of the North when it comes to corrosion. The "rust belt" don't go through Florida (though Toronto is pretty close).
Also, bear in mind that the UL standard was changed, perhaps as long as ten years back, to require additional rust protection. The older boxes you see rusting away often had no protection beyond the grey primer coat of paint.
I have not seen plastic enclosures, though I am aware of some RV pedestals like that. Might be a good thing - IF the plastic is a decent one. "Sun rated" PVC conduit doesn't impress me; the stuff seems to self-destruct after about eight years.
Let's not let the 'best' become the enemy of 'good enough.' Just give me a way to turn the house 'off.'
