Any guesses on how much electricity it takes to make the power co. suspicious?

speedwell68

Well-Known Member
Funny thread from the dead. I have never, ever heard of an electric company than complains about you using too much power, they love you using too much power.

As for helicopters, they are not going to go after someone of the basis of an attic heat signature. Are they going to send in the drugs squad to everyone with a poorly insulated loft?
 
I would say be a good customer pay early and don't have anything that is a fire hazard and they shouldn't give you any trouble within reason.
 

Friendly_Grower

Well-Known Member
Let us face facts.
We walk around with a tracking device that can pinpoint our location down to a few square feet. It can listen in on what we are saying. We live in a surveillance state. It is true that smart meters can provide public information of how much and when we use electric every fifteen minutes. It's just a plain fact.

The best advice in this thread has been Pay your bills on time, Don't bother your neighbors and don't sell. I believe that makes home growers a low priority in most places. If you are commercial grower well you takes your chances my friend.

I would worry more about contentious duty ratings of your electric wires. Most circuits are not intended for use longer than three hours at a time. Now that is a valid code issue that could generate an inspection from the powers that be. if we have too much plugged in for too long it is a bad thing. Plus fires suck.

All that aside we all should know that Biden is our best chance in decades to change the Schedule of Cannabis from Schedule One to Schedule Two but I fear he will only do that in his second term. Vote Blue friends. Changing the Federal Drug Schedule on Cannabis breaks the racist house of cards that is Federal Cannabis prohibition.


Friendly_Grower
 

LeastExpectedGrower

Well-Known Member
Let us face facts.
We walk around with a tracking device that can pinpoint our location down to a few square feet. It can listen in on what we are saying. We live in a surveillance state. It is true that smart meters can provide public information of how much and when we use electric every fifteen minutes. It's just a plain fact.

The best advice in this thread has been Pay your bills on time, Don't bother your neighbors and don't sell. I believe that makes home growers a low priority in most places. If you are commercial grower well you takes your chances my friend.

I would worry more about contentious duty ratings of your electric wires. Most circuits are not intended for use longer than three hours at a time. Now that is a valid code issue that could generate an inspection from the powers that be. if we have too much plugged in for too long it is a bad thing. Plus fires suck.

All that aside we all should know that Biden is our best chance in decades to change the Schedule of Cannabis from Schedule One to Schedule Two but I fear he will only do that in his second term. Vote Blue friends. Changing the Federal Drug Schedule on Cannabis breaks the racist house of cards that is Federal Cannabis prohibition.


Friendly_Grower
A big part of why I'm pleased to be living in NYS. While there's been some foot dragging and the law and its rollout is kind of janky, overall it's going to allow for people to do at home just fine. But probably more important is that it kills off one of the major 'social' components of anti-cannabis law, which is to put people with certain skin colors behind bars at a much much higher rate than others. They've tried to 'bake in' some steps for equality in the 'industry' too...we'll see if that works.
 

GroBud

Well-Known Member
They dont just look at the watts they know what you're doing by when you use those watts. You use 2400 watts on a 18/6 or 12/12 cycle that draws attention. How about staying legal and not going to prison. Personally I picked up everything and moved to new mexico over 4 years ago. If you're willing to risk it this post is irrelevant, you'll tell a friend or give some away it'll wind up coming back on you.
 
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speedwell68

Well-Known Member
They dont just look the watts they know what you're by when you use those watts. You use 2400 watts on a 18/6 or 12/12 cycle that draws attention. How about staying legal and not going to prison. Personally I picked up everything and moved to new mexico over 4 years ago. If you're willing to risk it this post is irrelevant, you'll tell a friend or give some away it'll wind up coming back on you.
How many electricity meters are there in your area? Do you really think they have the man power to individually monitor the times when a users usage changes? Do heating systems not switch on and off in regular cycles like 12/12, 18/6 and so on? So, lets say someone at the power company does notice a pattern. Who are they going to tell? Do the Police mount raids based on circumstantial evidence? No they don't.
 

GroBud

Well-Known Member
How many electricity meters are there in your area? Do you really think they have the man power to individually monitor the times when a users usage changes? Do heating systems not switch on and off in regular cycles like 12/12, 18/6 and so on? So, lets say someone at the power company does notice a pattern. Who are they going to tell? Do the Police mount raids based on circumstantial evidence? No they don't.
No not raids but investigating they will do that, their not dumb and in illegal states growing weed is like giving kids meth they'll want that. All it takes is a buddy to get busted and snitch or whatever. Our power company breaks my house into blocks on our bill so I can see which area is drawing excessive amounts of electricity and through what times I'm using. You take the buddy snitching plus your electric meter that's enough for a raid
 

Three Berries

Well-Known Member
In the summer I go midnight to noon with the flower room. This is offset by the AC during the day as far as average power use. But they can see the AC cycling and the regular cycle of the lights.

Not much you can do when they can see and they record you usage by the minute.
 

LeastExpectedGrower

Well-Known Member
No not raids but investigating they will do that, their not dumb and in illegal states growing weed is like giving kids meth they'll want that. All it takes is a buddy to get busted and snitch or whatever. Our power company breaks my house into blocks on our bill so I can see which area is drawing excessive amounts of electricity and through what times I'm using. You take the buddy snitching plus your electric meter that's enough for a raid
I assume you don't need 'manpower' for this if they really care. Baby Jesus invented the computer and since pretty much all our meters are digital right now, I'm sure they could at the very least narrow down regular high draw triggers with a few easy algorithms. I think for most guys doing home stuff, its probably not enough for anyone to care in most states if you're even drawing enough for their algorithm to finger you.
 

GroBud

Well-Known Member
Y'all can do whatever you'd like just giving information for me it's not worth 9-18 years. It's their job to stop illegal activity selling is mediocre compared to growing and being the supplier
 

lusidghost

Well-Known Member
Y'all can do whatever you'd like just giving information for me it's not worth 9-18 years. It's their job to stop illegal activity selling is mediocre compared to growing and being the supplier
This isn't really true. I've known a few growers who got busted and they all ended up getting probation. None of them were trapping out warehouses, but they were growing much more than they could consume. You're screwed if they find the same amount packaged in your car. Dealing while owning guns seems like the best way to end up in prison.
 

speedwell68

Well-Known Member
No not raids but investigating they will do that, their not dumb and in illegal states growing weed is like giving kids meth they'll want that. All it takes is a buddy to get busted and snitch or whatever. Our power company breaks my house into blocks on our bill so I can see which area is drawing excessive amounts of electricity and through what times I'm using. You take the buddy snitching plus your electric meter that's enough for a raid
You are over thinking this. If your buddy snitches they won't give a toss about your power consumption. My hot tub uses twice what my grow does. The power company aren't watching you and they don't care how much electricity you use, they really do want you to use as much as you can.
 

speedwell68

Well-Known Member
This isn't really true. I've known a few growers who got busted and they all ended up getting probation. None of them were trapping out warehouses, but they were growing much more than they could consume. You're screwed if they find the same amount packaged in your car. Dealing while owning guns seems like the best way to end up in prison.
In the UK it is upto 14 years for cultivation. My mate got caught with a massive grow. They couldn't prove he was selling it and he got 12 months probation and had to pay court costs.

He was selling it. But sold the whole lot in a single deal and kept the money hidden at an unrelated address.

I got caught with a couple of grams in my pocket. The Police asked me if I had and I just co-operated, they let me go.
 

GroBud

Well-Known Member
Hey do what you do if that's how you feel, they can also see the hot tub is outside and when it's on. Obviously not a grow light. You may get away with 2 or 3 grows, for me tho it's not worth it with so many legal states. Even just probation you can't smoke weed. I've been using weed for 21 years 10.2 of those years in prison. I'll never quit so the risk for me isn't worth it. I also have an uncle that got 2 life sentences in the early 90s for receiving weed in the mail from California. Luckily Obama pardoned him on the way out of office. What's feasible to you and me due to life experiences is different
 

lusidghost

Well-Known Member
Hey do what you do if that's how you feel, they can also see the hot tub is outside and when it's on. Obviously not a grow light. You may get away with 2 or 3 grows, for me tho it's not worth it with so many legal states. Even just probation you can't smoke weed. I've been using weed for 21 years 10.2 of those years in prison. I'll never quit so the risk for me isn't worth it. I also have an uncle that got 2 life sentences in the early 90s for receiving weed in the mail from California. Luckily Obama pardoned him on the way out of office. What's feasible to you and me due to life experiences is different
Shipping bud through the mail in the 90s isn't really the same as growing a few plants in 2021, regardless of the state. I'd say if you want avoid jail, just keep your mouth shut and pray that nothing weird happens. I respect your warnings, but it's just not possible for everyone to move to a new state just to grow. Some of have to stay behind and pump out dank for the unfortunate locals.
 

GroBud

Well-Known Member
Shipping bud through the mail in the 90s isn't really the same as growing a few plants in 2021, regardless of the state. I'd say if you want avoid jail, just keep your mouth shut and pray that nothing weird happens. I respect your warnings, but it's just not possible for everyone to move to a new state just to grow. Some of have to stay behind and pump out dank for the unfortunate locals.
I know its not the same, wasn't comparing. It's hard to keep quiet. It may seem easy but the ones who you think you can trust are the ones that leave the knife in your back
 

lusidghost

Well-Known Member
I know its not the same, wasn't comparing. It's hard to keep quiet. It may seem easy but the ones who you think you can trust are the ones that leave the knife in your back
My dad grew to sell in an extremely red state in the late 80s / early 90s. I couldn't imagine that level of paranoia. Those guys were insanely brave back then.

I dated my exgirlfriend for 3 years and she still doesn't know. ha.
 
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