Digital Power Meter

I am thinking about building a decent size grow operation in my metal workshop that is on its own energy account separate from the house. I am just wondering about digital power meters. Is the power company able to monitor my usage in real time or is it just the same as the old meter with some upgrades? I know this new power meter looks like the old one with dial except it has a digital screen. I am guessing it has some kind of wifi so that the power company vehicle can drive down the road and read it remotely. I just want to make sure they can't see my power usage shoot up for 12 hours and then drop down to nothing for 12 hours. Thanks for the help.

As long as you are paying your bill and not dimming the neighborhood when your lights come on you should be fine.

depending on what state u are in and what agreement u said yes too

a digital meter they can remotely cut u off during high power demands ........if it is a metal shop then it is listed as industrial so power demands and spikes would be common place ....but that also means during peak demand u would be one of the ones it was cut too (hospitals nursing homes prisons subway systems ) those places would get the power first

given this i would stick to soil grows until u have a gen on site to keep the air pumps/water pumps going .......as for trying to run the lights while the power is off u would need a propane gen (whole house unit ) that is some massive money and permits to file

justugh, I am not sure on the differences between a digital meter and a smart meter, but I do know they are two different things. As far as cutting off your power, I think it is just a smart meter that does that. I think the "new" digital meters just get rid of the old dials and add some kind of wifi so that they can be read when the car drives down the street. I do not think that the digital meters can be read in real time, but I definitely want to make sure before I start. North Carolina has property forfeiture if you get caught and my house is almost paid off.

It doesn't matter if they can read in real time or not. Having high usage times is not enough for a warrant to enter your home.

It's a metal shop. An industrial business that works 12hr shifts...

tucker0104 said:

justugh, I am not sure on the differences between a digital meter and a smart meter, but I do know they are two different things. As far as cutting off your power, I think it is just a smart meter that does that. I think the "new" digital meters just get rid of the old dials and add some kind of wifi so that they can be read when the car drives down the street. I do not think that the digital meters can be read in real time, but I definitely want to make sure before I start. North Carolina has property forfeiture if you get caught and my house is almost paid off.

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i do not think there is a different between the 2 models u are talking about smart and digital are the same thing electronics .....even in my state they have that thing where they will cut power during peak demands ....thermostats can be controlled by those ppl now too


like the ppl have told yah high power use is no reason for them to enter .....i been doing it for 2 years in my area i used 2 times the normal amount of power for homes in my area (what the bill saids on the graph about power use for last 3 months) .....my state has the same thing about them taken your sttuff it why the car is not in my name (if i get caught with something on me the car can not be taken since i am not listed as the owner )


to get away with it u need to IR block the area off control the smell and maybe build a false wall in the shop so they would need a speical warrant to tare things down not just enter and look warrant ........a enter and look they can do that on site just by saying did u hear a scream that will give them pretext to enter in and look ...........but for them to actually tare stuff down to look that takes alot more to get from a judge do to the fact the state is on the hook for damages

so IR block the area they can not see in ....cover the smell carbon filter ozone gen and some hot peppers/jasmine flowers near the vent dumping spot .....mint works too not as well but it helps and u have fresh mint for stuff .........the final part is u never tall anyone unless they are growers too that way u both can rat each other out so both of u keep mouth shut

again false wall not a wall and a door a wall..........if they see a door they can ask u to open it do to spot check for scream they heard (it your word vs theirs so they heard a scream in court u can not disprove it ) .........one of the drywall pannels to the wall u use those child proof magnetic locks that way went u want in u can use a magnet unlock the pannel and move it so u can get in and work .......done it goes back up and no one knows