Drawing attention through electricity consumption

Just wondering how much your electricity consumption would be before it starts drawing the attention of the power companies? I know that they tend to put it down as electricity wastage and don't necessarily jump to the conclusion that it's due to a grow operation but this is still not what you would want! Anybody have an idea?

should say too I'm wondering for the UK market.

This gets asked a lot, I asked it too, valid concern.

However the general feeling is that you shouldn't worry, unless your usage goes from 1000w to 10,000w of course. The average half decent grow room shouldn't be suspect energy wise, these days we've got all sorts of contraptions. A couple of PC's has a greater demand, if you consider the average PC power supply is 600w rated.

Also a few other reasons - levels of energy use alone aren't a crime. You're a customer, the more you use the more the energy company gets paid. Thus the police would have to have due-reason to suspect you of growing first, with other evidence, then would seek energy uses (maybe) to fill up the evidence. However in the real world, theres a lot thats of bigger security concern than your energy use, so I wouldn't worry about it mate, unless you go ridiculously large etc.

No one has had their door kicked in because their energy use spiked. Even if they think a grow room is the reason, they'll need more than that to be able to kick your door in. At least in the UK.

Ive heard most grows get caught from stealing power over anything else. Pay your bills, keep your lawn nice, and stay off the radar you will be golden.

BigNug875 said:

Ive heard most grows get caught from stealing power over anything else. Pay your bills, keep your lawn nice, and stay off the radar you will be golden.

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I was actually thinking of getting two different meters keep one on for 21 days and swap it out with the original on the 22nd day. For the rest of the month and pay for that meter reading which will be of course lower and the correct meter for the residence. $400-500 lights bills are ridiculous. Loop holes are risky just dont get greedy.

In the UK we also do have occassional helicopter patrols. The police generally don't use their own helicopters, instead tend to hire the use of the helicopters the power companies use for monitoring the grid etc. They're already fitted with thermal cameras, which the power companies use to detect faults or weak points in the national grid (problems often show up as hotspots). They fly around certain cities and towns, randomly looking for telltale grow signatures. This info can either be used to support an existing case, or put 'potentials' on the radar so to speak.

But everytime I see that in documentaries, the people who usually get caught are the big producers rather than the homegrower, and they deserve to get caught because of their bloody stupidity. So where possible, keep your grow area on the inside walls of your house, and cool any air prior to venting to atmosphere.

Eco Idea - after filtering smell from exhaust air, you could vent into a hollow wall cavity as long as the air isn't too humid/wet etc. In winter, its supplemental heating from a process you've already paid for.

Nice, cheers RollupRick-awesome pic as well by the way dude! So if I wack in a 1000w light then it shouldn't atttact too much attention then? Ye, I think watchin cop docs is a way to "Know your enemy" so to speak. I'm in Glasgow so hopefully there will be a lot of other background sources if the choppers are up in the air. Saw one recently when the cops say heat signatures coming from a few garden sheds and then went in with a warrant to check em out. Looked to be only 400 or 600w lights that they were using too which worried me a little bit. Did a grow with a 400w and didn't have any problems with it. Got myself a flat on the 2nd of a 3 storey building so hopefully that should help to mask it a bit more.
I was thinkin too if I'm paying for all the leccy and it seems legit then surely they shouldn't come snoopin unless I'm doing something pretty reckless...which I don't plan on doing!
Cheers for the info guys...any other useful tips would be gratefully received!

Yeah let common sense prevail, when you know what it is about a grow that can get you caught, you can do whats necessary to improve it etc. The problem with a 1000w light is sheer heat, not so bad in a room sized space, but if its a smaller area you're growing in that heat will build up fast, so don't cheap out on the ventilation, and as mentioned always a good idea to vent cold air, rather than hot.

If you do everything right only three things will ruin your day. Betrayal, Loose Lips and Complacency. Ideally, tell no one, not a single soul that you're growing, ever. If someone else has to be involved, you'd better make sure they understand the rules. Complacency is that safe feeling, the longer you grow the easier it is to forget that what you're doing can quickly become real. Also HEAPS of people get caught because of the smell. A neighbour could phone the police, or the police could come to your door for something completely benign, get a whiff, then bang, busted.

One of the funniest I read in the papers (I think thats where I read it, lol), was the police were raiding a guys neighbours house, and the police actually went to his door to borrow a ladder or something. The guy obliged, but he ended up getting caught because when he opened the door, a wave of ganji-stink wafted out. Now that guy did NOTHING wrong, and probably wouldn't have gotten caught, it was just because he fucked up for a moment and got complacent.

So yeah don't stress the leccy too much, lot of other wee details to think about above that.

pay your bill on time, and insulate your room with IR blocker if youre worried about choppers

i think you're far more likely to get picked up on one of these sites than on your electric bill

i'm in the us in a med state
here, most people get busted for powder - the reefer is an afterthought
a coincidence to the coke bust, ya know?

every semi legit grower i've heard of having issues has been a coke head