Smart meters UK

Hi,

anyone got any info on smart meters?

I have an electrician friend who claims that they track your 18/6 - 12/12.

move recently bought my place and I can’t have it taken out.

im planning to run 9 x 600 hps so the cycles will be obvious IF anyone is checking!

id imagine it’s not in their business interest to contact police but you never know

cheers

Tob522 said:

Hi,

anyone got any info on smart meters?

I have an electrician friend who claims that they track your 18/6 - 12/12.

move recently bought my place and I can’t have it taken out.

im planning to run 9 x 600 hps so the cycles will be obvious IF anyone is checking!

id imagine it’s not in their business interest to contact police but you never know

cheers

Click to expand...

Not in UK, but here in california in the US smart meters are not a problem.

Lol mate long as your paying for it they dont give a fuck too many people growing in the uk now

If you have a digital meter from the POCO then YES they can track your lighting schedule. I had a buddy get busted that way back in Missouri.

Setup your flowering rooms (two of them) on a flip. Then the lighting won't show up as an ON / OFF schedule. Veg under 24/0.

Just a heads up too, try and keep your grow under 3kW. Above that then the overall electrical usage will stand out way too much against the average usages of your neighbors.

LED lighting may be something to consider, the good stuff, not the cheap knockoffs.

Renfro said:

Setup your flowering rooms (two of them) on a flip. Then the lighting won't show up as an ON / OFF schedule. Veg under 24/0.

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Fair point but i dont see it in the uk

Well when my buddy was busted and his attorney got the court discovery papers it was clear that the power company employee that discovered the grow and metered it then reported it got a $10,000 tip reward after the bust. It was a 12kW grow. Not massive but not tiny either.

Renfro said:

If you have a digital meter from the POCO then YES they can track your lighting schedule. I had a buddy get busted that way back in Missouri.

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I often wonder if people who get busted this way have already been on the radar. I used to be hugely into the salt water reef keeping hobby. People in that hobby are pulling as many watts as a lot of growers and their houses light up in the same way. I knew guys with huge tanks that were running thousands of watts of MH and cooling systems that weren’t easy on the electric bill, either.

TreeFarmerCharlie said:

I often wonder if people who get busted this way have already been on the radar. I used to be hugely into the salt water reef keeping hobby. People in that hobby are pulling as many watts as a lot of growers and their houses light up in the same way. I knew guys with huge tanks that were running thousands of watts of MH and cooling systems that weren’t easy on the electric bill, either.

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Most people in uk busted one of 3 ways a grass in your circle two stealing electricity and 3 unrelated offences ive yet to hear of anyone busted in the uk cos they using lots of power there paying for

TreeFarmerCharlie said:

I often wonder if people who get busted this way have already been on the radar. I used to be hugely into the salt water reef keeping hobby. People in that hobby are pulling as many watts as a lot of growers and their houses light up in the same way. I knew guys with huge tanks that were running thousands of watts of MH and cooling systems that weren’t easy on the electric bill, either.

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He wasn't on the radar. He had no prior offenses, not even a traffic violation. The only way they knew, according to the court discovery, was the power company guy was suspicious about the power usage, he swapped the meter to a smart meter (I told my buddy to quit right then but he didn't) 2.5 weeks later he was raided.

@Tob522 Just know, that it's your ass on the line regardless of what others may say.

They can't track your power usage if you make your own.

That puny panel won't power a grow for an hour.

And they can track if you are grid tied.

Renfro said:

That puny panel won't power a grow for an hour.
And they can track if you are grid tied.

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It powers my HLG 240 + 2 Quantum boards for 18 hours, but I realise some growers have a lot more plants.
It must be possible to muddy the water, maybe a hybrid inverter with a battery or two charging when the lights are off.
Small generator, etc.

Can't believe the UK authorities care that much, my pal was caught in the UK (Cornwall), had rented an entire house and was growing in every room.
Sentenced to 40hrs community service, he'd rented another house and was back in business a couple of weeks later.

Thanks all

Tob522 said:

Thanks all

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I would heed Renfros advice. Think carefully about slow and gradual buildup.

I’ve now done more research, if anyone is interested.

if you hve a SMETS1(which I do) then you change your provider and they can’t track it.

I now have to enter manual readings each month to my new supplier

Unless you are growing a full warehouse of weed I very much doubt there would be any interest from UK police