I am looking to cultivate cannabis plants (5-10). I hear stories of police knocking on doors with suspiciously high electricity rates. My question is this, at the 5-10 plant range, with the optimal amount of lights, fans, ion generator, etc. etc. being used, how much can one expect their wattage to go up? I hear at over 500w, the police may be notified (though this isn't evidence for a warrant, it is obviously something to avoid). So at the optimal lights and other things included, how many watts will be used on average, do YOU think? Could even more be grown without worry? (All other sources of electricity will not be used if it comes down to it...fridge, microwave, etc. and all plugs will be unplugged). Thanks to everyone who answers.
Also, does/has anyone here used an electricity generator for this purpose? If so, what wre your experiences with it?
You're going to have some people who insist the police work directly with the power companies and people (like myself) who say that's complete nonsense... Good luck with your grow.
Not the case at all. If some one rats on you and says your growing then they will look into power bills/ consumion hours etc... My gaming computer ps3 surround sound, few tvs. So many chargers charging iPad cells so much stuff... They Make a lot of power alone i just dont use then now Things make that much it's not out of the norm Dude just chill be low key don't tell a single soul bro!
Oh and 500watts is nothing, my home theater is way over 500 watts and I'm sure it "spikes" my usage every night when I smoke and watch tv but I've never had any problems with the power company. If they turn you in they lose revenue, it's just not good for business. Kids these days are paranoid because of shows like cops and DEA and all the other propaganda. I'm sure the cops want you to think that they will get a phone call from the power company tipping them off the day you plug your lights in but that's not the case. I've heard of countless people with energy bills with 4 digit figures. I read recently about a guy who pays just under $100,000 a month. On my bill it tells me my usage this month last year and it's more than 4 times now than what it was last year under the previous owner. Bottom line is if you pay them on time they don't give a fuck what you do with it. So plug in your 1000 watt vibrators or your mechanical bull or pottery kiln and don't stess.
Like others have said, they only use your electricity bill against you after you've already given them a reason to be suspicious... odor control for instance is more important, if say, you have utility employees, solicitors, religious groups, or anyone else randomly calling on your house, and they detect an odor, that is much more likely to get you in trouble. When you begin racking up a truly extravagant bill, and if after a few days they notice a spike and your projected usage is headed towards an excess of $1,000 within a single monthly cycle, often times they'll contact you just as a courtesy, just to let you know they've detected a irregular draw, in case something is wrong with your house or wiring. They'll do this long before they are suspicious that you're doing anything illegal. To give you an idea of what you should consider suspicious electric usage, and what you shouldn't, just keep in mind that some a/c units use several thousand watts all on their own, not to mention heaters that use even a little more than that. Then there are the heaters for folks aquariums, and terrariums, people who cook several times per day using ovens that operate on a few thousand watts, versus those who only ever order out, power supplies for computer/s.... Some people only use three or four light bulbs, throughout their entire house or apartment, others turn on that many with the flick of a singe switch in their kitchen alone. Certain households are made up of minimalists, others don't mind leaving lights on and turning their heaters and aircons up. Long story short, electric usage varies DRASTICALLY, from user to user. Some growers operating on a much larger scale than you're planning, use less electricity, than non-growing folks who just don't bother ever shutting off their overhead lights in their garages and kitchens, and who don't mind running the a/c or heater when it's only a little warm or a little cool. Pay your bill on time, and to cut down on costs, if you're using enough watts you can rig your ventilation and odor control so your grow room partially heats your house in the winter, and later on when it requires a powerful a/c, it helps to cool your home in the summer. This way you can waste less energy, and cut down on costs in other areas of your home. Another tip; when moving into a new house or apartment, call the local electric company or provider and find out how much the last tenants used. By law, they are required to give you that information. This way, if you're really concerned, you can also try to keep within a certain range of the past/expected usage.