How to avoind redflags due to electricity usage

Discussion in 'Grow Room Design/Setup' started by PNilly, Jun 11, 2008.

  1. If a person wanted to do a grow-op that used over 3000 watts of electricity, what would be a good way to avoid being flagged by the power company?
     
  2. the way i see it you have a few options.
    1. Steal it
    2. Cut down on power...what the fuck are you gonna need 3k for and have you grown before? might wanna start with a setup thats more in the range of 50-100 watts.
    3. use generators or something

    and furthermore, a few tips:
    probably if your gonna need 3kwatts an hour, you should have used searches and never posted.

    Make sure if you do go with this setup, to plan your light schedule so its not sketchy. thats all ill say about that.
     
  3. Just pay your bill on time and you'll be ok.
     


  4. Research lots. If you have the bucks, you could look into solar and wind power. I don't know much about prices on solar panels etc. but I do know that no one would know how much power you are using.




    1. Steal it?.. thats just another reason to get caught and also immoral.

    2. 3K watts isnt that much if you have two 1000W HIDs going plus everything else. Fifty watts is to low even for one plant, and thats lighting alone.

    3. Generators IMO would be too loud as you would most likely be running them 24/7, unless you sound proof them I guess.



    He never implied he was going to need 3000W an hour, he said "a person"..plus I'm sure its for tomato plants:smoke:.

    TiCkEr
     
  5. Generators are your best bet. Even if you have several PC's, Washer/Dryer, 2 Fridges, and multiple plasma screens with stereos, 3k is a significant drain on the grid. ESPECIALLY when you're running 18/6 or even 12/12

    For something of that nature you'd want to run a propane generator. You should be spending less than 90 a month to run a 4500w generator constantly. It's really the most cost effective option if you have the startup capital. www.duropower.com <-- the top dog option

    Grab a couple extra propane cans, switch them out in the garage NEVER outside. Change up your locations that you refill your cans at, you shouldn't be going to the same place more than once a month.

    Now the only other problem you would have with running 3k is smell. Ionic breeze's and carbon filters are mint in this area, DONT skimp on this issue or you will pay for it later on.

    -tr4p4rtist :devious:
     
  6. I have heard repeatedly that if you are in a non-mmj state you should generally be able to get away with 1000w per bedroom in the household. It's only natural that bigger households would use more power. If you want a 3000 watter than you should probably be in a 3-4 bedroom house.

    In California PG&E has refused to cooperate with the feds. As long as you pay your bills they don't care how much power you use. I live in a small two bedroom 750 ft2 house with 7000w going. The $1200 a month power bills are painful to pay, but the electric company couldn't care less.
     

  7. Yes. And pretty much the only people getting flagged are the ones pushing 10,000 or more watts. That's when the electric companies start looking.
     
  8. yes just pay on time, maybe even a little extra... what companies look for are pikes, the intervals in which your use-age occurs. when your setup shuts down for the "night cycle" run as much shit in your house to make it less obvious.

    As far as the wind powered shit and generators, that's so beyond necessary that it would possibly raise suspicion from neighbors.

    also make sure you start upping your electric usage a few months ahead of your grow as to not raise suspicion as well. Go on you tube and look up "Ready, Set, Grow 2" and they have a lot of useful info for anyone looking to grow indoors.
     
  9. When the totals for the area don't match the distribution meter, the red flag will be higher than using the 3000 watts.
     
  10. Just a lil tid bit for ppl who really want to save on long TERM power and generators,look into a diesel generator and look into WVO or bio-diesel production to fuel it,it can run between $0-$1 per gal. and if you can find a good WVO resource your all set and can produce 10,000watts 24/7 with a big gen.;)

    Really only for the big boys,although costco has lil diesel gen. cheap too.:D NEVER steel it or you will get busted in the US.
     


  11. This alone tells me you have never grown a marijuana plant before. 3,000 watts isn't a lot for a professional grower. 50-100 watts is retarded and way too low, even for a newbie. That's a couple CFL bulbs and nothing else. Your other comments only add to the evidence that you sir, are not a truly experienced grower, and therefore the advice you just gave can safely be disregarded without any fear of something important being ignored.

    Not only that, but STEALING electricity is about the dumbest way to do it. It's also the fastest way to get caught. Only an imbecile would steal their electricity. You WILL get caught doing that; no doubt about it.

    Dude, weak.

    To the OP: Pay the bill on time. If you're in a house, you can safely use 1,000 watts per bedroom/living room without being questioned.
     
  12. maybe a decent size house (2500+ sq feet) would be a good start to avoid any flagging. think about it, A 5 ton ac unit to cool this house in the spring, summer & fall eats nearly 18,000 watts when its running which in my neck of the woods, is pretty much non-stop when the outside temps climb above 80f.

    3000 grow watts is less than your 5000 watt clothes dryer eats. maybe you wash lots of clothes. 4 computers and a few large screen or plasma tvs would equal 3000 grow watts.

    and as everybody else has stated, pay the bill on time.

    3000 watts isnt that much when you compare to other items in the home.

    if you live in a small home or apt, just downsize your lights to 600 or 400's.

    regards,
    linedrivr
     
  13. Do you have any generator reccomendations? Also what do you do about the diesal fuel tank - I imagine it would have to be pretty big like 500+ gallons.
     
  14. Power companies do not care. They do not alert anyone. Your problem comes when you are already having problems and they request this information from the power company. Pay your bill and you are fine.

    It may be different place to place, but that is how GA works with georgia power...
     
  15. I have heard rumors of the police offering rewards to power company officials that alert them of excessive or suspicious power consumption.
     
  16. Where I grew up (rich-shits-ville) houses are HUGE. 6,000sqft is about the smallest I can think of. Powerbills on rich peoples houses can be upwards of $600-700 a month (i've heard of over $900 a month for power) and they never blink twice at it. Power company or the person writing the check. Heh.

    So yea, don't leave any other major appliances in the house running like electric oven/stove, large TVs, air conditioning, computers, really anything that would draw large power. Just cut down on power usage around the house to make up for the grow. 3k really isn't -that- much more than any normal place would draw. Assuming you're not in an apt or other smiliarly small place of course. Just cut down usage elsewhere and you'll be fine.

    Pay the bill on time and don't think twice about it.
     
  17. Its not as simple as pay your bill and you will be fine. I have been red flagged once by my electric company, and i've been growing for 3 months. Called me up making sure my neighbor wasnt leaching my power, since the previous tenant had a average bill of 90$ a month and my bill is closer to 220$. Said they get a notice indicating more than a 50% increase in power usage between two prior residents in an apartment to make sure landlords are leaching power or something. Either way they sent a guy to my house to re-read my meter, then a month later, after varifying that it was my actual useage, they proceeded to contact me again asking me what sort of thing I was running in the house, since a bill that high is out of season for early spring. Told them Both me and my roomate have big t.v. and computers running constantly. On top of us both having air conditioners.


    Havnt had a problem since. But it still doesnt mean im not looking for the silver chevy impala's that could post up on my street any day.
     
  18. #18 bouncyball, Jun 25, 2009
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 25, 2009
    thats sketchy as hell. but also .. if you only have two people living there, fuck yea $220/month on power is high

    in our 3person/3bedroom apt with a 62" tv always showing CSI or playing rockband, two tweaked out gaming desktops and 65deg AC running all day, not to mention we have all electric appliances (water heater, stove). now you're adding in my grow box of about 250watts running 24/7 our power has never broken $150 a mo.

    i dunno why yours is so high gorrilla.
     
  19. WTF. is the silver impala like, a standard or something? :rolleyes: Yea, gotta be carefull these days. CFL's in all my light sockets, and EVERY electric device in my house is on a surge protector. I can shut off whole rooms with the flip of a switch. Its a shame knowing that my power usage is anyones buisness but my own...
     

  20. Its so high because I run 3000w+

    But to let everyone know, by bill is 220 a month with running NOTHING else.

    My apartment consists of a bed, a laptop in my room. My second bedroom is my grow. I have no tv. I really dont run more than a single light bulb at night. and everything is on 12/12 including an ac.

    My life is completely dedicated to my grow.

    But on another note, I have lived in a normal living situation in a 3 bedroom duplex with a bill about 340$ a month.

    My buddies live in a 3 bedroom house and have a bill around 500$ a month.


    I never heard of people straight up being raided on just a light bill.

    You usually need to flag the cops, way before you flag the light company.
     

Share This Page