Electricity Usage: Dangers?

[clampie]

Hi there,
Allow me to use this as my introductory post to the IC World...Very glad to be a part...

I would love to hear what experienced people have to say about the dangers of excessive electric usage. I have been running a 1K HPS for the last couple of years (flowering), and am expanding to a 1K & two 600s (along with two 4' T5 units for veg). I am wondering if I will be raising any red flags, and what that could mean, etc..

Keep in mind I also have two other 2' T5s for moms, and three 6" fans (exhaust and light cooling), and four oscillating fans [I have a small bedroom (12/12) and an eave space (24)].

I live in New England, btw...

I've heard everything from "don't worry, it's the Electric Company's JOB to sell you electricity. No one cares.." to, "According to law utility companies must inform authorities of excessive usage."

Thanks for your responses....

 

[Aeroguerilla]

i just blew up something at the pole outside.. twice in one day... nothing bad here yet =)

 

[whyme]

# of bedrooms x 1k = x. The formula seems reasonable to me.

 

[clampie]

anyone else know of this formula? 1k per bedroom? I wonder, just thinking how much usage is normal for a house.. I know when I'm not up and running bills go from $200+/month down to $60-70, and that's without two extra 600s.

 

[Aeroguerilla]

i have been running electric bills as high as $1000 a month out here and ive had no problem with electric company. This month will be the highest ever

 

[BadRabbit]

Clampie: Yes, I've heard it before and it makes sense to me. Don't really know how accurate it is.

I spent the past few days looking into similar issues ...may I suggest spending an hour or two on google and searching on variations of "power usage pot arrests" "power usage marijuana grows", etc. and see what you get.

I don't know if there's on ultimate answer, but so far, my conclusions are:
- The power company is not your friend ... don't believe for a moment folks who suggest that they'll ignore it because they're making $$ off you ... those google searches will convince you otherwise!
- Power usage is only notable in comparison to other similar sized homes and in previous use for the same address (i.e., big, huge jumps over previous usage can get noticed.) If you poke around, you can find this information ....
- Big, huge grows are on the radar ... if you set up 10 1k lights and all the supporting filters, fans, pumps ... don't kid yourself. You're raising your hand and waving it.
- Power usage is public information. When you're buying homes, you can simply call the power company and ask "what have been the average monthly power bills for X month and X month over the last 3 years for this address?" and they will tell you.

All that said, if you have a few bedrooms on your house, your set up certainly wouldn't quality as "major grow op" by any stretch, IMO.

Hope there's some help in there,
best,
rabbit

 

[clampie]

Thanks everyone.
rabbit, you confirm much of my thinking (cautiously moderate)..
whymie, thanks for the formula.
aeroguerrilla, I wonder if it matters which state we are in? population density?

My cardinal rule has always been "don't get greedy", and I'm trying to walk the fine line between that and practical maximizing of the space I have available. I've been growing in the eave space with a 1K for two years, and decided to take over the other small upstairs bedroom (9x12) and expand with an additional two 600s. I am renting, with a landlord who never comes by, I take care of the house maintenance, etc... I wonder if he would ever look at usage.

 

[rick shaw]

How many bedrooms is a factor,but so is how many people did you tell the power company live there.Do you have an all electric kitchen (AEK) or how about washer/dryer connections.Past occupancy usage is a factor as well.Some how I'm guessing you are worried,which is better being complacent.Let's go to your worst fear, PG&E calls says they want to look at the connections you are using to much electricity.They will come to check the box.There are some appliances that waste a lot of electricity like space heaters/window air conditioners.If you box has not been tampered with and they see common electric wasting appliances they will give you an energy saving tips pamphlet and be on their way.

 

[Ajunta Pall]

I would love to hear what experienced people have to say about the dangers of excessive electric usage. I have been running a 1K HPS for the last couple of years (flowering), and am expanding to a 1K & two 600s (along with two 4' T5 units for veg). I am wondering if I will be raising any red flags, and what that could mean, etc..
QUOTE]

Don't be absurb, you're not going to raise any "red flags" with a lowly 2.2kwh. I use 2k now myself, plus some cfls for moms. Running the 2k only 12hrs a day for a month only costs about $44. Your t5s are low wattage devices same with any fans, those only add a few pennies to your bill. You'll be fine, keep your shit secret and your mouth shut and you'll go far.

 

[clampie]

Interesting, Pall, our rates must be very different, because with my 1K setup, exhaust fans, and heater at night in a semi insulated area, I was over $100/mo in usage..

 

[Ajunta Pall]

Interesting, Pall, our rates must be very different, because with my 1K setup, exhaust fans, and heater at night in a semi insulated area, I was over $100/mo in usage..

Couple of things that come to mind, do you use a portable heater? If so then it could use 1500 watts an hour. Does it have a thermostat you can set to a specific temp? or is it just a knob you twist to a vague low, medium, and high level. Couple that with a semi insulated room you may, depending on climate, be spending more to heat the room than to light it.

Also you could check with your power co, right now mine charges less per kwh because the winter rates have kicked in.

 

[sanjuan]

If the cops suspect you (narced on by your neighbor) they can look at your utility records and say your usage is suspiciously high compared to other houses in your neighborhood. They tell this to the judge as one part of the justification for obtaining a search warrant.
This info comes from court documents involved in an appeal in WA state (conviction upheld).

Go ahead and use 1kw per bedroom and don't worry about it (and don't make your neighbors suspicious/pissed off).

 

[redbudduckfoot]

florida power providers are notorious for going out of their way to inform the authorities about potential grows. but most other states are pretty safe.

now, if you are under investigation, someone has snitched on you, nosey nieghbor, etc, the the utility provider may be asked to provide usage records, amount used in peak hrs/non peak hrs to law enforcement. a judge has no problem issuing that warrant.

i know so many people in vt and mass who have ben rockn 5-10 k without a hitch for over 10 years. ive used 2k flower rooms for over 5 years. i ran (4) 600 watters in a basement for almost two years. not a peep from anywhere. no one on my street had any idea what was going on.
just pay your bill on time,(if you aint poor, pay extra every m onth. its nice to always get bills in which you owe nothin).

OP; i feel your stresses and sleepless nights would be better directed at the due diligance(?) of making sure that you are the only person who knows that you grow, especially 2k+..

non growers think that is a huge gro-op. i did, at one point in my highschool days.
from listening in different non cultivation social circles, anything larger than a closet=serious op in the custy gossip group.
its funny, i had a buddy who harvested 5 lbs a month, but the guy that got every pound of his had everyone convinced that he was getting it from a very well known businessman/ property owner. it was so funny hearing the idiocy that these people were inventing.
now, i need to be able to hear my can100 through the wall to fall asleep.
just hook up the extra 600's and and rest assurred that no one knows that you grow.
peace

 

[clampie]

thanks, red. I am super careful about who knows. that's the number one thing, right? I'm hoping to eventually have 4 600s, but I'm upgrading gradually.

by the way, anyone know what it means on an electric bill when it says "amount of your last bill" and I have a crazy number like "-$852.23"?? What's with that? It still says Please Pay Amount: $65.32, but then says current balance is NEGATIVE $800 or so...

 

[sanjuan]

Are you on a "balanced payment" plan? But that still sounds out of whack.

 

[clampie]

no. never signed up for one.

 

[clampie]

no. never signed up for one. I'm gun-shy about calling to ask what it's about. this isn't the first bill that came like this.

 

[David762]

Probably wouldn't raise a red flag with power company,

Probably wouldn't raise a red flag with power company,

unless your location is equipped with a digital meter that keeps track of power usage by time of day. Usually a digital meter is associated with some energy saving program, in which case there is continuous communication between the power company and your meter.

Between electric ranges, usual HVAC, electric dryers, home computers, stereo systems, and plasma TVs, there could be enough normal power usage to explain away a large difference between one party's electrical usage and another's, even at the same location.

The real give-aways imho would be that digital meter, which could demonstrate the use of timers on regular intervals with large loads, or with LEO's use of FLIR, which can "see" through exterior walls and pick up telltale infrared heat signatures.

Hi there,
Allow me to use this as my introductory post to the IC World...Very glad to be a part...

I would love to hear what experienced people have to say about the dangers of excessive electric usage. I have been running a 1K HPS for the last couple of years (flowering), and am expanding to a 1K & two 600s (along with two 4' T5 units for veg). I am wondering if I will be raising any red flags, and what that could mean, etc..

Keep in mind I also have two other 2' T5s for moms, and three 6" fans (exhaust and light cooling), and four oscillating fans [I have a small bedroom (12/12) and an eave space (24)].

I live in New England, btw...

I've heard everything from "don't worry, it's the Electric Company's JOB to sell you electricity. No one cares.." to, "According to law utility companies must inform authorities of excessive usage."

Thanks for your responses....

 

[rick shaw]

Ya'll sound like your getting ready to roll up the tin foil hats. FLIR is only with a court order and is easily circumvented .Digital meters have been throughly dissected in two or three threads. My last place an apartment,neighbors bills were $80-200 mine was $1,150. This isn't for everybody.Time to rethink or grow a set.

 

[Yes4Prop215]

PGE is rolling in dough in oaksterdam, i bet the average household power costs are probably 500 a month haha...and clampie i dont know about paying extra every month.. kinda seems like your flaunting your wealth, most average folks pay the bare minimum and try to delay as long as possible.