smart power meter inquiry

[BattleAxe]

High folks,

I suspected and confirmed with my power company that my house was equipped with a smart meter. I didn't want to ask them if they could see that I was running a kW digi ballast but I suspect that they would be able to link the influx of usage to my growing gear.

I am not jacking power or not dodging my bill or anything like that. It just concerns me a bit that the power company has confirmed intel on my op. I dunno but have read/heard that they don't usually raise flags to the fuzz unless you steal/don't pay, etc.

Any of you in So Cal, being billed by Edison and have a smart meter? I am compliant and all that happy shit yet, I still make it a point to maintain op sec.

Any input is appreciated

 

[Midnight]

They only know what appliance is running if that appliance is a "smart" appliance. It will have a chip in it that communicates with the smart meter. I doubt if your setup has that.

 

[supermanlives]

yup got a smart meter. it records everything and keeps perfect time too.wouldnt take much for them to create software to catch 12/12 cycles. scary shit. i have considered changing my cycles.maybe 11.45 on time or 12.15 on time.something to break the standard 12/12 cycle

 

[BattleAxe]

They only know what appliance is running if that appliance is a "smart" appliance. It will have a chip in it that communicates with the smart meter. I doubt if your setup has that.

Good point, I forgot about that piece of the puzzle. The devices you speak of are the new smart refridgerators, HE appliances like washers and dryers, etc. I agree, I don't think my ballasts have any chips or transponders.

yup got a smart meter. it records everything and keeps perfect time too.wouldnt take much for them to create software to catch 12/12 cycles. scary shit. i have considered changing my cycles.maybe 11.45 on time or 12.15 on time.something to break the standard 12/12 cycle

This is a good point also but I fear that if it gets that hot and Edison or LEO start snooping having a slight variation in the lighting schedule won't make much of a difference. I guess the name of the game here is to try and avoid raising any more flags than you have to.

Thanks for the input guys keep em coming!

 

[FunkBomb]

It's none of their business what appliances you use or at what time.

What if you have an aquarium and need a light on constantly? What if you have a reptile that requires a heat lamp? What if you have a gaming computer that is on most of the day and night? What if you have a security light on your garage to keep people from robbing you?

The purpose of the smart meter is to match consumption with generation. Why create power for people when no one needs it? That is wasteful and hurts profit.

Pay your bill in full and on time. Dollars and cents are what they care about the most.

-Funk

 

[BattleAxe]

It's none of their business what appliances you use or at what time.

What if you have an aquarium and need a light on constantly? What if you have a reptile that requires a heat lamp? What if you have a gaming computer that is on most of the day and night? What if you have a security light on your garage to keep people from robbing you?

The purpose of the smart meter is to match consumption with generation. Why create power for people when no one needs it? That is wasteful and hurts profit.

Pay your bill in full and on time. Dollars and cents are what they care about the most.

-Funk

The reptile is a good excuse. I dunno about the security light though, a kW security light has to be a prison tower spotlight.

I'm probably just paranoid. I hope they wouldn't care as long as my bill is paid. I just want to maintain the lowest profile possible. Tricknology is a dirty bitch.

 

[Baddog40]

The reptile is a good excuse. I dunno about the security light though, a kW security light has to be a prison tower spotlight.

Good excuse for what? You think the power company is going to call and ask you? Every person that gets raided comes from a phone call from either someone you know or a neighbor, the cops look at your energy usage and that is how a warrant is issued.

 

[BattleAxe]

Good excuse for what? You think the power company is going to call and ask you? Every person that gets raided comes from a phone call from either someone you know or a neighbor, the cops look at your energy usage and that is how a warrant is issued.

I think that is a pretty general statement to throw out there given the different cannabis climates throughout each state. I don't pretend to know it all but from what I have heard/read and seen. In non legal states, sometimes power companies play vigilante and highlight suspected growers to LEO for whatever reasons. This usually results in a rep from the power company coming to your house and mentioning your high usage sometimes they may be accompanied by an LEO for safety purposes.

Without a warrant, the situation is easily resolved by either

1. Not answering the door and avoiding the question, no warrant, no entry

or

2. You are approached by these two while out in your outdoor veggie garden or watching your kids play, bathing the dog, pondering yard ideas, etc. You act like all is normal, no worries with smell, you have scrubbers, all pertinent doors are locked, etc, so you oblige them and answer as many questions as you feel comfy with. They ask about high usage, you then use the 12' Kimono Dragon excuse. If they ask to see it, tell them no, they need a warrant and that you are busy and this conversation is over.

Obviously, they are not going to alert you that they are on to you, hypothetically speaking, if ever placed in a position that required an excuse for high usage, a big lizard with climate requirements is one of the best that I have heard. On that note, nobody other than my wife knows about my grow, just making sure that all my bases are covered.

 

[Baddog40]

I think that is a pretty general statement to throw out there given the different cannabis climates throughout each state. I don't pretend to know it all but from what I have heard/read and seen. In non legal states, sometimes power companies play vigilante and highlight suspected growers to LEO for whatever reasons. This usually results in a rep from the power company coming to your house and mentioning your high usage sometimes they may be accompanied by an LEO for safety purposes.

Without a warrant, the situation is easily resolved by either

1. Not answering the door and avoiding the question, no warrant, no entry

or

2. You are approached by these two while out in your outdoor veggie garden or watching your kids play, bathing the dog, pondering yard ideas, etc. You act like all is normal, no worries with smell, you have scrubbers, all pertinent doors are locked, etc, so you oblige them and answer as many questions as you feel comfy with. They ask about high usage, you then use the 12' Kimono Dragon excuse. If they ask to see it, tell them no, they need a warrant and that you are busy and this conversation is over.

Obviously, they are not going to alert you that they are on to you, hypothetically speaking, if ever placed in a position that required an excuse for high usage, a big lizard with climate requirements is one of the best that I have heard. On that note, nobody other than my wife knows about my grow, just making sure that all my bases are covered.

Are we talking about one 1000 watt light here? Sorry, isnt going to happen.

 

[supermanlives]

there was a case here in so cal a few years ago where they raided a families home due to high electric usage and traffic. it made the news. turns out the family mom took in laundry for extra cash. no drugs at all. man would i be pissed off and trying to sue somebody

 

[watson540]

They only know what appliance is running if that appliance is a "smart" appliance. It will have a chip in it that communicates with the smart meter. I doubt if your setup has that.

not true. I got into this debate a year or so back. Everything has it's own power signature. There is even a graph floating around here that depicts this. Smart chip or not they can tell what your running to stunning accuracy

 

[NiteTiger]

Main issue with so called smart meters is their accuracy. They're digital, so they can more easily see a pattern. Old spin meters give the combined hours used, not when. Digital meters give both, and can be read with a reciever without the reader getting out of his truck.

Yes, there are smart meters that can read frequencies to detect applications, but they're more expensive, and not in widespread use. Same with the chip communication meters.

 

[ijim]

As far as they are concerned you could be running window AC units or heaters on a timer. Or the ole lady got a new AC powered toy.

 

[Zen Master]

not true. I got into this debate a year or so back. Everything has it's own power signature. There is even a graph floating around here that depicts this. Smart chip or not they can tell what your running to stunning accuracy

lol, got a link?

who's to say its not a 1000w sound system? or home gaming setup? or a welder in the garage? or a kiln for pottery or glass (needs to stay on for hours upon hours) or any other of the unlimited amount of things that consume electricity these days.

wasn't someone trying to say they can tell what keys you press on the keyboard even because of the resistance in the wires or some shit like that?

jesus christ, and I thought I was a paranoid stoner.


to the OP... if you're blowin out a garage with 20 kW, yeah you might want a cover story if anyone were to ask (they sometimes wanna make sure equipment isn't malfunctioning and giving a false reading) however if you're puttin a few lights in a bedroom or something, just go set it up and run a tight ship with overkill on odor protection, pay your bill on time and dont piss your neighbors off.

 

[qupee]

there was a case here in so cal a few years ago where they raided a families home due to high electric usage and traffic. it made the news. turns out the family mom took in laundry for extra cash. no drugs at all. man would i be pissed off and trying to sue somebody

These stories are the ones that scare me.

Control smell, maintain appearances, appease the neighbors. Sure.

But now and then you'll see a news story where it seems they were led to it by high usage alone. Of course, I've really only seen a couple of these stories at most, and one is in BC where they passed a local law that lets RCMP search anyone using over like 93kWh/day.

 

[BattleAxe]

there was a case here in so cal a few years ago where they raided a families home due to high electric usage and traffic. it made the news. turns out the family mom took in laundry for extra cash. no drugs at all. man would i be pissed off and trying to sue somebody

Do you have a link? I am curious to know about the other items that were used to obtain the warrant? Informants, dogs, smells, etc.

 

[BattleAxe]

These stories are the ones that scare me.

Control smell, maintain appearances, appease the neighbors. Sure.

But now and then you'll see a news story where it seems they were led to it by high usage alone. Of course, I've really only seen a couple of these stories at most, and one is in BC where they passed a local law that lets RCMP search anyone using over like 93kWh/day.

Yeah, me too. Obviously all the easy variables are being controlled, smell, neighbors, bills, etc. It is however, intimidating to think that my op could be discovered strictly due to high usage. It's not thousands of dollars high and I'm not growing any thing over my limit, but there is a significant difference in my usage before I started my grow. As said before, I am all licensed, compliant and all that other happy horse shit. I was just really looking for some real life examples of people getting pinched strictly due to their kWH usage.

 

[sso]

1000w ...first of all i cant see them looking into that.. (thats a expensive computer today, 1000w ..mine is on for days. every day. all year )

secondly, its money for them, takes a bit of trouble to figure out that people dont have a giant jacuzzi or are running the washing maching alot.

and no reason to do so (marijuana is only viewed as a bad thing by idiots)

certain cash for them, no harm to anyone, why would they want to fuzz you?

i can only see it happening, if the bosses there are idiots or the police pressured them into doing it.

of course could have the occasional idiot employee of theirs, but still the 12/12 cycle for instance isnt that well know.

so to a random employee its just 1000w usage.

only thing conspicous to a guy like that were if "gee that tiny house is using the same electricity as a small factory (and he just read about something like this in the papers)"


but i think if you needed to worry about this, you could see it rather easily.

are the electric company crusaders of folly?

well, such fools like to advertise their retardedness

they would talk about it in the papers or it would be in the news occasionally..

so, do some research, set your mind at ease or find out what you need to do to be secure.

but i really think 1-2000w have absolutely nothing to worry about..

ive read of 10x bigger grows going for years, usually get busted by something else (blabbing, or smell..)

 

[NiteTiger]

I was just really looking for some real life examples of people getting pinched strictly due to their kWH usage.

You're not likely to find it, except anecdotely, in the US. High usage is a very thin string of probable cause. Even with the smart meter. I don't think I've ever seen a PC affadavit citing ONLY high usage.

High relative usage is often used a a supporting element, but not alone.

They get a credible tip you're growing, then they start looking at supporting info. Smells, water usage, power usage, trash pulls, then bring it ALL to a Judge as a package to get a search warrant.

High usage alone would be a warrant a first-year law student could shred.

Again, this is in the US. Rules are strikingly different in Canada and the UK, I believe.

 

[Strainhunter]

A little write up I made.

Maybe you can get some useful info from it!




Smart Meters - a few common misconceptions cleared up here.





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