[00420]

from my research there is nothing in the form of power that looks like grow lights on a graph a reef tank is close but they know what every house is running & at what times no way around it. no light amount's add up to 1500 watts like your heater. a water heater runs for 1-2 hours tops (@3500 or 4500 maybe 5500) after a shower or running the dish washer not 12 or 16 hours like lights i get the idea but honestly there is no way around it just keep with in reason and there will be nothing to come to worry about, most "400" watt light's read 420 on a kill o watt meter

[ydijadoit]

Hi Heather!
Even in a med state, I sweat the consumption issue. All I can do, has been done. The whole house is CFL's, and I just switched my hot tub to "Economy" mode, so it only heats during filter cycles.
I can tell you my bill goes up 25%, when everything grow related I have is running full throttle.
I don't really stress over it, just the background, always there paranoia.
My total usage, for everything, never exceeds 5KW, and that's broken up between 2 rooms.
Be smart, don't run 20kw in a one bedroom house, while peeking out the blinds all day, with a Grateful Dead sticker-covered VW bus in the driveway, and you should be fine!
I personally wouldn't mess with trying to "Fool" a meter. I would just try to reduce my overall consumption, and keep on growin!
Regards.

[bigshrimp]

Excess consumption might make them notice you but if you have a smart meter the pattern of use will give you away no matter what else is running.

No mistaking a large flower room, 12/12 daily, good luck hiding that.

If you are concerned you best option would be to opt out of a smart meter program if possible.

[myiqis55]

It still surprises me how paranoid small growers get. Power companies sell power and push off hours usage. And I can attest that having an electric bill that's 4x your neighbors isn't as alarming as you think. Household consumption varies by members and usage patterns. If your power bill is being supenad you fucked up somewhere else

[ydijadoit]

Originally Posted by myiqis55

It still surprises me how paranoid small growers get. Power companies sell power and push off hours usage. And I can attest that having an electric bill that's 4x your neighbors isn't as alarming as you think. Household consumption varies by members and usage patterns. If your power bill is being supenad you fucked up somewhere else

Funny, I got paranoid, at least to some extent, when I turned on my first light, over my first seed.
I think, and this is one man's opinion, that we, as growers, are mostly paranoid over things we can't control. Odor? Got it nailed. Don't tell anyone, Hope we have that nailed. The power company? Well, rationally, I agree with you 100%. My freedom depends on that belief. I do however, worry...
It gives an old man something to do!
Regards.

[Crusader Rabbit]

Two separate grows on a flip with ballasts running 24/7. Does the flip leave a signature?

Try to reduce your non-growing electrical load. Do you have an electric water heater, kitchen stove, or home heating system? I think that running extra heaters at odd intervals is just going to amplify the power usage which is a red flag in itself.

[FreedomFightr]

2 bloom rooms on a flip done.... constant power draw no 12/12 signature. This will be the way of the future.

[RonSmooth]

Do power companies routinely report "suspicious" usage to police?

What is the incentive?

[watts]

I do believe flips leave a signature.

[rives]

Strainhunter put together a bunch of information on smart meters that should be read if you have any concerns about them.

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?threadid=217895

A smart meter has the potential to determine if your air conditioning unit has a GE motor or a Mitsubishi in it - other details of your usage are a cake walk. The vast majority of electrical devices have a unique start-up signature, and at least some of the smart meters are easily capable of reading it. There is no similarity between a resistive load (1500w heater) starting up and a 1kw HID lamp.

Flips do not hide the start-up signature - they keep the demand reasonably even over a 24-hour period, with the exception of an easily distinguishable start-up spike. The smart meters aren't a worry as far as having a high-demand - the old analog meters could do that. The biggest issue with the smart meters is that, after you've attracted some attention with your high usage, they can easily detect HIDs starting at roughly 12-hour intervals, and a flip isn't going to hide it.

The good thing is that there is far too much information available from them to have everyone be scrutinized closely. Unfortunately, I don't think that it would be all that difficult to create a program that searches for repetitive 12-hour lighting signatures, but at this point your best bet is to pay your bill on time and avoid attracting attention.