How much electricity usage is too much?

Sheldon92

Sheldon92

Member
I've been thinking if someone wanted to get a lot more lights, how much would be too much? Like, arouse suspicion and such. Does a high electric usage/bill warrant for a search? Hypothetically, can someone just put 20 lights in their garage? (Assuming breaker holds)
 
charface

charface

Well-Known Member
Sheldon92 said:
I've been thinking if someone wanted to get a lot more lights, how much would be too much? Like, arouse suspicion and such. Does a high electric usage/bill warrant for a search? Hypothetically, can someone just put 20 lights in their garage? (Assuming breaker holds)
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I live in a legal state, buddy put in 45 lights and an extra 300 amp service.
Fried the transformer somehow.
This brought out the electric company.
Again he was legal so no problem.
 
Sheldon92

Sheldon92

Member
charface said:
I live in a legal state, buddy put in 45 lights and an extra 300 amp service.
Fried the transformer somehow.
This brought out the electric company.
Again he was legal so no problem.
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Cool. If I may ask, which state? California maybe?
Plus, isn't some kind of a license required?

P.S I don't intend to do anything, just curious
 
charface

charface

Well-Known Member
Sheldon92 said:
Cool. If I may ask, which state? California maybe?
Plus, isn't some kind of a license required?
Click to expand...
Washington state,
It was a collective garden
3 people, 15 plants each.

Not sure about about current collective laws this was a couple years ago
 
charface

charface

Well-Known Member
Also I didn't really answer your question. More or less illustrating the point that you just never know what will happen to have the electric company at your door.

And I have to assume that it would be suspicious if you were using 10 times the electricity as the past residents and your neighbors.

That kind of info comes on our bill if I remember correctly along with tips how I can better conserve.

Someone will show up with better info for you Im sure
 
SoCal Calyx

SoCal Calyx

Active Member
NrthrnMichigan said:
I live in a legal state and I think the power company likes my monthly check which I'm sure is 4 to 5 times higher than my neighbors.
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That's always been my thought too. I don't think the power companies share info with LEO. Just don't get out of control to the point of making an electrical hazard and you'll be ok in that department.

Focus more on your own activities: who you let know about your garden, who you deal with business wise (if you do), and be careful around hydro stores (borrow someone else's vehicle, or get a ride there, and make sure to take the long way home to insure LEO can't follow you back home).
 
Gquebed

Gquebed

Well-Known Member
Google average electricity useage for houses in your area. Thatll give an idea of how far you can push the envelope.

And yes... power companies do pay attention to this. So do cable companies. If your ballasts give off too much RF noise and interfere with cable signals in the area they will snooping.
 
D

DrGrinspoon1010

Well-Known Member
Gquebed said:
Google average electricity useage for houses in your area. Thatll give an idea of how far you can push the envelope.

And yes... power companies do pay attention to this. So do cable companies. If your ballasts give off too much RF noise and interfere with cable signals in the area they will snooping.
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I’m not from America so I can’t answer for over there but where I am if police suspect something they can ask the company for readings and use it to present to the court in order for a warrant, normally anything over 4K will become a bit more noticeable but not necessarily get the company ringing to police, if you have two rooms or can divide the room into two then have them going on at alternate times, if you have one room then have some of the lights turn on a bit before the others so it’s not so much of a spike at once, have them on at night when all other electrical appliances are off,, I wouldn’t go sticking 30k worth of watts in a House than normaly just has a tv on and is a one bed place, but putting 10k watts in a 8 bedroom house with the Times spread out can work,, hope this helps
 
jonsnow399

jonsnow399

Well-Known Member
We get letters from the power company every month telling us about our power consumption and how it compares to the neighbors averages. We just got a letter breaking down how we used it! 38 percent for lighting.
 
SoCal Calyx

SoCal Calyx

Active Member
jonsnow399 said:
We get letters from the power company every month telling us about our power consumption and how it compares to the neighbors averages. We just got a letter breaking down how we used it! 38 percent for lighting.
Click to expand...
Wow, interesting. Any idea how they would estimate that 38%?
 
greg nr

greg nr

Well-Known Member
There is a popular member here from CO who has a long thread going about how his grow was busted primarily because of his electric usage. He was over plant count, but not by hundreds of plants, and well under the fed policy grab @100 plants.

So yeah, if you run hot, somebody will notice. Now do they start looking at you and then see the electric usage, or is it the other way around? It doesn't matter really. They can and do "visit" growers and use electric use as PC.
 
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