# Smart Meters



## richinweed (Jan 26, 2012)

any 1 have a smart meter on your house yet, apperently they can detect sine waves and narrow down what your power is doing...also the new appliances have a chip in them that allows the meter to log what and when u turn things on and off......this was a report i saw on an alt news source.....any input ??


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## Harrekin (Jan 26, 2012)

Meh, HPS lights and ballasts are used for more than growing pot, just keep the mouth shut and you shouldn't get caught.


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## SFguy (Jan 26, 2012)

richinweed said:


> any 1 have a smart meter on your house yet, apperently they can detect sine waves and narrow down what your power is doing...also the new appliances have a chip in them that allows the meter to log what and when u turn things on and off......this was a report i saw on an alt news source.....any input ??


ido ido =)

my stepdad WORKS FOR pge.. they arent turnin people in, they use these "smart meters" so you dont have these dipshit METER READERS snoopin around your pad... id say more people have been busted by the meter reader, than the meter it just electronically/radio transmits/reports your ELECTRICITY USAGE to pge,


and furthermore, i have 3 digital ballasts within 15 feet of it... NO ISSUES WHATSOEVER


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## jyermum (Jan 26, 2012)

Yeah I don't think there's too much worry about electrical devices "telling" the meter what kind of electronics they are running. The whole smart meter thing is pretty new and everything that sucks power inside my house is 10yrs old or older except for the tv and computer. I think my ac unit is closer to 20yrs old and that's the big energy sucker. 

The smart meters also help them narrow down electrical thieves. They have another smart meter type device that flows to the ones n the homes. If the main one says that x amount of power is going out and all of the ones on homes power adds up to less than that they know there is theft going on and hats when the bust you. There's been some pretty big grows around here that got busted, had all of the weed charges dropped because of 215 and the growers were still prosecuted for FELONY power theft.


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## richinweed (Jan 26, 2012)

ic...ill keep a finger crossed....oh....not evan my GF knows....(tricky but true).............been around way to long for that.!


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## mededcannabis (Jan 28, 2012)

yeaaahhhh, lets all cling to that life raft. call me crazy however, they cant watch everyone yet but they can watch anyone if they wanted.


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## codybbad (Feb 6, 2012)

I have a freind that works as a electrical engineer for pg and e out here in California and he's gone to house where people jump the wire from free electical and that's a no no..... But if you keep it legit and pay ur bill they do not care


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## Thedillestpickle (Feb 10, 2012)

Those meters keep track of what time of the power is used. As far as I know that's all they do. I wonder if it would cause supicion if for example you used 500Kw's in the whole month between 7am and 7pm and then used 4000Kw's for the month between 7pm and 7am
That would be a pretty obvious sign you were flowing 12/12 lol


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## Thedillestpickle (Feb 10, 2012)

Hopefully those stupid meters don't get too smart now

Is that true they can read sine waves? sounds like paranoia hype to me


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## Ccoastal (Feb 10, 2012)

its my understanding (from what a green friendly electrician explained to me) that a smart meter detects the power usage in a certain line, how much is being read on meters, and notes the difference in an attempt to track down power being stolen by pharmers. as long as the bill is paid they really could not care less that your growing, a buisness savy mind would encourage people to grow in order to reap the profits! 

in fact, a study from FL showed in 2009(?) 90% of busts were stealing power, leading me to believe there is a strong corrolation between stealing power, smart meters, and being busted.

where i live there is an indoor crop for every 100 people in this town (stats courtesy of co-op) and the busts are far and few between (maybe 1 in 50 steal power) most recently busted was someone stealing another growers plants, after first grower had passed away. 

hope this helps some

Ccoastal


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## SSHZ (Feb 10, 2012)

You guys better wise up about smart meters.......... these are a serious threat to all growers:
*

"Are smart meters real-time surveillance spies?*

*Smart meters provide highly detailed energy-use data that law enforcement can use to bust indoor pot farmers. And that's only the tip of potential smart meter surveillance.*


Smart meters provide highly detailed energy-use data. The info can be used by police to find and to bust indoor pot farms, by insurance companies to determine health care premiums, and by criminals to determine if you own high-dollar appliances and when is the best time to steal them. And that's only the tip of the potential privacy invasion iceberg.
In central Ohio, police file at least 60 subpoenas each month for energy-use records of people suspected in indoor marijuana growing operations, reported the Columbus Dispatch. Most of the houses with indoor pot growing operations are reportedly in quiet neighborhoods without much traffic. DEA agent Anthony Marotta said the subpoena is only one tool used to catch "grow house" operators. Police get a tip about suspicious activity, but if undercover officers don't discover anything illegal during a stake out, then utility consumption records can be sought. "How else can I get an indicator to get probable cause if I can't see anything?" Marotta said to reporter Dean Narciso.
​High electricity usage does not always indicate a pot growing operation. DEA agent Marotta told the Columbus Dispatch of a federal investigation that surprised drug detectives. "We thought it was a major grow operation ... but this guy had some kind of business involving computers. I don't know how many computer servers we found in his home."
Using the smart grid for surveillance to catch marijuana growing operations is far from a new concept.NeverGetBusted documented "fishing for pot" by "trolling for data" back in 2006. In 2007, the Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog reported on Texas warrantless surveillance programs in which Austin Energy provided Austin Police with customer usage information to find indoor pot farms.
But according to the Baltimore Sun, pot growers use pirated electricity by tapping and routing lines, unmetered, to their grow rooms. Smart meters can change that by identifying the undetected illegal power lines. Software will detect anomalies and electricity theft. British Columbia Hydro's smart-meter expert Fiona Taylor told the Vancouver Sun, "This system will allow us to follow the flow of electricity from point to point. We will be able to see at a macro level what is happening." By cutting back on the 3% of illegal electricity used by pot growers, BC Hydro expects smart meters to pay for themselves in under 10 years.
In comments via several online articles about using the smart grid to target indoor marijuana gardens, some people say that every minute a police department "wastes" by reading electricity consumption could have been used to fight "real" crime like murder.
The U.S. Department of Energy warned [PDF] that smart grid technology can provide a highly detailed household profile of energy consumption and said policies are needed to restrict utilities from sharing consumer usage data with third parties. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) outlined Potential Privacy Impacts that Arise from the Collection and Use of Smart Grid Data [PDF].
From reading it, a person might wonder if smart meters will be real-time surveillance spies. It suggests that insurance companies might use the smart meter data to determine health care premiums, such as if there is high usage at night which would indicate sleep behavior problems. Besides looking to bust pot farmers, law enforcement might use the data as "real-time surveillance to determine if residents are present and current activities inside the home." The press might wish to see the smart meter data of celebrities. Criminals may want to see the data to determine the best time for a burglary and what high dollar appliances you might have to steal. Marketers might want the data for profiling and targeting advertisements. Creditors might want the data to determine if behavior indicates creditworthiness.
It is little wonder that privacy advocates call for robust privacy policies since the captured smart meter data can reveal an intimate and highly detailed look into people's lives. Security experts also call to plug potential smart grid security risks. Lockheed Martin general manager of Energy and Cyber Services said the smart grid could include as many as 440 million new hackable points by the end of 2015, reported Computerworld.
There is a great deal of good that smart grid technology can do, but it holds many potential privacy and security problems. Without strong privacy policies, smart meters could easily become be real-time surveillance spies."


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## Thedillestpickle (Feb 11, 2012)

That's messed up. 
Big Brother here we come

I think I have what is called a "time of use" meter, not a "smart meter" 

at least I hope so, they just started putting these new meters in, they read out on an digital display, kinda confusing looking. Doesn't look like that meter above


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## abudsmoker (Feb 11, 2012)

in texas we have had these type of meters on most of our public utilities...... No big deal however in the last 24 months the grid management software has greatly improved.

At both of my meters hourly profiles are available. in fact there is a reading every 15 minutes. While no warrats have resulted from this looking at my usage you can see a definate usage profile. They could use this to say this type of activity has occured for a long time. 

ever heard the saying cant get away what you used to....


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## Thedillestpickle (Feb 11, 2012)

shitty deal...

Can you see that information just by walking up to the meter outside the house and reading the numbers? If so that's pretty risky right there, to have anyone be able to see that info

Everyone seems to claim that hydro companies dont give a damn how much power you use or even if its clearly being used to grow weed... has no one ever gotten busted running for example 10k lights AND PAYING for their bill(not stealing it) ?

If you can't get busted for using lots of power as long as you pay for it then... you gotta be a real idiot to steal power... how much does it really cost you when you work it out? If your paying 10cents per Kw you ought to be able to produce a gram for under 50cents of power, and that's if your being inefficient... so pay the fucking 50cents!


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## mededcannabis (Feb 11, 2012)

Ccoastal said:


> its my understanding (from what a green friendly electrician explained to me) that a smart meter detects the power usage in a certain line, how much is being read on meters, and notes the difference in an attempt to track down power being stolen by pharmers. as long as the bill is paid they really could not care less that your growing, a buisness savy mind would encourage people to grow in order to reap the profits!
> 
> in fact, a study from FL showed in 2009(?) 90% of busts were stealing power, leading me to believe there is a strong corrolation between stealing power, smart meters, and being busted.
> 
> ...


stealing from a dead grower...thats classic teenage shit right there. aahhh, it takes me back to when i knew it all and then forgot it all as i got older


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## skunkd0c (Feb 11, 2012)

Thedillestpickle said:


> shitty deal...
> 
> Can you see that information just by walking up to the meter outside the house and reading the numbers? If so that's pretty risky right there, to have anyone be able to see that info
> 
> ...


For many They are stealing power because like many people here, they have bought into the fear and propaganda about electric meters/power companies spying on them
so they believe they "must" steal power in order to avoid detection ..
these same people are the ones that are always worried about IR detection, and helicopters too

peace


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## abudsmoker (Feb 11, 2012)

Again they have managment software and if your areas not balancing, then they will investigate. ( the transformer has X kwh and your meter only has a fraction. ) here we have 2-3 people feeding from 1 transformer.

here 3500 kwh in one month on a residental meter will generate the investigation you dont want


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## SSHZ (Feb 11, 2012)

I think the main danger is that new electrical appliances and such have a chip(or something along those lines) that enables the power company to identify the equipment making the power draw. So, if you turn on a 1000 watt halide, they'll be able to determine that. Turn on a 600 watt HP light, and they'll know that too if they care to look. Bottom lines is this is making it easier for them to peak inside your home and see what you are running that's drawing electricity. The above long article has detailed some busts directly using these devices. I also believe "time of use" meters are smart meters- same thing IMO. Although it's not generally being done yet- you can expect in the years to come the government will be looking into every house to monitor their usage....be scared, BE VERY SCARED.


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## tip top toker (Feb 11, 2012)

They wanted to install a smart meter in my house. I told them to go away because it was none of their business. They do not own my meter, when i change supplier they do not install a new meter, the new company uses the old one. Until a law is passed making smart meters mandatory, then there is nothing they can do but plead to change it out for a smart meter. You simply say sorry i'm not interested. If there is already a smart meter installed, then you tell the supplier to change it for a regular one or you will give your oney to a supplier who will, understanding your usage is not important enough to them to lose the customer, they are a business, trying to make profit.


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## dbkick (Feb 11, 2012)

SFguy said:


> ido ido =)
> 
> my stepdad WORKS FOR pge.. they arent turnin people in, they use these "smart meters" so you dont have these dipshit METER READERS snoopin around your pad... id say more people have been busted by the meter reader, than the meter it just electronically/radio transmits/reports your ELECTRICITY USAGE to pge,
> 
> ...


It doesn't take a meter that invades on your privacy to read usage .


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## Endur0xX (Feb 11, 2012)

I was once talking to an RCMP woman, and she was telling me that when they fly over Squamish, BC, 1 house out of 4 is a potential grow op... haha if they start busting everybody suspected of using power to grow marij through the smart meter, far too many people would get busted and it just won't happen this way, they are gonna go more like... allright lets legalise it!!! haha here in Canada anyway.... Unless you have a full fkin warehouse grow op, keep it to yourself and I cant see you getting busted. My take on it.


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## beenthere (Feb 11, 2012)

In states where mmj is legal like California you don't have much to worry about.
Legally I can grow 24 mature plants and depending on the setup, that could utilize 1000-4000 watts or more.
I just don't see them starting an investigation on a hunch that it may or may not be legal.

There are so many people growing for personal use now that most law enforcement lack the resources to investigate it.
I think LE agencies are left with realization that they can only focus on the big commercial growers and the utility thieves now.

just my 02


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## tip top toker (Feb 11, 2012)

Typically the police will ask the eletricity company to reveal the usage should there be a tip off or reason to believe growing is taking place, and the police learn through them doing the asking, not the other way around, the electricity copany likes you using lots of power, it means they are making lots of money to buy a fast car or a boat or a new house. They are a for-profit business, it is not in their interest to actively hamper their profits. they don't generally care so long as you are paying.


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## SSHZ (Feb 11, 2012)

tip top toker said:


> They wanted to install a smart meter in my house. I told them to go away because it was none of their business. They do not own my meter, when i change supplier they do not install a new meter, the new company uses the old one. Until a law is passed making smart meters mandatory, then there is nothing they can do but plead to change it out for a smart meter. You simply say sorry i'm not interested. If there is already a smart meter installed, then you tell the supplier to change it for a regular one or you will give your oney to a supplier who will, understanding your usage is not important enough to them to lose the customer, they are a business, trying to make profit.




I've already read in many areas they are mandatory.......no smart meter, no electricity. I know that's the case in my state although they are a couple of years away from completing the entire state installation. Also, many of the power company's offer rewards as an incentive to turn people in if they find something questionable- paid by law enforcement. I think we are a few years away from major police issues, unless there is already some suspicion on the house- but big government wants to control your life, and your electricity usage, and your healthcare, etc., etc.


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## richinweed (Mar 29, 2012)

SSHZ said:


> You guys better wise up about smart meters.......... these are a serious threat to all growers:
> *
> 
> "Are smart meters real-time surveillance spies?*
> ...


.......INTERESTING INFO.....MAKES ME MORE PARINIOD THO!...kabump!


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## ODanksta (Jan 12, 2015)

Bump


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## old shol4evr (Feb 16, 2015)

i don't understand why so many people are so paranoid about this shit. in todays society everything we have and do is about technology ,why would this be any diffrent .i got a little clue for there is something up in space that can see you taking a crap in your house ,if you pay your bill on time the power company only care about lining there pocket ,feel me .don't stress yourself out about it ,if they want you they will get you or fabricate it to get you .your gonna get real old worrying about this stuff ,look back when we had land lines and when the first mobile phone came out ,same thing there everyone thought they are gonna spy on you and yes they can again technology .moral of the story they will always try to make things better and we will always think there spying .don't worry about all of it and just get stoned until they catch you ,if they do live on there dime


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