Beatrice Lang
Growing plants indoors can be an expensive operation, with some growers underestimating the costs of their energy usage. Electricity companies are sometimes alerted to unusual activity when they notice unreasonably high power usage or patterns of use that align with grow house light cycles. However, some sources suggest that the electric company is not the problem, and that they are more interested in the money they make from growers than in reporting them to the police. Nevertheless, growers can avoid suspicion by paying their bills on time, not stealing electricity, and not making sudden, large spikes in their power usage.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Electricity Usage | Avoid high electricity usage that is not typical for your household. |
| Bill Payment | Pay your electricity bill on time. |
| Bill Amount | A sudden, significant increase in bill amount may raise suspicion. |
| Power Source | Do not steal electricity or tamper with power meters. |
| Power Company Employees | Be friendly and offer a bribe if a power company employee comes to check your meter. |
| Power Alternatives | Use gas-powered generators or alternative power sources to supplement legitimate power usage. |
| Qualified Technician | Hire a qualified technician to bypass the meter for your grow room. |
| Lights and Odors | Avoid strange lights and smells that may indicate a grow room. |
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What You'll Learn
Avoid power spikes and high usage
It is important to note that people get caught growing not only because of high electricity usage but also because they steal electricity from a neighbour or power lines, or because of smells and strange lights. Electric companies will not give out customer information without a warrant and are reluctant to do so. However, high electricity consumption over time will likely raise suspicion and has led to people getting caught in the past.
To avoid power spikes and high usage, it is recommended to use devices for circuit overload protection, such as installing electrical protection for sensitive household appliances. Whole-house protection devices are available from companies like Schneider Electric and are designed to be used as the primary breaker, installed across the main electrical supply line to the house. In the case of an electrical spike, the primary breaker will be triggered, disrupting power in the mainline and protecting the in-house wires and electrical connections.
Another way to avoid power spikes is to use surge protectors, which are relatively inexpensive and can protect multiple devices. These work by diverting excess voltage to the ground, preventing it from reaching your electronics. Voltage stabilizers can also help regulate voltage, preventing power surges by ensuring a consistent and stable flow of electricity, even during fluctuations.
Additionally, you can avoid power spikes by not using high-power appliances simultaneously, as this can cause an overload in the electrical system. You can also raise the temperature of your air conditioner and water heater by a few degrees, as the higher the temperature, the more power these appliances will draw. Keeping your fridge full but not overstuffed and letting hot food cool before storing it can also help reduce its workload.
If you are concerned about high electricity usage, it may be wise to consult a qualified technician who can advise on the best course of action.
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Pay your bill on time
Paying your electricity bill on time is a simple yet effective way to avoid raising suspicion from the electric company. The electric company is primarily concerned with receiving timely payments for the power you use. By paying your bill on time, you avoid drawing unnecessary attention to yourself.
It is important to note that the electric company is not actively looking for grow rooms or illegal activities. They simply want to ensure they are receiving payments for the electricity being consumed. As long as you are a paying customer, they are unlikely to care about the specifics of your electricity usage.
However, sudden and significant spikes in power usage may raise some eyebrows. If you can avoid drastic increases in your electricity consumption, you will be less likely to draw suspicion. For example, if you previously had roommates with multiple electronic devices, and now you live alone, a sudden jump in your electricity bill may seem suspicious. To avoid this, you could consider strategies such as running your grow room during off-peak hours or investing in energy-efficient equipment like LEDs, which consume less power than traditional grow lights.
Additionally, it is crucial to be mindful of your payment history. If you have a track record of timely payments and then suddenly stop paying your bills, this could prompt the electric company to investigate further. Therefore, maintaining a consistent payment history is essential to avoiding suspicion.
In summary, paying your electricity bill on time is a crucial step in avoiding suspicion from the electric company. The electric company is primarily interested in receiving payments for the power you use. By paying your bills consistently and avoiding drastic spikes in power usage, you can minimize the likelihood of raising suspicion regarding your grow room.
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Don't steal electricity
Electricity theft is a significant problem in the marijuana industry, with black-market growers stealing electricity to power their grow operations. This has resulted in losses of millions of dollars for electric utilities in the U.S. and Europe. The most common method of electricity theft involves tampering with power meters or rerouting incoming electricity around them.
To avoid raising suspicion from the electric company and law enforcement, it is crucial to not steal electricity. Here are some instructions to follow:
- Pay your electricity bill on time. This is the best way to avoid suspicion, as electric companies are primarily concerned with receiving payment for the power used. A sudden increase in electricity usage may be noticeable, but as long as you pay your bill, you are unlikely to face scrutiny.
- Avoid drastic spikes in power usage. While paying your bill is essential, it is also important to be mindful of the amount of power you are using. Try not to exceed a 30% increase in hydro per quarter (every three months). A sudden jump in electricity usage may raise red flags, so it is advisable to increase your usage gradually if possible.
- Be cautious when discussing your grow operation with others. The most common mistake that leads to people getting caught is telling the wrong person. Keep your operation a secret and do not disclose details that could lead to suspicion or legal consequences.
- Be mindful of other indicators that may attract attention. In addition to electricity usage, factors such as smell, strange lights, and noise can also arouse suspicion. Take measures to mitigate these factors, such as using charcoal filters or sealed growing environments to control odors, and soundproofing and insulating any equipment that produces excessive noise.
- Consult a qualified technician. If you are unsure about your electrical setup, consider seeking advice from a qualified electrician who can ensure your grow room's electrical wiring is safe and discreet.
- Explore alternative power sources. Consider investing in a greenhouse, which may be more cost-effective and less likely to raise suspicion than an indoor grow room. Gas-powered generators can also supplement legitimate power usage or provide all the electricity needed for lighting, but they come with risks and additional costs.
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Avoid smells and strange lights
Avoiding smells and strange lights is key to not raising suspicion from the electric company about your grow room. Here are some ways to do this:
Avoiding Smells
Firstly, it is important to note that some smell is inevitable, especially if you are growing plants with a strong scent. However, there are ways to keep smells at manageable levels. Excessive odour can be caused by poor ventilation, a poor environment, heat, and a lack of circulation or exhausting. To prevent this, ensure your grow room has good air circulation and adequate ventilation. Stagnant air can be much stinkier than moving air, so consider investing in some fans to promote air movement. A combination of standing fans, oscillating fans, and duct fans works best.
Additionally, high temperature and humidity can cause odour, so be sure to check your thermometer and hygrometer daily. If the temperature or humidity gets too high, it can harm your plants' overall health and cause odour, so act fast if your grow room starts getting too hot or humid. The best temperature and humidity levels vary by plant, so be sure to do your research.
You can also use products like Ona gels, which are odor-absorbing gels that mask odours. These gels can be placed on the floor of your grow room, on a shelf, or even in your ducting. However, they do not eliminate odours, so they should be used alongside other methods.
One of the most effective ways to eliminate odours is to use a carbon filter. These filters can reduce up to 90% of odours in your grow room and are customizable to size. They work by emitting activated ionized carbon, which removes contaminants from the air, including mould spores, dust, and hair. Carbon filters are fairly easy to install and tend to work best when placed at the highest part of your grow space, as this is where most air accumulates.
Avoiding Strange Lights
Preventing light leaks in your grow room is crucial for maintaining proper light conditions and promoting healthy plant development. Light leaks can disrupt the photoperiod and negatively impact plant development. To prevent light leaks, ensure all entry points to your grow room are sealed tightly. Use light-proof materials like blackout curtains, light baffles, or light-blocking tapes to cover any openings or gaps. You can also use reflective materials on the interior surfaces of your grow room, such as Mylar, panda film, or reflective paint. This helps maximize light distribution to the plants while minimizing the risk of leaks.
Conduct regular light leak tests by simulating the dark cycle in your grow room and observing for any signs of light leaks, such as faint glows or visible light seeping through. During the dark cycle, use a light meter to measure the intensity of light in your grow room, as even a small amount of light leakage can disrupt the required darkness for proper plant development.
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Be discreet
The number one rule for not raising suspicion from the electric company is to pay your bill on time. The electric company will not care about your high usage as long as you are paying your bills. However, if you have insane spikes in power usage, some companies will raise an eyebrow. It is best to avoid starting with a low usage amount and then suddenly increasing it by a large amount. For example, do not start with 400 watts and then go to 10,000 in a month. This is grounds for suspicion.
Before you start growing, determine how much electricity you will be using. Some energy companies will break down your bill for you, but you can also do this yourself. A watt is a unit of power that shows how much energy a device uses to operate. You can figure out how much energy your grow room is using by determining the number of watts that are used each hour. To find the watt-hours (Wh) each device uses per day, simply multiply the wattage of a device by the number of hours you use it each day. For example, if your grow room fan is 125 watts and you use it for two hours a day, it consumes 250 watt-hours per day.
If you are concerned about your high electricity usage, you can call the electric company and ask them how much your bill will increase if you switch to electric heat, for example. You can also ask them about previous tenants' usage and bills to get an idea of what would be a reasonable amount of usage for your household.
If you are worried about your grow room raising suspicion, you may want to invest in a greenhouse instead of indoor grow equipment. This will help you avoid the high costs of a lot of indoor grow equipment, which can also raise suspicion.
Finally, it is important to keep your mouth shut. Do not tell anyone about your grow room. The power company will not call the cops, the cops will call them. If the cops get a tip, they will search your trash, check your bill, and check for odor.
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Frequently asked questions
The electric company will not care how much electricity you are using as long as you pay your bill. However, if you have large spikes in power usage, some companies may raise an eyebrow. To avoid this, you could try to not run your grow room during peak hours.
Stealing electricity is one of the main ways people get caught. To steal electricity, growers either tamper with power meters or reroute incoming electricity around them, which carries the risk of fatal electrocution and detection by power line inspectors.
Some growers employ former or current power company workers to tamper with power meters or reroute incoming electricity.
If the electric company suspects you of stealing electricity, they may send someone to turn off your power for a short time while they switch your meter box to replace it with a new one. They may then repeatedly come to check the meter to ensure the same consumption is going on.
