when it comes to electricity useage how can i use before the electrical company starts raising eyebrows? i know there isnt a concrete number but a general idea. i did some calculating and when i was living in a house with 7 people the bill was like $170 a month average. i calculate that a grow of 5000w total would cost approx. $216 a month. i thinking of moving into my own place for this but do you think it will raise doubt a guy living along using this much or am i safe?
Electrcity usage, how much is too much?
- Thread starter hendrix
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arizonabudski
New Member
i dont not think it is too mucht to be concerned about, a jump like that happens every summer when my pool heater is turned on, then back off for winter. Just be more conservative with ur other electronics-making sure they are off to kind of make up for the $ going to plants
poker shark
New Member
^^^ Great point budski +reps...it really helps to be energy conscious when you start your grow...it's amazing how much energy a household wastes in a months time.
check this out....my energy provider recently converted their system to smartmeters. smartmeters transmit your energy usage 24/7 wireless to the energy provider. I was looking at my account with them online and found a graph chart of my usage broken down in hours. does 6kw of electrical usage @ 3 am look suspicious? 
one of the reasons i'm installing a light mover...
one of the reasons i'm installing a light mover...
Nerdly1
New Member
Another Electrical energy saver - if your HPS/MH ballast is a multi tap, try and wire it for 220 instead of 110, you will not be pulling so much energy.
poker shark
New Member
...and hide the wifes hair dryer, flat iron, curling iron, hot glue gun and foot spa!!!
Actually Gadgetman, that is incorrect. All energy providers charge by the kilowatthour. Although running your ballast at 220vac vs 110vac uses exactly half the amperage, the kwh usage does not change.
Nerdly1
New Member
Thanks for the correction. Maybe it will help the ballast last longer, who knows.
If I was on the other side, I would be looking at patterns of increased usage that are "exactly" 12 hours long and that occurs at "exactly" the same time every day.
That's something really easy for them to track and there's no easy way to get around it.
I'm glad I'm on this side.
It's a much better use of my energy, lol.
That's something really easy for them to track and there's no easy way to get around it.
I'm glad I'm on this side.
It's a much better use of my energy, lol.
toadilyinsan
New Member
Just make sure you pay your bill, the first red flag goes up when you are late.
Steve McStoferson
New Member
if you're paranoid about the 12 on 12 off schedule, just run a computer while the lights are off, and turn the computer off when the lights are on. It will be less of a difference. An average computer power supply is 250-400W so it could easily take the place of a grow light. Sure, you will be wasting power, but if it helps you sleep at night, then by all means waste it.
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good stuff i've been thinking of moving into a new place and going big with the grow. the problem is this place is in a small town and the house is attached to a commercial space. i would legally have to start up a business there to be able to live there. that could mean that i could get a commercial contract with the electrical company 
and use large amounts of electricity without being suspected. but the problem is what kind of business would be good in a small town of like 1000 people? not that i care about it being sucessful because i'd get good coin from my grow, but you know just to put up a front. hmmmmmm.....
and use large amounts of electricity without being suspected. but the problem is what kind of business would be good in a small town of like 1000 people? not that i care about it being sucessful because i'd get good coin from my grow, but you know just to put up a front. hmmmmmm.....
Ok dont worry about the damm electric.worry about the damm snitch thats how growers get busted.Its a rat that causes the law to look at your bill.you think the electric company cares if you use 1000 bucks a month they love it.money in there pocket.they dont want you to stop.And lets say the law goes into a house break down the door and a little old man is growing a bannana tree in his house.cops will look damm stupid.Its a rat that get you caught.someone brought you to there attention.
Which corroborates what I said, because if the electric company was really after growers, it would be really easy for them to target customers with increased usage for the same 12 hours every day.
It would not be in their best interest to turn in some of their biggest customers.
It would not be in their best interest to turn in some of their biggest customers.
StormChaos
New Member
good stuff I've been thinking of moving into a new place and going big with the grow. the problem is this place is in a small town and the house is attached to a commercial space. i would legally have to start up a business there to be able to live there. that could mean that i could get a commercial contract with the electrical company
Since the place you are looking at is commercial and you are required to have a buisness... I would suggest that any kind of manufacturing business... 420 MFG lol.. don't use that.. but anything with Manufacturing in the name would easily create an image in someones mind of a place that they would expect to have more electrical usage than any other type of buisness.... of course it is a fragile illusion at best.. but all you are concerned about is someone at the Electric Company not raising a red flag.
It could also account for odd usage hours etc as some mfg places run different machines at different times... or even 24/7
In your case, especially with a commercial property I wouldn't be overly concerned with electric usage. I would be more focused on privacy and security. You are contemplating using a structure that you don't own and only rent and that = landlords, who might run off and tell the cops if they accidentally discover your project.
If you find yourself in a situation where a landlord finds out about your project, just remember, they are a landlord because they are in it for the money. Make them an offer...
Just my 2 cents.
good stuff i've been thinking of moving into a new place and going big with the grow. the problem is this place is in a small town and the house is attached to a commercial space. i would legally have to start up a business there to be able to live there. that could mean that i could get a commercial contract with the electrical company
Pet food store! Everyone needs pet food. Then you put in some real, live, aquariums (for people to look at while they're shopping). So yeah, you gotta have lights on, pumps running, air-flowing, de-humidifiers, heaters, things going on 24/7.
