Its the power consumption spike that tipped them off. If your running that many lights in a non-med state, you need to ease into it. 4 lights one year, then add 4 the next, etc...
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Power company inspector
- Thread starter HUGE
- Start date
This ain't my grow and I'm not involved in any way other than I happen to know the guy. I tried to warn him about this before he set up. He knows a few people who are running as big or bigger than him so he thinks Hess fine and he won't listen to me since he doesn't know I grow.
Chester
Member
Excuses can be dangerous..... What if they ask to see or know something about it??
That said, the significant other who is an artist of the potter type. Electric kiln running days at a time.
Salt water aquariums.
Electric hot tub on the deck (I know a guy who ran $150-200 a month keeping one of those going.) Might be able to get a used one cheap in current economy....
Wood working shop....
Keep it simple. It's wife or roommate so you can claim ignorance and have an excuse to not show stuff without the other present.
Stay safe.
That said, the significant other who is an artist of the potter type. Electric kiln running days at a time.
Salt water aquariums.
Electric hot tub on the deck (I know a guy who ran $150-200 a month keeping one of those going.) Might be able to get a used one cheap in current economy....
Wood working shop....
Keep it simple. It's wife or roommate so you can claim ignorance and have an excuse to not show stuff without the other present.
Stay safe.
The ones who survive and thrive in this game are the ones who can get up, fuck their emotions and think and act objectively and logically.
2 months is tough. Is he in mid-late flower? Hard to get set up and when close to the end have to tear down. I bet most people will brush the incident off as impertinent and go about like nothing happened. I'd probably do the same thing.
Bad idea. IF possible, move the op, perhaps somewhere with less light just to get them to finish, or tear the entire thing down and depending on the harvest, use it for hash and/or sell it off cheap.
2 months is tough. Is he in mid-late flower? Hard to get set up and when close to the end have to tear down. I bet most people will brush the incident off as impertinent and go about like nothing happened. I'd probably do the same thing.
Bad idea. IF possible, move the op, perhaps somewhere with less light just to get them to finish, or tear the entire thing down and depending on the harvest, use it for hash and/or sell it off cheap.
BongRipkenJR.
Active member
Blue Dream? What state are you in seriously? That is a California clone only strain. I know clones make there way out to the midwest and east coast.
Either way, in Cali you wont have a problem. Power companies here love grow houses. They make a lot of money off of them. Everywhere else, except Michigan and Montana, you will probably be fucked. Even though there are quite a few medical states none seam to be as lenient as Cali, Michigan, and Montana. Unless it was Florida or Texas I would finish it out and get everything out of there ASAP.
Either way, in Cali you wont have a problem. Power companies here love grow houses. They make a lot of money off of them. Everywhere else, except Michigan and Montana, you will probably be fucked. Even though there are quite a few medical states none seam to be as lenient as Cali, Michigan, and Montana. Unless it was Florida or Texas I would finish it out and get everything out of there ASAP.
Fuck, week 7, I'd keep going. Sometimes you roll the dice. If you ever had to pause mid-chop for and hour or so because the Sheriff was parked outside, you know what I mean.
Where I would be really careful is the harvest. If someone is tipped off they are going to be sniffing around your home more regularly. If he has some cash, invest in a carbon scrubber for the harvest...Ozium, candles, hot hippy chick drenched in patchouli oil... You don't want your house looking like a used car lot, either. Leave the lights going as normal during the cure, don't want 9k all of the sudden stopping if you are worried about power company narcs, they sure as shit will know you're harvesting.
Some med defence is better than no defence. I remember when I would look outside my window at the Sheriff parked in front, shitting bricks. Would run downstairs and turn off everything, take a shot and open a beer and just sit in it. So far so good.
Servers eat up a lot of juice and can be running 24/7. So if you are really worried run a flip-flop and claim you host WoW or some shit for the entire city.
Or maybe you are charging your flux-capacitor, those really eat up the juice.
P.S. I have never heard of a Western state power company narcing for consumption. I have only heard of it out East. Except one time I saw a news segment about PG&E alerting the authorities about Dumbass #1, who was running 100 lights in his tiny little warehouse, but that was years ago.
Have you seen a lot of busts on the news for your state?
The safe thing to do is tear it down.
Myself, week seven, I'd let them go another week and chop.
It would really suck to have the police chop them for you though.
R
rick shaw
If an electric company inspector checks what they look for first is to see if your not getting power stolen from,if every looks good they may be curious were the power is going. Showing something plausible would be prudent.
Space heaters,air conditioners are big power wasters and are used constantly.
Space heaters,air conditioners are big power wasters and are used constantly.
BongRipkenJR.
Active member
The thing is, when you have a rather high bill, the power company being curious is part of the game. If you get spooked every time a power company wonders why your bill is higher than most other people's then you're probably in the wrong line of work and should stick with a 400w MH in the closet.
Once thing I learned years ago is that a healthy amount of paranoia keeps you safe. No lights leaks, no smell, etc. Freaking out every time something "suspicious" happens will take years off your life and you'll be lucky to ever finish a crop to completion because you'll want to cut down early all the time.
The "safe" thing to do is cut it all down. It's also the way to live in fear. I still say if everything else is in order then don't worry about it. Just be ready in case someone comes to the door to ask. Have your story lined up and flip the interview back onto them with a well timed "AM I LATE ON A BILL OR SOMETHING? WHY ARE YOU HERE?"
Once thing I learned years ago is that a healthy amount of paranoia keeps you safe. No lights leaks, no smell, etc. Freaking out every time something "suspicious" happens will take years off your life and you'll be lucky to ever finish a crop to completion because you'll want to cut down early all the time.
The "safe" thing to do is cut it all down. It's also the way to live in fear. I still say if everything else is in order then don't worry about it. Just be ready in case someone comes to the door to ask. Have your story lined up and flip the interview back onto them with a well timed "AM I LATE ON A BILL OR SOMETHING? WHY ARE YOU HERE?"
Nadicus_Maximus
Member
Chop chop chimbo. Don't wait, that inspector probably told the cops and they are preparing the warrant. These guys are told to check for exhaust fan noise and odor after they notice your consumption is high. Hope you got a good scrubber.
dont even worry. this has happened to me just about every place ive grown. tell them you like it ice cold in the summer and nice and warm in the winter and that you have electric heat. you would be surprised how much electric them heaters pull... 4 1500w heaters on 24hours is the same as 8lights 12/12 no need to worry. they just doing there job
Best advice on the thread. Had a similar experience in a small hick town ( not cool w/ ganja ) in med state. Luckily the story of the home based internet business can explain lots of things to neighbors, and the meter man.
If they guys just stood there and was like, " hmm, not sure why my power would be so high " then i would guess he is def f*cked.
b0b_b1tch1n
Member
dont rip everything down
if he is truely worried then crop out and start growing tomatoes or something
then if they do come kicking in the door wont they feel foolish that your just trying to feed yourself
chances are they wont come back after being harassed about thier mistake and what they put an innocent person through
if he is truely worried then crop out and start growing tomatoes or something
then if they do come kicking in the door wont they feel foolish that your just trying to feed yourself
chances are they wont come back after being harassed about thier mistake and what they put an innocent person through
LetTimmySmoke
Member
if you are in cali the basic rule is pay your bill and no PGE snitch problems. once you steal power, they will find you, and on top of cultivation charges you will face theft of power and a hefty couple thousand dollar fine...
echo_chamber
Active member
The power company wants you to use as much power as you can, within the limit's of your power breaker..you are paying them for it. so its more money in their pocket, its good business.. If they are "investigating power usage" that is strange and i'd think twice about the location you are in.
