How much did Electricity go up in cost?

Just wondering what everybodies experience is with the jump in electricity usage for a grow room? I'd really be interested in a cross section of grow rooms - from a small cabinet to a whole extra room. 42w CFL to 1000w Metal Halide and all the associated fans, etc. How much did your bill go up??

I'm just starting an indoor room and expect a huge jump since I'm single and don't watch much TV, my electricity usage is minimal...have 375w going 18/6 with the fans and all...it would not surprised me if my bill doubled. Is this enough to raise suspicion at the power company? :confused:

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Originally Posted by doco

Is this enough to raise suspicion at the power company? :confused:

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I've always wondered whether or not that was a myth, but it seems plausible.

Possible? Yes. Probable? No.

IF they ask you anything, wich I doubt they will, say you had an extra PC over, running 24/7 because you had a little project or something going on..


They can't prove SHIT..

Just think about this. YES the cops use the power bills to bust a small amount of grow ops. Per sq ft there is an average electricity usage. So if you got a big place then you can get away with a bigger grow op.

The point is that electricity companies don’t have any invested interest so they don’t closely monitor every house (they cant too many houses). They, or the cops, only look at the top .25% (for example) of power users, because if they look any lower they are going to run into too many innocent people and it wouldn’t be effective.

In BC I read about one raid in which BC hydro’s records weren’t accurate and the house was listed at being 1/3 its actual size. So on there records this house was probably using 3 times as much power as they estimated.

The moral of the story: only huge grow ops should worry about this. When my buddy asked at a hydro store if using 1400W would be suspicious he got laughed at.

Just think about this a desktop computer uses 700W or a microwave 1400W

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Originally Posted by harris7

Just think about this a desktop computer uses 700W or a microwave 1400W

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Very good point. PSUs are gonna be 1200W soon enough.

my use jumped up a whole 5.00 for the 150watt hps and all fans my electric for the month with AC, TV's and everything is about 50.00 a month now that summer is over the AC is put away and a new cab in the works :)

Excellent, thanks for the great replys. I just didnt want my bill to double or triple and put me in anybodies spotlight!

I'll start a grow log tonight and introduce my new babies to the community.

the amount you get charged for the power you use, is dependent on how much energy you use for the size. So obviously, 4 bedroom house has a much higher limit then a 1 bedroom apartment. So someone using 4000 watts in a 1 bedroom apartment will be paying more in electricity then someone running 4000 watts in a 4 bedroom house. It goes up exponentially the more you use.

that said, i know plenty of houses with 4-5 people that use more energy then a house with 3 people and 4000 watts! The 4-5 people house is almost $250 more a month. They have powerful computers (my PSU is 750), 2 microwaves, 2 air-conditioners, dryer, etc. The 3 people in the grow house use all CFLs for house lights, are conscious of their consumption, dont leave anything on.

People move in and out of houses, people change life styles, there are all sort of explanations of why your power useage may jump.

As long as you pay the bills the electric company wont care :)

I don't even know how much my bill is total cause my wife pays the bills. I will check next month. But what I wanted to add, is that my entire house is electric. I don't have anything on gas. I use a computer tower plus two laptops, Flat screen tv, electric stove, microwave, toaster, dryer and standar bulbs around the house. And now I will add an electric heater. I guess one would say I'm pushing it. But really all I'm adding to what is normal for me is the 400w light.

When people mention microwave wattage, one has to keep in mind the amount of time a microwave is in use. Being on display does not count. So you can't compare a mic with a light that you may leave on for 18hours a day.

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Originally Posted by InTheJungle

Very good point. PSUs are gonna be 1200W soon enough.

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If u run a computer 18/6 or even 24/7 is something that i can bealive (mine usually runs 24/7) but running a microwave 24/7 it would be like having Chernobyl inside the house (we all love nuke food) :D :D :D :D :D

Regarding to the issue in hand i cant really say, where i live the mojo is the more power u consume the better are the letters from the power company saying thanks...

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Originally Posted by Originally Posted by harris7

Just think about this a desktop computer uses 700W or a microwave 1400W

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If u run a computer 18/6 or even 24/7 is something that i can bealive (mine usually runs 24/7) but running a microwave 24/7 it would be like having Chernobyl inside the house (we all love nuke food) :D :D :D :D :D

Regarding to the issue in hand i cant really say, where i live the mojo is the more power u consume the better are the letters from the power company saying thanks...

when i was using my 400w hps it added about $35.00 to the bill a month

MY GROW SETUP IS:

9 CFL'S FOR BABIES

1 250 MH FOR VEG

1 1000W FOR FLOWER

1 550 CFM A/C

MISC FANS

ELECTRIC COST WENT UP $25 AT THE MOST

the rumor I heard, was that electricity companies are not lookin' for users, who consume big amounts of electricity.
rumor was about software in companies, that tracks 12/12 or 18/6 intervals in electricity consumation process... electricity consumation jumps up in 15000W and goes off in 12 hours.... suspicious? maybe? is it real? maybe not...
it's for big grows anyway...
how u like this one? LMAO
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/huge-pot-bust.html

check one of big grows in Canada:
http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/3268.html

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Originally Posted by orange_cloud

the rumor I heard, was that electricity companies are not lookin' for users, who consume big amounts of electricity.
rumor was about software in companies, that tracks 12/12 or 18/6 intervals in electricity consumation process... electricity consumation jumps up in 15000W and goes off in 12 hours.... suspicious? maybe? is it real? maybe not...
it's for big grows anyway...
how u like this one? LMAO
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/huge-pot-bust.html

check one of big grows in Canada:
http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/3268.html

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That would be totally wrong to base your suspicion on the time a light is turned on and off because when ever I'm on the computer I usually have a time I get on and off and it's basically around the same hour I get on and off all the time.

wow orange_cloud, those rooms are incredible. The plants in the first house with the cave room didnt look that great but the BC grows were amazing.

In the last week or two they have busted a number of similarly gutted and outfitted houses in the Sacramento area. It boggles the mind for me to comprehend the scale of those indoor grows.