Search warrant - electric company. - The Ethnobotanical Garden

**Adom** · 08/13/04 06:13 AM (22 years, 1 month ago)

They can do this, someone here probably knows more about this than me. I'd recommend starting around the same time you turn the heat on for the winter.

**kiss5150** · 08/13/04 09:18 AM (22 years, 1 month ago)

It's basically an urban legend......

My neighbor reads meters for the power co. and he said that it would NEVER happen.

**Prisoner#1** · 08/13/04 09:50 AM (22 years, 1 month ago)

Quote:

kiss5150 said:
It's basically an urban legend......
My neighbor reads meters for the power co. and he said that it would NEVER happen.

it's not like that all the time... Southern Company provides electric to several states, they have a pro-LEO policy, if they notice a dramatic increase im power consumption they will allert the police, the police will then consider surveilance , including the use of FLIR

there have been hundreds of people arrested because of info provided by various companies including the utilities. with a single 400watt light you wont have much to worry about, the power meter reader may have smelled something or have been clued in some other way

I wonder whats gonna happen when I have my greenhouses and all of the lighting for them in place...

**kiss5150** · 08/13/04 09:56 AM (22 years, 1 month ago)

I guess I am just lucky to have a Electric company that is pro-pot then!

Anyways...if anybody is worried about that...just buy a generator....Problem solved!

**Spores_101** · 08/13/04 10:09 AM (22 years, 1 month ago)

kiss5150 said:

It's basically an urban legend......

My neighbor reads meters for the power co. and he said that it would NEVER happen.

actully they will do that and they have done that. they will also raid your house if the chopper flies over head with inferred and they think something looks funny like a lot of heat comming from you house at 3:00 in the morning.
there was a story posted here last month about a family that got raided because of there electric bill and it was just a family of alot of kids that didnt turn off the lights.
you would have to be growing alot for this to happen.
and more urban you are located the less chance of this happening.
but it can be done.

**kiss5150** · 08/13/04 10:20 AM (22 years, 1 month ago)

Like I said...an URBAN legend!!!

Well....I guess if this happens so often.....NOBODY must grow indoors??

Face it....chances are slim that it will happen......kinda like winning the Powerball.....It happens.......just not everyday!

They aren't concerned with busting some young kid growing a few plants...they want the big dawgs that have hundreds growing....

**Cyber** · 08/13/04 10:27 AM (22 years, 1 month ago)

I find this plausible but improbable. The reason is that I have never had the police knock down my door. (You have not see my electric bill)

I have a home computer room, In this room is the following!

6 dual processor systems
1 exabyte 210 robotic tape changer
2 24 port 10/100 managed switches
1 38 cd network drive unit (36 Scsi CD-Roms)
1 digital KVM
1 cisco 2500 router
1 PipeLine 75 router
1 SCSI LVD raid 5 array (14 x 60 gig drives)
1 NEC phone switch
3 21" monitors
and 2 laser printers

There is also full power backup (3,150 VA) and 3 x 20amp EMI/RFI filters.

This does not count the computers in the bedrooms, kitchen, and living room.

In the living room there is a 37" TV, Sony Stereo, MPG Satellite decoder, Analog/digital (VCII-RS/Digi-cypher) satellite unit, 200 disk audio CD changer,etc.

My bill runs twice to three times what the guy next door's bill runs and I have a house that is 1/2 the size of his.

**Spores_101** · 08/13/04 10:39 AM (22 years, 1 month ago)

just like 5150 said it happend very slim but it can.

**socratesmind** · 08/13/04 11:01 AM (22 years, 1 month ago)

well a 400 watt doesn't take up that much power. I only thing you should start worrying if you have multiple 1k sysstems. If you search aroung overgrow they address this and offer some more advice maybe in the FAQ's

**Anonymous** · 08/13/04 11:03 AM (22 years, 1 month ago)

pay your bill on time and they'll love ya :thumbup:

**Gr0wer** · 08/13/04 11:41 AM (22 years, 1 month ago)

The most expensive things are major appliances like your electric stove, oven, dishwasher, washer, dryer. These use 1000 watts minimum. your A/C can use even more. An extra 400w is like installing an A/C. If you own a home having 3000w isn?t too noticeable if you conserve energy.

**Stonehenge** · 08/13/04 12:56 PM (22 years, 1 month ago)

It's mostly an urban legend. A 400w light is perfectly safe in that regard. Would you be worried out of your mind if you bought a hot tub or some other equipment? I rented out my house while I was out of town for a while a few years ago. My bill never got over $80 but the new tenents had bills up to $300 a month. Nobody ever got raided. The flir is also very bogus. Yes, they can see hot spots but that could be due to any number of things like a stove. What gets pot growers busted is loose lips and other mistakes. They see a lot of people coming to the house every day and leaving after a couple minutes. They see cultivation supplies in the yard. They smell funny plant odors. They see the resident wearing pro-pot t shirts and acting funny. That's when they look at the power company and trying to find an excuse to bust in.

Stoney

**Prisoner#1** · 08/13/04 01:31 PM (22 years, 1 month ago)

Quote:

spores101com said:
Quote:

kiss5150 said:
It's basically an urban legend......

My neighbor reads meters for the power co. and he said that it would NEVER happen.

actully they will do that and they have done that. they will also raid your house if the chopper flies over head with inferred and they think something looks funny like a lot of heat comming from you house at 3:00 in the morning.

the use of FLIR will not automaticly constitute a warrant, they still have to investigate, maybe arrest someone they think is buying from you, watch you for a bit and possibly even attempt to gain a phone tap, something needs to be shown to a judge in order to get the warrant to search...

the same works for the power company narc... the cops still have to find probable cause or evidence for a warrant, to do that the need to investigate...
the way the power company discovers it is through an excessive jump in usage, that usualy comes from dozens of high output lights.

**Fucknuckle** · 08/13/04 01:44 PM (22 years, 1 month ago)

I have 4 daughters a wife and 3 dogs. They all wash there hair like 20 times a week!! The hair dryer they use is a monster, 1200 watt thing and I swear it is running 12 hous a day.

Not to mention the arc welding in the barn that I use like every day.

Not to mention everything else. The kind of electrical spike they are looking for is somin like 5000-10000watts A jump that would be like twice what you normaly use. So unless you are planning on setting up 4 or more 1000 watts lights then don't worry about it dude!!!

**Its Pat** · 08/13/04 09:32 PM (22 years, 1 month ago)

Quote:

well a 400 watt H.I.D. lamp doesn't take up that much power!

Exactly. . . Most of us use a computer from home to look at these forums here on the shroomery. Our computer's generally consume between 200 - 400 watts of electricity. . . Now if you get one of those 400 watt H.I.D.s, don't think of it as getting a grow light Electricity wise, just think of it as getting a new High-End computer.

You should be fine provided nobody else knows, or only those who should know do know. Always remember this Idiom; Loose lips sink ships.

**whiterasta** · 08/13/04 09:59 PM (22 years, 1 month ago)

I am running 9.8Kw of HID and still have a "normal " electric bill. Change out your incandescents for compact flourescents,Gas water heater,wood fired oven and gas stove. I still run lower than families who are simply careless.Use your head and don't fret over this lil bit too much you have to draw their attention before they look at your electric bill, and it takes a court order.
WR :wexican:

**Prisoner#1** · 08/14/04 09:06 AM (22 years, 1 month ago)

whiterasta said:

, and it takes a court order.

it takes a request from an agency... read the patriot act

**whiterasta** · 08/14/04 09:24 AM (22 years, 1 month ago)

my bad... still living in america and I forget what that means now.
However while the illeagle "patriot act" is in force I am guarding my 2nd ammendment rights carefully.
And as far as the electricity goes keep it under 350$US/mo/house and outbuildings for rural and 200-250$US for urban houses, Apts should stay under 225$US.
Good luck,
WR :wexican:

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