# A Growing Problem With Marijuana "Electricity Theft"



## FruityBud

On Windmill Ridge Road in Plant City, one 2,400-square-foot home uses $120 a month in electricity. Another uses $220 a month.

Tampa Electric Co. estimates a third home used about $4,200 a month in electricity.

But the electricity there was stolen -- used to power a marijuana grow house with 22 grow lights at 1,000 watts each and two 5-ton air-conditioning units, investigators say.

Such homes are common. There's no way to tell exactly how much power or money is stolen each year from TECO, but the company's chief theft investigator said many he helps uncover involve grow houses.

John Hammerberg supervises TECO's revenue protection department, which helps identify cases of stolen electricity.

Hammerberg said his department's investigators will work about 600 to 700 electricity theft cases this year. About 50 will be grow houses.

The average restitution for a simple case of electricity theft is about $1,000; the average restitution for a grow house is about $20,000.

"It's a huge amount of money that we're losing," Hammerberg said.

Many in law enforcement consider grow houses a burgeoning problem. In Hillsborough and Pinellas counties last year, 102 indoor grow operations were busted and nearly 8,000 plants were seized, according to a report by the state's Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement.

Pasco had 27 busts in which about 2,000 plants were seized.

Hillsborough County deputies discovered more than 20 grow houses and seized more than $5 million in marijuana in recent months.

One night last week, deputies discovered 252 pounds of marijuana -- valued at about $1.1 million -- in three rooms of a grow house, Maj. Albert Frost said.

When arrested, grow house owners often are charged with theft of electricity, a first-degree misdemeanor.

Not all grow houses steal electricity, but doing so can save owners thousands of dollars a year and bypass an obvious flag to law enforcement.

An electric bill at an average-size home might run $150 a month. An average grow house steals about $2,000 to $3,000 a month from TECO. Some bigger operations might steal $10,000 to $15,000 a month, Hammerberg said.

Through April, TECO helped uncover about 240 cases of electricity theft this year -- not including grow houses -- and billed about $340,000 in restitution.

TECO also helped uncover 17 grow houses and billed about $395,000 in restitution in those cases.

"I've seen five 5-ton air-conditioning units at one grow house," Hammerberg said.

Law enforcement generally identifies a possible grow house, then comes to TECO's revenue protection department.

Often, Hammerberg said, his department can go to the scene with officers and try to find an illegal tap.

Stealing power is not difficult, but homes can become fire hazards if wired the wrong way, Hammerberg said.

Some grow house owners hire licensed electricians to help bypass electric meters. Others get help from friends or try to do it themselves, he said.

People use all kinds of tricks to avoid detection, including putting up fences around homes so others can't see several air-conditioning units.

Investigators catch thieves in a variety of ways, often using tips from meter readers and conscientious neighbors. Sometimes a computer program shows something amiss with a meter that measures usage.

Hammerberg said the industry estimates that stolen power is equivalent to about 5 percent to 6 percent of a utility's annual revenue.

Across the state, investigators identified more than 1,000 grow houses in 2008. In 2003, they found 228. Hillsborough County had the second-highest number of plants seized at grow house busts in the state last year.

Pot is still grown outside, but such sites are more easily detected, authorities say. Grow houses are harder to spot and have been found everywhere, from low-income neighborhoods to upscale addresses, detectives said.

"That's one thing that makes it so difficult to find," he said. "From the small shoddy little house to the really nice houses in very nice neighborhoods; we've found them in gated communities, we've found them in normal neighborhoods. Places where people keep the yards nice, where everything looks like a normal house."

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## JBonez

catch me if you can.


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## smokybear

Stealing electricity is foolish... they deserve to get caught. Just my opinion. Thanks for the story FruityBud. Take care and be safe.


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## cubby

If a person is really doing a "personal " grow this would not be a problem. How much electricity does a small personal grow use? People who are useing 10 1000 watt bulbs and dedicated air exchange/conditioners are growing for commercial purposes. Thier greed leads them to theft and their theft leads them to jail. I have no sympathy for them, they chose to grow to deal as opposed to people who keep a regular job and grow for personal consumption.


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## Super Silver Haze

so many grow house bust's here in fla even with the harsh laws.  

hummm, maybe the state will look at the cost of fighting a no-win battle against MJ grows and then look at the Loss of Tax Revenue b/c of MJ prohibition.

wake up fla,  take a look at a more sensable approach and learn what L.E.A.P. is all abbout.

stealing electric is dumb but i hope dumb growers keep stealing electric b/c it gives the leo's here a good target for their war on MJ.  it keeps the heat off of us responsable growers.

stay safe fellow florida growers.


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## SPEARCHUCKER

I agree with yall.
Seems like it would be easier nowadays to get a generator, and hijack fuel trucks than just steel power.


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## Super Silver Haze

yall.....a good southern term.

all yall.....the plural of yall


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## WeedHopper

> An electric bill at an average-size home might run $150 a month. An average grow house steals about $2,000 to $3,000 a month from TECO. Some bigger operations might steal $10,000 to $15,000 a month, Hammerberg said.


 
This is the reason PPL frown on growers so much,,at a time when we need to watch our electical use,, you have these Morons making the FEDS and the non MMJ States case for them. This one of the reasons why most states will never legalize MJ,,becuase of idiots like this,, pure GREED.


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## MysticWolf

I agree with everyone too but it's a no brainer when your looking at charges and fines that steep...

Just a thought why not instead of stealing from the system be smart and build the system ...You got the bucks grab the new big tax credits and put up the new high efficiency  solar panels and a wind turbine ...Grab the tax credit offset the cost and simply look like an eco trend setter in your neighborhood...Just My 2 cents though.

James


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## cubby

Super Silver Haze said:
			
		

> so many grow house bust's here in fla even with the harsh laws.
> 
> hummm, maybe the state will look at the cost of fighting a no-win battle against MJ grows and then look at the Loss of Tax Revenue b/c of MJ prohibition.
> 
> wake up fla, take a look at a more sensable approach and learn what L.E.A.P. is all abbout.
> 
> stealing electric is dumb but i hope dumb growers keep stealing electric b/c it gives the leo's here a good target for their war on MJ. it keeps the heat off of us responsable growers.
> 
> stay safe fellow florida growers.


 


     I have to disagree with your assertion that people who steal electric give leo an alternative target. In fact they make us all look bad. The average person dose'nt differentiate between dealers who grow and people who grow for personal use. Additionaly, the electric company uses these few cases to inflate the cost of electric to all their customers. When someone asks why they don't say " because greedy dealers are stealing power" they paint us all with the same dirty brush. Dealers who run large scale grow ops don't usually get caught because of electrical theft or stellar police work but rather from other dealers or customers who turn them in for leniency from the local D.A.
   So these greedy morons being caught gains resposible growers nothing, unfortunately.


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## cubby

WeedHopper said:
			
		

> This is the reason PPL frown on growers so much,,at a time when we need to watch our electical use,, you have these Morons making the FEDS and the non MMJ States case for them. This one of the reasons why most states will never legalize MJ,,becuase of idiots like this,, pure GREED.


 


    In my oppinion the reason the non-growing public has such a low oppinion of growers is because the only growers they see are these greedy dimwits. The person who acts responsible, pays his electric bill, dose'nt use shoddy wiring, dose'nt sell to litle kids, or evade incometaxes, is never seen, and thats the way we need it, so as to avoid incarseration. If the general public acctualy knew how many people, from all walks of life, are opperating small personal grows, they would be amazed. 
   It's a wierd catch 22 situation. The public thinks we're all greedy dealers and we don't want the public to know who we are because they will think we're a part of that crowd.


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## WeedHopper

> The average person dose'nt differentiate between dealers who grow and people who grow for personal use.


 
That is a fact. If all PPL did was small Personal grows,,they would have hell trying to bust those PPL,,unless they have loose lips. I replaced all the bulbs in my house with CFL and ya cant tell the diiference with my personal grow.


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## PencilHead

Super Silver Haze said:
			
		

> so many grow house bust's here in fla even with the harsh laws.
> 
> hummm, maybe the state will look at the cost of fighting a no-win battle against MJ grows and then look at the Loss of Tax Revenue b/c of MJ prohibition.
> 
> wake up fla, take a look at a more sensable approach and learn what L.E.A.P. is all abbout.


 
Uhhhh, have you seen the big bottom GOBs we continually send to rep us at the state house here?  And Charlie Crispyfried is just a pretty, petty, tanned dunce who'll never accomplish squat because he inherited his brains from his dad, the scare-crow from the Wizard of Odd.  

We got no chance with our state lawmakers--gotta wait out the Feds on this one in our sad, sad state.


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## SPEARCHUCKER

Id rather have it that way than the way it is here PH.

Here, we bring the biggest dog to the fight in the nation (Jim Webb). 
But hes chained up, and we left the key at home.


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## cubby

PencilHead said:
			
		

> Uhhhh, have you seen the big bottom GOBs we continually send to rep us at the state house here? And Charlie Crispyfried is just a pretty, petty, tanned dunce who'll never accomplish squat because he inherited his brains from his dad, the scare-crow from the Wizard of Odd.
> 
> We got no chance with our state lawmakers--gotta wait out the Feds on this one in our sad, sad state.


 


   Fl has a very diverse populace, it's wierd. I spend quite a bit of time in Fl, mostly in Dover (near Tampa) and I can't quite get my mind around the way things opperate. You have communities of Cubans, Hatians, Conservative Confederates, Jewish New Yorkers, Gays and who knows whatelse. But rather than accept that no one group is large enough or powerful enough to take control, you'd rather live in total bedlam. The only way I could live in Fl. would be in Key West, and then only because it's like a whole nother state not affiliated with Fl propper.


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## PencilHead

Un-huh, and some extremely ecclectic indivuals up in north FL we shouldn't leave out--possibly the most ecclectic in the state.

I could probably do Marathon, Big Pine, even Largo--but Key West forever?  It'd be like going to a side show at the state fair and never getting to go home.


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## cubby

PencilHead said:
			
		

> Un-huh, and some extremely ecclectic indivuals up in north FL we shouldn't leave out--possibly the most ecclectic in the state.
> 
> I could probably do Marathon, Big Pine, even Largo--but Key West forever? It'd be like going to a side show at the state fair and never getting to go home.


 


That's alright with me, I grow my own.....LOL
I have a friend who's lived there for twenty years, every time I go down we sit on his second floor veranda hittin' a hooka and hoisting hurricanes.
Who needs cable just sit out side and chuckle your butt off at the never ending freak parade. ( But they are some of the most genuinely friendly people I've ever met ) No one in Key West is a stranger, just friends you have'nt met yet.


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## viper1951

let them keep busting the big growers it take the lime light off of us small growers who wants to bust a small grow when you can go after a big one and get better news coverage and make you look better as a leo


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## Shockeclipse

viper1951 said:
			
		

> let them keep busting the big growers it take the lime light off of us small growers who wants to bust a small grow when you can go after a big one and get better news coverage and make you look better as a leo



They will end up busting small grows too only the news stories read "confiscated 12 plants worth $670,000". The entire govt, federal, state and local sucks..... I say back to the drawing board.


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## Wiseguy_Chef

even if the feds deside to leaglize it, it will be up to our own state govments to leaglize it for use in each state. its the same with alc. once we get past the idea of MJ being a "mexican" drug we will never get it in the usa. the USA goverment will not let a "brown" crounty make money off us leagly.


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## SPEARCHUCKER

> the USA goverment will not let a "brown" crounty make money off us leagly.



Henry Ford and Bill Gates told me to tell you, "Hello".


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## Cannabiscotti

I wonder how much annual revenue would be generated in new electricity usage if pot were legalized? if you're pullin $15,000 a month in electricity with a grow house, you can afford the bill!


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## PencilHead

Wiseguy_Chef said:
			
		

> even if the feds deside to leaglize it, it will be up to our own state govments to leaglize it for use in each state. its the same with alc. once we get past the idea of MJ being a "mexican" drug we will never get it in the usa. the USA goverment will not let a "brown" crounty make money off us leagly.


 
Unless they have brown crude oil under their little brown feet.  Then they can treat us anyway they choose, apparently.  'Scuse me while I run down to 7 Eleven and get my fix from Uncle Hugo, or to any other gas pump anywhere and worship the good King Abdulla.:rant: 

Hope I didn't step on the political rule.


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## Super Silver Haze

Cannabiscotti said:
			
		

> I wonder how much annual revenue would be generated in new electricity usage if pot were legalized? if you're pullin $15,000 a month in electricity with a grow house, you can afford the bill!


 
i dont know about you but i would eliminate my indoor grow and then convert my roof into a real green roof if my state allowed me to grow.

this would get my garden out of the reach of nosy people and keep my house cool.


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## NYC_Diesel x Jack_Herer

someone was on here recently talking about getting one of those windmills you can buy for your property than can generate 2,000 watts of continuos power.  They are like $4,000 to buy and have set up, but if I was going to be doing a massive indoor grow operation I would be generating my own power.  

What I find hilarious is the comment "The average electrical bill is $150"!!!!!!!  Where in America is THIS!?????  My average electric in a very tiny home before I even started growing was over $300 a month average, and my extended family's is over $1,000 a month even without a grow op!  Our homes here up north have electric heat, but only $150 a month is amazing to me.  Where is this community that only pulls $150 on average?  Is this a ghetto with no heat, no AC, and an average home size of 350 square feet?


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## PencilHead

Tell me about it, NY--our bill runs a steady $300-400 a month, little lower in the winter, definitely higher in the summer(AC) without a grow room factored in.  Coolest thing, not planning it, we had the house re-insulated and it pinched the crap outta the power company's take for a month or two until I got my grow show up and now we're back to where we were pre-re-insulation.  I almost feel sneaky.:hubba:


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## Wiseguy_Chef

depends on the kinda air an heating u are running, i pay a little less than 150 an thats not growing, (don't grow in my house) an depends on the state an there taxes.


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## 420benny

2400 sq. foot house, nice wood stove heats most of it. The rest has an A/C/ heat pump setup. WITH all my T5s and flos and fans going, we are under $150/ month. We shall see how much that goes up with 2 lumatek 600s added and a couple more fans.


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## PencilHead

Jeez, NY, we live in the wrong place, obviously.  I'd love to see a buck fifty electric bill.  My water and sewer runs that much here in fantasy land, and I don't irrigate my yard.  Hmmm.  Need to review what I must be getting for all the extra money I'm paying.

Since the USA absolutely doesn't allow monopolies due to the Fair Trade Act or some other bovine feces, I'll just change to a cheaper company.


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## Shockeclipse

wow..... My last place was prolly 1200sf or a little under and my elec bill was like $70 a month... Gas heat.  300-400 a month is crazy thats a friggin car payment.


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## The Effen Gee

cubby said:
			
		

> If a person is really doing a "personal " grow this would not be a problem. How much electricity does a small personal grow use? People who are useing 10 1000 watt bulbs and dedicated air exchange/conditioners are growing for commercial purposes. Thier greed leads them to theft and their theft leads them to jail. I have no sympathy for them, they chose to grow to deal as opposed to people who keep a regular job and grow for personal consumption.



I share everything I own, I rock many lights and an expensive and sophisticated ventilation system. I crank out pounds for people who deserve high quality no B.S. smoke. I offer at a price waaaaay uunder what many "Legal" clubs do. I undercut Real drug dealers and pay my taxes.

The hell with "Small Personal Grows".


Not everyone has a career that allows them to spend massive amounts of time on setting up and maintaining a grow room.

Do most american brew their own beer?

THough not.


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## WeedHopper

> The hell with "Small Personal Grows".



Effen thats because you dont want MJ legalized because it would dig into your "Im given it away profit". You have always defended the big growers in your post. Course,, we small personal growers,,In one of your sayings,,you could BREED it out of us,,right?


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## cubby

The Effen Gee said:
			
		

> I share everything I own, I rock many lights and an expensive and sophisticated ventilation system. I crank out pounds for people who deserve high quality no B.S. smoke. I offer at a price waaaaay uunder what many "Legal" clubs do. I undercut Real drug dealers and pay my taxes.
> 
> The hell with "Small Personal Grows".
> 
> 
> Not everyone has a career that allows them to spend massive amounts of time on setting up and maintaining a grow room.
> 
> Do most american brew their own beer?
> 
> THough not.


 


     If your selling for a profit, regardless of persentage,YOU'RE A REAL DRUG DEALER. Don't try and put off like you're some kind of robin hood of weed. You're a drug dealer, period. You don't favor legalization because it would be bad for you're bottom line. I understand this, I'm a businessman (strictly legal ). Those of us who oppose the prohibition of marijuana for personal use do so because of a belief in individual rights.
    As far as people homebrewing, I've been a homebrewer for over ten years. Unlike growing weed, it's toltaly legal. People have an option, they can buy the commercialy available crap or brew their own. 
    The only similarity between homebrew and homegrown is the pride of providing your own, beyond that thier apples and oranges. 
    Personaly, I don't care if you sell it, give it away, or trade it for dirty underware. Your life is yours to live as you see fit.


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## The Effen Gee

I make no mistakes about weed, what it is and why we al really love it.

It gets you high, or stoned.
It is a drug.
It is a fix a lot of us need, everyday. 

So is caffene. 

Fortuinately, cannabis has little or no negative side effects, hence the possibility of legality and the carefree nature of it's use.

I am a drug dealer, as society has labled me. As you lable me.

We are all drug addicts. 

We cannot however, be thieves.


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## Super Silver Haze

Effen, keep rockin the big grows b/c there are people who cant / wont grow their own, just like alcohol.  

Drug Dealer --- why put a label on Effen when by your local laws you may be  labled as an Owner of a Grow House.  the one who supplies a drug dealer.  do you think in the public eye you would be looked at as less of a criminal.  only if you are growing and complying with the laws in your state.  

i dont understand why some get all bent outta shape if someone is cash-cropping.  who cares how big the grow is if its not yours and if growing is illegal in your state then they group all of use together, regardless of plant #'s.


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## BOYSENBERRY

Pg&E has a baseline that they go buy for each customer in my neck of the woods. Well this is the problem stay under baseline it's a .11per kwh go over and it's .45 per kwh. If you buy in bulk you should get a better price right? So I have been looking at those wind generators on ebay $60,000.00 bucks installed for 20,000 watts That would power my closet huh


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## The Effen Gee

WeedHopper said:
			
		

> Effen thats because you dont want MJ legalized because it would dig into your "Im given it away profit". You have always defended the big growers in your post. Course,, we small personal growers,,In one of your sayings,,you could BREED it out of us,,right?



Yawn.


How many patients do you supply with your small personal grows?
Do you like paying for your weed out of pocket?
Do you like spending 300 to 400 bucks on nutes?
Do you undercut the real jerks in your area?
Do you have outstanding customer service?
Do you pay your taxes?
Do you enjoy helping people?

If growing was free, my finished product is free.

But since I have decided to make a career out of growing, farming and breeding...I take that (and MANY OTHERS AS WELL) as a personal attack, and an attack on the progress of a developing multi billion dollar industry.

Either jump on board or get out of the way, most growers do not have such a beneficial buisiness outlook as I and my associates do.

Do not make assumptions about me, my finished product or what my motives are.

I do not live a lavish lifestyle, actually poverty level around here.

My "Profits" pay rent, bills, food and supplies.....also pays for doctor bills for me and my wife.


IS THAT OK WITH YOU PEOPLE?
DO I NEED TO KILL MYSELF OR FEEL GUILTY?


...Actually, I could care less. I just wanted to make my VALID point read.


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## WeedHopper

Yawning right back at ya. 


> How many patients do you supply with your small personal grows?


TWO,,Me and my Wife.


> Do you like paying for your weed out of pocket?


I dont,,Small Personal Grower,,remember.


> Do you like spending 300 to 400 bucks on nutes?


I dont.


> Do you undercut the real jerks in your area?


Dont undercut nobody,,cause I dont sale.


> Do you have outstanding customer service?


My Wife thanks so,,everytime we smoke OUR Weed.


> Do you pay your taxes?


Yes I do,,do you?


> Do you enjoy helping people?


Yep,,I have many PPL in the 18 yrs I have owned my own Business.


> Either jump on board or get out of the way


No Thanks,,I have seen those type ships sink way to many times. Besides I am not in your way.


> Do not make assumptions about me


I made no assumption,,your words speak for themselfs


> I rock many lights and an expensive and sophisticated ventilation system. I crank out pounds for people who deserve high quality no B.S. smoke





> But since I have decided to make a career out of growing, farming and breeding..(.developing multi billion dollar industry)





> Either jump on board or get out of the way, most growers do not have such a beneficial buisiness outlook as I and my associates do



With all that said,,Do your thing Effen. It aint no skin off my *** what you do Bro. Good luck in your endevors and I hope you are helping PPL like you say you are. If you are,,more power to ya,,if ya aint,,well,,thats on you.


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## The Effen Gee

While I appreciate the time you put into copying and pasting, you still fail to make any valid points as to why what I am doing is wrong.

All I see in useless bragging.

Give us something more than self praise. 
Sorry your lifestyle won't allow you to pursue your dreams of growing massive fields of free pot, but some of us got screwed by the whole "working for somebody else thing" and are trying to do something new, the right way.

Like it or not, this whole marijuana thing is going to explode to the point it is going to need to be re-regulated. I just want to be one of the "Good Examples" before the rest of these idiot's ruin it for everyone.

Move here, Grow here, see what it is really like to be at the tip of the spear before making ASSUMPTIONS about the intentions of one of possibly hundreds of thousands of marijuana growers in california.


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## WeedHopper

> Move here, Grow here, see what it is really like to be at the tip of the spear before making ASSUMPTIONS about the intentions of one of possibly hundreds of thousands of marijuana growers in california


 
OK,,Im real sorry Effen,,shouldnt be given ya a hard time.
As for moving there,,If I ever decide to move back(lived in Bakersfield when I was young) Maybe you can point me in the right direction. 
Im done with this thread and messing with Effen.


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## cubby

The Effen Gee said:
			
		

> I make no mistakes about weed, what it is and why we al really love it.
> 
> It gets you high, or stoned.
> It is a drug.
> It is a fix a lot of us need, everyday.
> 
> So is caffene.
> 
> Fortuinately, cannabis has little or no negative side effects, hence the possibility of legality and the carefree nature of it's use.
> 
> I am a drug dealer, as society has labled me. As you lable me.
> 
> We are all drug addicts.
> 
> We cannot however, be thieves.


 


     I never labled you a drug dealer or anything else, YOU made an assertion as compared to "real dealers ", my only point was there is no difference between what you're doing and what their doing , real dealers or.......artificial dealers?
     I do however take exception to the statement " We are all drug addicts", speak for yourself, I'm not a drug addict, alchoholic, cleptomaniac, or dependent on anything beyond my freedom.
     You obviously see youself as above others who sell drugs, I have no qaulms with this ( a good self image is a positive thing, as long as it dose'nt stretch to narsisism ). Maybe you should just refer to yourself as an "independant pharmasutical distribution contractor". It may be the same outcome but the lable has less of a negative connotation.
    Best of luck to you and yours.


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## The Effen Gee

No harm no foul brother.

As you can see I feel very strongly about what I do, and stand by my convictions.

It is like a cold war between growers here sometimes, it really is.
Markets, advertising, exposure, names everything. A fledgling monster industry about to unroot everything and pave the way for new. 

Anyone remember the days after prohibition ended?

Where's StonyBud at?
...I'm sure he was around

When I read an article about some jaggoff stealing power it really grinds my gears, because yes...you can make neough to pay your power bill.

...and it is a rewarding career...

BUT...

I have never had to dedicate myself to anything like this before. Never have I spent so much time and energy on anything other than my marrige. We work our butts off, and when we aren't working...we are planning out next move. Brainstorming, streamlining, becoming more efficiant. Working out the kinks, both with the Biz and ourselves. Dealing with interpersonell problems. Payroll, tracking hours, worksharing. 

It is a lot of work, and I believe we deserve to be compensated, just like the power company does. 

Sadly, we have to use money. If everything worked on the barter system like burning man, well, I really don't think that would be much better, human greed usually takes over pretty quickly.


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## WeedHopper

Effen,,you have explained your situation with me in this thread,,and for that I have a new outlook on some of the bigger growers who do what they should to help bring the price down where PPL can afford thier Meds and dont have to buy shitweed. You dont steel Electricity and it seems you really mean what you say about what you do, so I will not be given ya a hard time anymore. Besides,,I am no ANGEL,,believe me. And for those that know me,,they would say, that is an understatement.:hubba:


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