I think it's close minded to think "excess" usage is automatically a grow op.
If the person had a record of growing marijuana before it's pretty natural to jump to that conclusion, regardless of how correct that assumption is.it's kinda like how excons got put into suspect list when related crimes occurred in the vicinity.
A person could be doing one of several things easily. all consisting of working out of their home.
Even doing some of these things for a hobby would make a meter spin hard.
a good compressor will eat up electric (woodshop, autobody, mechanic etc etc)
a kiln will eat up electric (ceramics / glass making)
electric water heaters are notorious (chandlers and I have no idea what else) a lot of hot showers
hah
obviously a bitcoin datacenter
someone could even have a real garden as well. (not the kind in the topic)
It would help to know what they consider "normal" or "excessive"
Even doing some of these things for a hobby would make a meter spin hard.
a good compressor will eat up electric (woodshop, autobody, mechanic etc etc)
a kiln will eat up electric (ceramics / glass making)
electric water heaters are notorious (chandlers and I have no idea what else) a lot of hot showers
hahobviously a bitcoin datacenter
someone could even have a real garden as well. (not the kind in the topic)
It would help to know what they consider "normal" or "excessive"
I think "excessive " would mean having a electricity usage far higher than normal(maybe magnitudes higher than thy's neighbours).I agree any of the activity listed would trigger that alert.I'm willing to bet that even if his excessive usage were due to the other activities listed he would still be raided based on his previously record .Especially if he kept those "hobbies" outside superficial scrutiny.
THerefore there wasn't probable cause that he was growing because he had possesion before.
If they caught him growing before ok but they didn't.
And really sherlock no shit "excessive" is more than "normal". Even I knew that.