With one in three fuel thefts taking place during the winter months, thieves traditionally target homes during the longer nights, due to the extended cover of darkness, giving them more opportunity to get away unnoticed.
Fuel thieves often use a basic tube to siphon the fuel, however more sophisticated equipment such as fuel pumps have been reported by police.
It is well known correlation that higher fuel prices, ultimately lead to higher fuel theft rates. Due to the rise of oil prices in 2018, we are likely to see a spike in criminal fuel activity.
Fortunately, there are several measures our customers can take to help prevent becoming a victim of fuel theft. After all, tank fills can cost hundreds, if not thousands of pounds, which could leave many victims facing financial difficulties over the festive period.
Here are our top tips to help prevent fuel theft this Winter:
Keep it Locked
Although locking your tank shouldn’t be your only line of defence, it is a good place to start. Install sturdy locks on your caps, openings, and vent caps if possible. In addition to tank locks, you may look into fitting fuel hoses with hardened/flexible casing so they are harder to cut.
If a criminal is determined, they may potentially drill straight into the tank to extract the contents. But making it as difficult as possible to steal the oil quickly and efficiently does well to put off thieves.
Keep your tank hidden
Installing fences and locked gates around a fuel tank can be a deterrent against thieves. To make them most effective, make your fence as high and possible, whilst still adhering to your local planning department’s regulations.
Planting shrubs or prickly thorns around your tank can also be effective. You shouldn’t let any plants grow too close to the tank or its base, or let them climb over it. If plants are too close to the tank they can make access to refill the tank difficult or even impossible, and fallen leaves or other debris might present a fire risk.
The idea is to camouflage the tank with tall-growing plants or trellises, maybe even some fast-growing trees. A good rule of thumb is to place your plants at least two feet away from the tank, making sure that there is still a safe and hazard free route available for our drivers to re-fuel your tank, as well as being able to access all areas of the tank regularly to make sure it is in sound condition. We may refuse delivery if we are unable to reach the tank safely.
Oil tank insurance
After an oil theft, it’s not just the cost of replacing oil that will be a financial inconvenience. Thieves’ may damage the tank or pipes itself. If any oil is spilt during the theft, you may have to pay for an environmental clean-up. Some thieves may even damage the preventative measures you have in place, such as locks, fencing, even CCTV.
Many home insurance policies may not cover damage or theft of your heating oil tank, or the oil itself. If you don’t know already, check whether your home insurance policy covers your tank and its contents.
Monitor your fuel
Although this may not prevent your fuel from being stolen, regularly check fuel levels can help you easily spot if oil levels drop dramatically without explanation.
It can be quite difficult to manually keep an eye on your heating oil levels. Installing a fuel monitoring device like a Watchman Sonic, or Watchman Anywhere can make this easier. The Watchman Anywhere can even allow you to monitor your oil levels anywhere at any time via an iPhone or Android app, email or text, through your computer, tablet or smart phone, without having to make a journey to your tank.
The Watchman Sonic, or Watchman Anywhere can be purchased from our Maintenance team. More information about the devices can be found via our ‘Guide to Winter Heating’ Brochure, here.
Alarm it
If your tank is stored in an out building or shed, it may be worth investing in a burglar alarm. An outdoor tank however, may benefit from a tank alarm system. Although this won’t help prevent the thieves, the alarm will alert you when your fuel levels have drastically dropped, making you aware of any suspicious occurrences. Many fuel monitors already have this feature. You could even display a ‘This tank is alarmed’ sticker
Security Light
Fuel thieves will always try and find a target where they think they will not be disturbed. Motion-sensing security lights can be particularly cost-effective when it comes to deterring potential thieves, while also alerting homeowners to an unwanted visitor.
CCTV
CCTV is an easy way of keeping an eye on your property while you’re not there. It is an excellent way of deterring any thieves and, if the worst was to happen and a theft did occur, the perpetrators could be identified more easily. Installing one with motion sensors visible from your house will also alert you to possible thieves in your garden.
What to do if your heating oil is stolen:
Only call 999 to report a theft in progress. You should call 101 to report a theft that has already occurred. Once you have a crime number, you should get in touch with your insurance provider straight away.
Reporting a theft while it is happeningA theft in progress;
If you are witnessing a theft in progress, stay inside your home, and do not confront the trespassers and call 999. Record as much evidence as possible. This may be descriptions of the people, photographs or car registrations.
A post theft discovery;Reporting a theft after it has happened
If you discover, or suspect you have been a victim of fuel theft, you should contact the non-emergency police line on 101. You should report your suspicions immediately, along with any relevant evidence you have such as CCTV footage
Follow the advice of Police Scotland:
We would encourage you to read and follow the advice of Police Scotland in regard to preventing oil thefts. Read their advice here.
