Guard Your Heating OilAgainst Theft

Guard Your Heating Oil Against Theft

As domestic heating oil prices continue to rise, the fuel stored in your tank is a valuable commodity

and it can become a tempting target for thieves. Oil theft is on the increase and as winter comes on

its common to see stories in the press about oil being stolen, especially in rural areas. The theft itself

isn’t the only problem, thieves will often damage tanks whilst stealing oil and this can lead to

leakage and result in contamination of the surrounding soil which will need an expensive specialist

clean up.

The very fact that you’re using oil for heating means that you’re probably a little off the beaten track

and may not have near neighbours. This presents potentially easy pickings for a thief but fortunately

there are some simple steps you can take to help protect your fuel and ensure that your supply stays

secure.

Lock 'em up

At the simplest level you can fit locks to your tank inspection covers and fillers. These are an

effective deterrent and relatively inexpensive. A specially designed locking cap will be a little more

costly but is likely to be more secure than a padlock as they’re not easily removed using a crowbar or

bolt cutters. If your tank is located in an outbuilding make sure it’s kept locked up at all times.

Stay Hidden

By their nature oil tanks tend to be large and easily seen and this makes them uniquely vulnerable. If

your tank is visible from the road or a public footpath consider planting shrubs or erecting a fence so

that passers-by can’t see it. Having security lighting near your tank is a strong deterrent too as

criminals don’t like to be seen in their activity. You might also consider a security camera – even if

it’s only a dummy – to provide a further deterrent.

Raise the Alarm

If you want a more sophisticated anti-theft solution there are alarms that can monitor the level in

the storage tank and send out an alert when there’s a sudden drop. This can be used to trigger an

audible alarm to scare away a thief or to send a signal to a remote receiver so that action can be

taken.

If the worst should happen then taking out insurance on your oil can cushion you from the pain of

having your heating oil stolen. You can take out a specialist heating oil policy to ensure that you’re

covered. Some household policies will cover heating oil but not all do so it pays to check your policy

and take out extra insurance if necessary.

Oil theft is a problem but by taking a few precautions you can ensure that you don’t fall victim to it

and that your supply remains secure this winter.

With domestic heating oil prices rising it pays to become a fuel fighter and take steps to secure your

oil against theft.