Oil Tank Tips

With Heating Oil costs being so high, the temptation for a thief is equally high and the result is that they are now targeting domestic fuel tanks in addition to the farms and transport depots.

Many tanks can hold hundreds and even thousands of pounds worth of fuel so where you would take every available opportunity to protect a case of cash in the open, you should take the same precautions when it comes to your tank especially when many people will see their heating oil bills rise by about five hundred pounds in a year.

Unfortunately there is no fail safe method for protecting your oil tank from thieves but by adhering to some of the tips below you will at least make it extremely hard work for them to get anything and let’s face it, the easier the task the more likely they will target you!

  1. Fit an Oil Level Gauge to your tank to alert you to an unusual drop in your oil level. This will then allow you to switch on a light or sound your burglar alarm to deter any thieves in action.
  2. Install locks on tank filler caps and manual fuel dispensing nozzles
  3. Think about where your tank is situated. You may not have a say on where your tank is positioned but possible re-siting to an area where it is more secure or out of site if it is visible from a road side would prevent the opportunists. Also if it is overlooked by a window or close to occupied property, most thieves will not take the risk of wanting to be seen.
  4. Ensure all outbuildings that contain tanks are kept locked at all times and remove any empty oil drums / canisters from plain view to avoid drawing attention to an oil tank being on the premises.
  5. Consider investing in CCTV technology or security lighting to cover your tank and surrounding areas to illuminate any suspicious behaviour.
  6. Deter thieves from entering your property by installing security fencing around your property or having locks on all access gates.
  7. Plant shrubs around your tank as a natural defence. Thieves will not want to risk blood shed which will later identify them and they will also act a decorative disguise.
  8. Make note of any unfamiliar vehicles looking suspicious. It has been known that thieves are following Oil Delivery vehicles around different households knowing that they may potentially have a full tank.
  9. Regularly check your tank for any signs of tampering.
  10. Check to see if there have been heating oil thefts in your area by checking the local news or our News Section. Criminals seem to be targeting certain areas and so if one home has already been hit then it increases the chance that your tank may be next.
  11. You should never attempt to approach criminals on your property because things could get nasty. You should call the police instead. No amount of heating oil is worth risking your life for.


For more tips and downloads, see the Oil Tank Resources page.

Oil Theft in the News

Oil theft

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