7 Ways to Prevent Theft from Your Heating Oil Tank
Fossil fuels may be losing popularity, but oil is still used in the UK to heat an estimated 1.5 million homes, plus other commercial, agricultural and industrial premises. Where these households and businesses are in rural locations or sites that are unoccupied overnight or at weekends, they are particularly vulnerable to heating oil theft.
Despite this becoming increasingly common, an appallingly low percentage of reported incidents have resulted in arrests. Understandably, this can leave you feeling defenceless, but there are measures you can take to reduce the risk – here are a few of them.
1. Upgrade to a bunded steel tank
While moulded plastic tanks are becoming more popular, steel is harder for a would-be fuel thief to penetrate quickly and noiselessly. The double skin of a bunded tank gives more than double protection; not only does it mean criminals must penetrate two layers of steel, but the gap between the layers makes siphoning the fuel harder. Atlantis has 27 steel bunded oil tanks to choose from.
2. Choose a locking lid
A locking lid is a simple yet effective measure that prevents unauthorised access to the oil by enclosing all fittings except the vent in a lockable steel cabinet welded to the top of the tank during fabrication.
3. Add a locking filler cap
The most successful deterrents to fuel theft are those that delay criminals, as every second spent near the tank increases the risk of being detected. A locking filler cap will be doubly effective if used in combination with a locking lid, but even alone is a good deterrent.
4. Consider a fill point cabinet
Larger, commercial-sized heating oil tanks feature a fill point. Securing this vulnerable feature with a lockable fill point cabinet will help to deter theft. Atlantis Tanks offer bunded oil tanks with an integral fill point cabinet (welded to the tank during manufacture) or several options that can be retrofitted to an existing tank.
5. Attach an oil tank alarm
An oil tank alarm constantly monitors the oil level in the tank and can tell the difference between the rate at which the level drops during normal operation and an increased rate that might indicate that fuel is being siphoned off. Its audible alarm will warn the criminals that they have been detected, and some can even send an alert to your mobile phone so you can act immediately.
6. Install CCTV cameras and PIR lighting
CCTV and lighting can act both as a deterrent and an aid in gathering evidence in the event of an arrest. Some cameras can even send real-time footage to a mobile device.
Motion-activated lighting should be used intelligently. It can provide illumination for CCTV cameras, but if CCTV isn’t being used, lighting should probably only be used if it is bright enough to disturb neighbours who are willing to alert you or the police. If it can’t help you catch the criminals it will only make their job easier.
7. Hide your oil tank
Most fuel thieves are opportunists who will only target supplies that can be seen from the road. While combustible materials can’t be used within a certain distance of the tank, a fire resistant wall set can shield it from view, reduce the risk of theft and help you comply with building regulations.
You could be more creative and camouflage the tank as an entirely different structure; sometimes the best disguise is to be hidden in plain sight.
Take out oil theft insurance
While no insurance policy will prevent heating oil theft, it can at least compensate you for the loss of fuel and damage to your tank. However, heating oil theft and tank damage aren’t generally included in standard home or business insurance policies, so you will need to specifically request it.