Guidance on avoiding heating fuel thefts

OFTEC and UKIFDA have issued advice to rural households and businesses regarding how to protect fuel tanks against theft.

By taking a few simple steps, and staying vigilant, we can all make it much harder for thieves to steal heating fuel. Fuel theft is still fairly rare and difficult to achieve. With home working now more common, fewer rural homes are left empty during the day so it’s much more difficult for thieves to operate.

While it’s difficult to stop really determined criminals, in most cases a few simple security measures will deter most opportunistic thieves. 

Below are our top five tips to protect your fuel tank:

1. Screen your fuel tank

Many thefts are opportunistic with thieves spotting tanks while in the neighbourhood. It’s a good idea to screen your tank with a fence, wall, plants or a trellis. However, ensure you leave enough room for servicing, maintenance, and fuel deliveries. You must also comply with fire-safety recommendations.

2. Security lighting and CCTV

Motion-activated security lighting will startle potential thieves and could alert you to their presence. CCTV cameras are also a good deterrent and can provide valuable evidence should a theft occur.

3. Tank alarms

These help you monitor fuel levels and some electronic fuel level gauges can alert you if the fuel level drops suddenly. If you have one, make sure you display a 'this tank is alarmed' sign or sticker to increase the deterrent effect.

4. Padlocks

The inspection cap on your tank will usually have eyelets to enable padlocking. A high-quality closed shackle padlock can help to prevent casual theft and is particularly recommended for steel tanks. However, criminals may simply get around these measures by boring a hole in a plastic tank, ruining it, and potentially creating a fuel leak too. For this reason, we recommend that the other measures on this page are prioritised instead. A lockable cage around a plastic tank is a more expensive but effective alternative to a padlock.

5. Be vigilant and join forces with your neighbours

One of the best ways to prevent theft is simply to be alert and watch out for any suspicious activity. If you don’t have a neighbourhood watch group in your area, why not set one up?