Heating oil tanks can store hundreds, or even thousands, of pounds’ worth of oil and are often located in remote, dimly-lit areas, which makes them an attractive target to thieves. While the chances of having your
heating oil stolen is relatively low, it certainly isn’t unheard of. Falling victim to heating oil theft is an expensive, inconvenient and upsetting experience. The team here at
Northern Oil want to make sure it doesn’t happen to you. We’ve created this useful guide to help you protect yourself and your home from heating oil theft.
Choose the right tank
One of the best ways to avoid heating oil theft is to choose the right type of heating oil tank. Steel tanks offer the most reliable and robust storage solution, from a security perspective. This is because plastic tanks can easily be drilled into in order to syphon off oil, whereas steel tanks are sturdy and heavy. Therefore, they’re fairly hard to drill into, damage, or remove from the property altogether.
Location, location, location
The location of your heating oil tank can also have a major impact on whether thieves can or will want to target your property. Keeping the tank away from roads, driveways or alleyways makes it less of an easy target for thieves, as does keeping it somewhere you can see from a window. While it’s tempting to hide the tank behind a garage, shed, or other outbuilding, this is a predictable location and means your tank probably won’t be visible from the house, so will give the thief the advantage. Some thieves scope out their targets using Google Maps, so it’s worth putting some kind of cover over your tank to make it invisible on satellite images.
Install security measures
The precautionary measures don’t stop there! There are plenty more ways you can protect yourself from heating oil theft. Some of the extra security measures you can take are listed below.
CCTV
CCTV will come in handy for several different reasons: it deters thieves of all kinds, as well as providing valuable evidence for insurance claims and police reports should the worst happen. You’ll want to make sure that the CCTV system has high picture quality, night vision features, and plenty of memory. A cheaper option would be to install a decoy CCTV camera - it won't record any footage, it could help to deter thieves. The same logic applies to ‘CCTV in operation’ signs and stickers, though these are best used in conjunction with a decoy or real camera.
Oil tank cage
Though unattractive, an oil tank cage is one of the best security measures available, as it puts an extra physical barrier between thieves and your tank. The cage should fully enclose your tank, leave enough space for maintenance and delivery purposes, and be very securely fixed to the ground (we recommend bolts or concrete).
Security lighting
If your tank is visible from your home, get motion-activated security lighting. It will shake up would-be thieves or even deter them completely, as well as alerting you to their presence. Some other useful security measures include: alarm systems, locks, gravel, and defensive plants.
Northern Oil always prioritises safety and security. With over a century’s experience of catering to all our clients’ fuel needs, we’re well equipped to help you efficiently and effectively.
Contact us today to find out more.
