Comments on: Heating Oil thefts – Please report!

By: Andy G

Andy G — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:59:53 +0000

Gits stole whole tank from my folks place in Hampshire (near Hook / basingstoke) – around £1000′s worth I think.

Again, police not interested. Anyone know if home insurance will pay out?

By: Julie

Julie — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 20:18:55 +0000

Heating Oil nicked from Lincolnshire (Gainsborough) area in the last few days, about 500l gone.
Left me with my 2 year old boy and no heating and no hot water and absolutely no cash to get any more for the next month.
Gonna try the house insurance tommorrow and see if they will pay out but not holding out much hope.

By: Phil

Phil — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 18:31:10 +0000

Waste of time reporting oil theft to the Police they are not interested.

“What do you want us to do about it” was one reply I got from the local Police when reporting a theft.

Oil theft in Cumbria is a big problem red diesel and heating oil and the theives are prepared to go to any lengths and kill !

I suppose if the householder gets killed the Police would have to investigate then, bit of an inconvience for them.

Have relocated oil tank behind property about 150 feet from main road, the tanker driver curses me every time he delivers but it has worked, the thieves look for easier pickings elsewhere.

By: Mrs S

Mrs S — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 11:42:04 +0000

My experioence of oil theft has been far more devious – I tracked it back to prior to Christmas 2005 (When the TOTALsite in Herts went up) they were for obvious reason had a backlog of orders and delivered 500 litres 21 Dec 2005 to tide me over (my tank was approx third full approx 300 lites) On 16 Jan they came again to top it up and put 900 litres in. On my reckoning it would be pretty difficult for me to use 400 litres in approx 26 days when I recall it wasn’t a particluarly cold winter.
However it wasn’t till 2007 I started to take notice of my usage, after I had been working away through the week from March through to July and commuting back home at the weekend – I had turned my central heating off. I noticed the oil had gone down about 4 – 5 inches. each week. Someone had been systematically siphoning off about 100 litres at a time on a weekly basis.
During all this time there were times when I walked past the tank that I could smell the fuel oil (kerosene) but thought nothing of it. Another time I noticed that there was a deposit of oil around the nut (it was wet with oil) on the back of the tank. And when I found it actually dripping out – Although I first though that the tank was leaking. When a neighbour got a spanner and turned the nut around three times to tighten it! that I realised someone had been stealing the oil. What was even more unsettling that it must have been a neighbour to be doing it on a regular basis.
I can recall the evening prior to me discovering the dripping from the tank, I had been babysitting for another neighbour they hadn’t come back particularly late and they had driven past my house, it was a drive that runs along the back of the terrace, and then shortly afterwards I came out to go back home that they, whoever they were had been disturbed and didnt have time to tighten the nut. If this hadnt happened I would have been none the wiser for a lot longer. I calculate that the minimum that could have been taken was 900 litres but actually think it was more like 2000 litres over a period of over two years! So be warned and always regularly check usage from the guage on the side of the tank. I now do it on a weekly basis!
Unfortunately the Police aren’t interested and I cannot claim from my Insurance because it has been small amounts over a period of time – If the tank had been emptied – I could make a claim!

By: Sarah

Sarah — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 09:57:52 +0000

Hi Duncan.
I now I am replying to an old message from 2years ago but can you provide your supplir who supplies 250ltrs of oil per delivery?

I am struggling to find a supplier ;-(

Kind Regards
Sarah

By: Phil Hudson

Phil Hudson — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 08:53:04 +0000

Just woken up to a cold house and an empty tank, about 700 litres vanished. I also had EMO deliver my oil a few weeks ago?? But this time just north of Peterborough
Just a thought, with Google Maps now having full street mapping any oil tanks at the front of a property will be visible and the thieving buggers can see it from there lounge.

What an inconvenience just when my wife comes out of hospital and needs some warmth.

By: JS

JS — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 17:47:10 +0000

Had most of a 500 litre order stolen in early Feb this year. When we reported it the Police confirmed our suspicions and said only surprising thing is that they left us some. It was taken within a few days of delivery by Emo to a small village just north of York. Obviously we are going thru the options in a bid to prevent this happening again. Has anyone tried a locking cap of some sort? Our concern is that a serious thief may just damage the tank itself to get the oil thus resulting in further inconvenience to ourselves.

By: michael

michael — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 22:08:25 +0000

had 500 litres delivered on monday, its saturday and we are empty. we noticed that our tank had been tampered with on thursday. this is the second time in 2 months. the general location is bridgerule, holsworthy, devon.

By: GK - Suffolk

GK - Suffolk — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:06:57 +0000

Had 500 litres delivered on the 23rd December. Have been back in Ireland for a couple of weeks for a relatives funeral. Came back a few days ago and discovered last night that all the oil is gone. Normally that would do us for about 4 months. Leaky pipe, hole in my tank or has someone stolen it? I know what I suspect!!

By: m j

m j — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 22:41:46 +0000

I have just had 2000 liters of heating oil stolen from my back garden.reading others i think they had a test run about six weeks ago ,taking about 100 liters , thinking i had run out i orded more thinking this would last until next xmas at least. woke up sunday to find the whole lot has gone.
I live 12 miles outside of Salisbury . Ho well it’s only -2 tonight.