Fuel Theft Guide – Prevent thieves from stealing your fuels and oils
Whether you’re a homeowner or business that stores fuels and oils on site, such as on farms, construction sites, domestic properties and even petrol stations, fuel theft is an ongoing problem. That’s why we’ve put together this free fuel theft guide to help you protect your stored assets and deter opportunistic thieves.
Table of Contents
- Why is fuel theft increasing?
- The cost of fuel theft
- Preventing fuel thefts from oil storage tanks
- Location of your storage tank
- Oil level gauges and alarms
- Consider ‘Diesel Secure’ anti-theft marker dye
- Locking fuel caps and anti-siphoning deterrents
- Lock away tools which could be used to access your tank
- Install a cage or security fencing
- Invest in high-quality padlocks
- Invest in outdoor security lighting
- Install CCTV to cover your storage tank and surrounding areas
- Place signage around the site
- Start securing your storage tanks today
Why is fuel theft increasing?
Global fuel prices have surged in recent times as a result of cuts in oil production, international conflicts and trade embargos. With fuel more expensive at forecourts, there’s been a rise in people filling up their vehicles and driving off without paying. In addition to this, as of 1st of April 2022, many businesses and applications are no longer permitted to use rebated fuel (red diesel or gas oil). This means that stored fuel now appears identical to that purchased for personal use, putting white diesel stocks at a much higher risk of being stolen.
The cost of fuel theft
From July to September 2023 the number of fuel thefts from garage forecourts was reported to have risen to 39,563, an increase of 77% when compared to the same period in 2022 and a staggering 362% higher than the same quarter in 2019, before the Covid pandemic (RAC Foundation).
Meanwhile, British Oil Security Syndicate figures have found that the average financial loss for each forecourt site is £10,500 a year (BOSS (British Oil Security Syndicate)). Moreover, for businesses that store greater quantities of their own fuel onsite for the private use of the business, these costs could be even higher, especially when taking into account the costs associated with business disruption.
Fuel theft can include petrol and diesel being stolen from vehicles, and other fuels such as coal, paraffin, kerosene and gas being taken from storage tanks on commercial premises. However, the largest single contributor to this number was drivers leaving fuel stations without payment.
Preventing fuel theft from oil storage tanks
Although it’s not possible to completely prevent fuel theft, there are several measures you can take to help reduce the likelihood of becoming a victim.
The main point to remember is that most thieves are opportunistic and will often target locations which offer the greatest possibility of getting away with their crimes. Therefore, we recommend doing all you can to protect your oil storage tank to make theft as difficult as possible.
Fuel thieves are more likely to target farms and construction sites during long winter nights as the prolonged periods of darkness provide them with more opportunities to operate unnoticed. Criminals will often use basic techniques, such as using a tube to siphon away the fuel; however, the police have reported more sophisticated techniques being used, such as pumping systems to speed up the process and allow them to take a larger amount of fuel and oil.
When it comes to oil storage tank security, there are several measures that you can take to minimise your chances of suffering the effects of fuel theft, which we discuss below.
Above all, you should always report any suspicious behaviour around your property or your neighbours’ properties. Even if you don’t hear about any instances of theft in your area, it could well be that they were spooked and intend to return later. It’s always advisable to let the police know about any of your concerns or observations.
Location of your storage tank
Location is the first layer of protection for your fuel storage system. There are several considerations to make when locating your oil tank:
Position – security
The position of your fuel tank will have a significant impact on how hard it is to target in the eyes of a thief. For example, if the tank is situated close to a road, path, drive or alleyway, it’ll be far easier to access. But on the other hand, locating it in a remote area such as behind a garage or shed could also give thieves an advantage as they stand less chance of being seen.
We recommend installing your storage tank close to your house or work premises, ideally in a location with windows, to help deter thieves. Please note that domestic fuel tank placement must meet OFTEC regulations, while commercial fuel tanks must adhere to the control of pollution regulations. You can discover more information about storing fuel in our oil tank regulations and storage guide.
Position – refilling
As well as considering the security of your tank and the fuel inside it, it’s also important to ensure that the location is accessible to oil tanker drivers. An unsafe or difficult-to-access location may seem like a great idea to make it more difficult to steal your fuels and oils, but it will also make it difficult to safely fill your storage tank.
Oil level gauges and alarms
While your property may already have a burglar alarm, we recommend taking this a step further by fitting an alarm to any external gates that surround your storage tank or inside a shed or outbuilding where your tank is stored.
Another popular option is to install telemetry sensors inside the storage tank itself; if the fuel levels drop below a certain level the system will notify you of any unusual activity, indicating a potential theft or leak.
Consider ‘Diesel Secure’ anti-theft marker dye
Diesel Secure is an anti-theft marker dye that can be added to UK non-rebated fuel (white diesel, DERV, or road diesel), acting as a deterrent to thieves. Similar to how red diesel was used in the past, Diesel Secure makes it easy for police to identify the fuel as stolen, making it less appealing for fuel thieves.
Locking fuel caps and anti-siphoning deterrents
Fuel caps and anti-siphoning devices can deter fuel thieves by frustrating their activities and slowing them down, meaning they’re more likely to be caught and making your fuel an inconvenient target.
Lock away tools which could be used to access your tank
It might sound obvious, but any unsecured tools could give thieves the perfect opportunity to cut through padlocks or any other defences you’ve put in place. If it’s not in use, lock it away.
Install a cage or security fencing
Installing good quality, strong perimeter fencing or a security cage is a significant deterrent and will make it far more difficult for an opportunistic thief by slowing them down. Combined with safety bollards that limit close vehicle access, a good fence can drastically reduce the risk of becoming a victim of fuel theft.
Invest in high-quality padlocks
Investing in high-quality locks such as closed shackle padlocks will offer the most resistance when it comes to thieves trying to break through. Due to their design, there is very little of the metal hoop (shackle) exposed which in turn will make it more difficult for a bolt cutter to get a good grip.
Invest in outdoor security lighting
Our advice so far has been to keep your tank out of plain sight, so masking it in bright lights may seem at odds. But nonetheless, security lighting is an excellent solution worth considering. Especially when it is coupled with CCTV, the additional lighting can help to capture their activities more clearly.
Most criminals will use the cover of darkness to carry out their activities, meaning the winter months’ shorter daylight hours make storage tanks more susceptible to fuel theft. The winter months are also a time when most homes and businesses will be topping up their tanks with heating oil and other types of fuel and oil to see them through until the warmer weather arrives.
So even though installing security lighting won’t always help with preventing the most determined of thieves, especially in rural areas. It may help to prevent your fuel storage tank from being targeted by opportunistic thieves.
Installing a combination of low-energy ‘dusk till dawn’ lights near the storage tank should, in most cases, provide sufficient light to illuminate any suspicious activity without drawing too much attention to the tank itself. This type of lighting is a cost-effective solution to help protect your fuel.
Motion-sensor lights can also help to illuminate the area, dissuading those looking for an opportunity to strike.
Install CCTV to cover your storage tank and surrounding areas
Whilst outdoor lighting may be a good enough deterrent in a populated area, installing CCTV around your premises is an extra layer of security. It can either dissuade anyone from stealing your fuel in the first place, or it can provide the authorities with information to help find the people responsible.
Most modern CCTV systems can record in low-level lighting but with the addition of security lights, the recorded footage will be of a higher quality, allowing it to capture more detail.
Another consideration for your CCTV system is whether you use an on-site system to record the footage or an off-site system which saves the footage to the cloud. Many systems even allow you to view the footage remotely, even if you are not on-site yourself.
You can find further information about CCTV for small businesses on the Government website.
Place signage around the site
Placing signs around the site or premises can help to highlight the security measures you’ve put in place, which acts as a further deterrent.
If you have already installed a CCTV system on your business premises or have plans to, additional signage to highlight that any activity on your premises will be recorded, which could aid the police if any illegal activity is caught. To learn more about the types of signage you may need to use, there is more information on the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) website and the Government’s website
Preventing fuel theft video
Start securing your storage tanks today
With the cost of fuels and oils on the rise and the removal of rebated fuel for many sectors, fuel theft is considered easy money for criminal enterprises and opportunistic thieves alike.
If you’re planning to install a new storage tank on a construction site, business premises or at a domestic property, we can help with our range of products and services, including storage tank installation, fuel uplifts and transfers as well as supplying a wide range of fuels, oils and lubricants.
To find out more about how we can help you with the installation of oil storage tanks and related services, give our expert team a call today on 0330 123 1444 to discuss your requirements.
The figures and statistics were correct at the time of publication.
