Fuel Theft Guide – How To Secure Your Oil Storage Tanks

Learn How to Prevent Thieves from Stealing Your Fuels and Oils with Our Guide

Fuel theft is a growing issue across the UK, costing businesses thousands each year and causing serious operational disruption. With rising fuel prices and increased demand, stored fuel has become an easy target for opportunistic and organised criminals.

But with the right approach, you can significantly reduce your risk.

Why is fuel theft increasing?

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.

There are a number of reasons why fuel theft is increasing, including:

• Rising global fuel prices make theft more profitable
• White diesel is harder to trace than rebated fuels
• Rural and low-visibility sites are easy targets
• Thieves are using more advanced equipment to extract fuel quickly

The real cost of fuel theft

Fuel theft isn’t just about lost litres, it impacts your entire operation:

• Direct fuel loss
• Downtime and missed deadlines
• Equipment damage or contamination
• Increased insurance premiums

UK forecourts alone have seen major spikes in theft incidents in recent years.

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.

How to secure your fuel storage

While it’s not possible to completely prevent fuel theft, there are steps you can take to significantly reduce your risk. Most incidents are opportunistic, with thieves targeting sites that offer easy access and a low chance of being caught. Making your oil storage tank as secure as possible is key to deterring them.

Although basic methods like siphoning are still used, police reports highlight a rise in more sophisticated techniques, including pumps that allow criminals to remove larger volumes of fuel quickly.

There are several effective measures you can put in place to minimise your exposure, which we outline below.

1. Start with smart tank positioning

Your tank location is your first line of defence. If you already have a storage tank in place on your property, it may not be possible for you to move it easily. But for anybody installing a new tank, location is the first layer of protection for your fuel storage system. You should discuss this with the company who are installing your new tank for you, but ultimately, the decision is yours, so you should consider these factors below.

Consider the security of your tank location

The location 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.

Ensure the location is accessible for refilling your tank

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 fuel 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.

2. Install monitoring gauges

Early detection of a theft is critical. Installing tank telemetry sensors inside the storage tank itself are a great way to identify a theft is in action; if the fuel levels drop below a certain level, the system will notify you in real-time of any unusual activity, indicating a potential theft or leak.

3. 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. Learn more about Diesel Secure.

4. Lock 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. Invest in outdoor security lighting

Visibility reduces opportunity. 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. These 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.

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.

9. 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.

10. 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

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.

Above all, stay vigilant. Report any suspicious activity around your property, or your neighbours’, to the police. Even if nothing has been taken, it could indicate criminals are assessing the area and may return.

The figures and statistics were correct at the time of publication.