Heating oil tanks have the ability to store thousands of pounds worth of heating oil, and they are also often located in remote areas – this can unfortunately make them an attractive target for would-be thieves. The chances of being targeted by thieves is relatively low, but becoming a victim of heating oil theft is a costly, inconvenient and a thoroughly upsetting experience.
Here are some useful tips to help protect your home from heating oil theft.
Security Lighting
If your heating oil tank is visible from your home, motion-activated security lighting can startle any trespassers and could alert you to their presence. Alternatively, you could install dusk-till-dawn lights which ensure that your tank is lit 24/7.
Don’t install security lighting if your tank is out of sight, this will help rather than hinder would-be thieves.
CCTV
CCTV cameras act as a brilliant deterrent for thieves; as well as being able to provide valuable evidence for insurance claims and police reports. When purchasing a CCTV system for your home it is important to consider these features:
- Memory: the amount of memory determines how long your CCTV records for before writing over the oldest files. As you might not be aware of a theft until a few days later, a high storage capacity could be beneficial.
- Picture quality: the further away the camera is from the tank, the higher the picture quality needs to be. Plus, better quality means that the chances of catching the criminals is higher.
- Night vision: unless the area surrounding your heating oil tank is always well lit, and infrared camera is recommended as thieves usually operate in the dark.
Tank Locks & Padlocks
Usually, the inspection cap on your tank will have eyelets to enable padlocking. However, you may need to purchase specialist locking bars for other access points – always remember that you should not lock your tank vent.
Thieves usually come equipped with tools, so it’s worth investing in high-quality padlocks for your tank lock or cage. Round-shackle padlocks come highly recommended as they have a close shackle that is very difficult to access with bolt cutters.
Here at QUAD Fuels we can supply fuel tanks if you require any quotes, replacement tanks or even a tank removal service. Give us a call today to discuss your fuel tank needs; for our Colwyn Bay depot – 01492 353103, for our Wrexham depot – 01978 423150.