Raiders target rural homes in heating oil hunt

Householders are having to pay out for replacement fuel and costly clean-up operations following the thefts.

Brazen thieves are also returning to properties to steal replacement oil, rural insurance company NFU Mutual revealed.

The warning came as Britain braces itself for another freezing winter. Last year’s was widely reported as the coldest for 120 years.

Last year, as temperatures plummeted, the cost of heating oil shot up towards the end of year from 41p per litre in September to 71p in December – an increase of more than 70 per cent.

This spike was closely followed by an increase in the theft of domestic heating oil as thieves cashed in on rural supplies.

NFU Mutual also reported a 153 per cent rise in the cost of claims for heating oil theft during the first half of 2011, compared with the same period in 2010.

Yorkshire was the sixth worst affected area in the UK, with rural properties with a York postcode experiencing the most thefts. The east of England was the worst-hit region.

Clare Pybus, an insurance broker in Whitby, said people in the area had been badly affected by oil thefts from their homes last year and added that the number of claims was likely to increase this winter.

“This is a very rural area with a lot of people living on single-track roads. So last year people couldn’t even come to deliver replacement oil because of the weather,” she said. “People were having to come into Whitby and pay a premium for collecting it and installing the pumps themselves. It was a nightmare.

“Claims could very well go up. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if they do, if you think oil is going missing.”

She said rising costs were partly due to an increase in the number of crimes but also due to the bills for cleaning up any environmental damage caused by thieves.

The most expensive claim dealt with by NFU Mutual this year for clean-up costs as a result of a damaged tank following an oil theft was over £30,000.

In a rural crime survey conducted by the insurance company earlier this year, domestic fuel was third on the list of top ten items most commonly stolen from the Yorkshire countryside, having moved up from sixth place last year.

Tool theft topped the list and was followed by quad bike theft in second place.

To help deter thieves, home owners are being urged to plant shrubs or erect fences to hide exposed fuel tanks. Installing a locking cap, checking fuel regularly and fitting an alarm system which notifies the householder if fuel is being drained from the tank are among other preventative measures recommended.

Nicki Whittaker, a rural affairs specialist at NFU Mutual, said: “Thieves will often damage oil tanks in the process of removing the oil. Leaking oil can contaminate both the soil and groundwater and the home owner may then be responsible for any specialist clean-up operation.

“Unfortunately, while oil prices remain high, rural home owners will remain a target. Rural homes with no access to a mains gas supply have no choice but to struggle with rising oil prices and the additional cost of repeat thefts and potential contamination issues are an added worry for rural dwellers.”

She added: “There are many ways home owners can help limit the risk. Home owners should remain vigilant, note down any suspicious vehicle registration numbers and report them to the police.

“They should also be aware that if thieves have already stolen fuel from a tank they may return to steal replacement oil.”

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