At todays prices, it's quite possible in some of the larger tanks to have over 1000 of fuel sitting there waiting for some of our more unscrupulous members of the community to relive you of it. Taking simple practical steps can help you keep whats yours!
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The papers this week are reporting a massive increase in the number of heating oil thefts across the Ireland, with some of them being violent.
Police are issuing the following advice to residents to make their fuel tanks as secure as possible:
If possible site the tank so that it is visible from the house and as far away from roads, paths and other public access routes as possible.
Install security lighting to protect the area around the tank as most offences take place overnight.
A remote oil level gauge situated in the house will give warning of any sudden drop in oil level by sounding an alarm.
Lock the filler cap using a good quality padlock and protect the feed pipes to the house where possible.
Make access to the tank as difficult as possible by using fencing with a lockable access gate or perhaps a thorny hedge.
Report any suspect activity to the police straight away.
Personally, I am not convinced about locking the tank, surely there is then a danger that thieves will drill a hole in the tank and that is a far more costly problem.
Carolyn, do your radiators have thermostats on them? That is the best way to control the temperature rather than just turning them off. It would be worthwhile having them fitted if you can. We all need to save money on heating oil these days so if you are unable to get them fitted then I guess the next best thing is to turn them off in rooms you rarely use. If they are rooms you use regularly then it might actually take more oil to keep bringing them back up to temperature.
Does anyone know whether I could save oil by turning off radiators in rooms which are not in use? I have a Grant Combi 70 Mark 2 which hasn't a thermostat as such just a dial which can be turned up or down. It is on the lowest setting but the radiators are still very hot.
Can I have information about heating oil saving tip? My house has 4bedroom and I am considering buying oil now.
BBC PointWest just featured oil theft and a policeman said almost as an aside, "get some lighting".
Think about it. There is nothing to say that lighting automatically confers security. Indeed if not under surveillance it could aid the thief. In the countryside where all else is dark it might draw atention to your situation.
If you want a light, the Institution of Lighting Engineers recommends no more that 150 Watts tungsten light (about 26 Watts Compact flourescent) see:-
http://www.ile.org.uk/index.php?page=technical and scroll down to Domestic Security Lighting (PDF 239K).
It might be better to connect the PIR to a bell or buzzer to alert you to the intruder. I would hide a speaker nearby and have a tape player with the mesage to the effect that "you have been detected and the police are on the way".