Heating oil theft warning

2 April 2008

Home heating oil users have been warned that the climate of rising oil prices could mean that the number of incidents of heating oil theft increases.

According to councillor Seamus Blaney from Ballycastle, Northern Ireland, noted that the number of home heating oil thefts is on the up, the Ballymoney and Moyle Times reports.

He stated that some "desperate people" are turning to crime rather than pay the rocketing prices for heating oil.

"I believe the situation could get worse if the prices keep going up so people should be aware of the threat to their oil," he said.

Exemplifying soaring oil prices, the paper notes that a recent survey in the Times found that one outlet was selling 500 litres of heating oil for £275.

However, prices for 500 litres of oil in the area local to Ballymoney stood at around £220 at the start of the year, the news source claims.

Price comparison site BoilerJuice recently estimated that those with home heating oil can pay as much as £430 (€545.13) more a year for fuel than those on the gas mains network.

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