Rural homeowners twice hexed by oil thieves

• Homeowners having to fork out for replacement oil and clean-up costs

• Thieves returning for a second time to steal replacement oil

• Rural insurer reports 153% rise in the cost of claims during the first half of 2011

• Number of claims for oil theft doubled during the first six months of the year

Some rural homeowners are being hit in the pocket twice by criminals as they fork out for replacement heating oil and clean-up costs due to damaged tanks.

Brazen thieves are also returning for a second time to steal replacement oil.

NFU Mutual, the UK’s largest rural insurer, is urging rural homeowners to protect their heating oil supply as the UK prepares itself for another freezing winter.

Last year, as temperatures plummeted, the cost of the commodity shot up towards the end of year from 41 pence per litre in September to 71 pence per litre in December – an increase of over 70%.

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

NFU Mutual can now report that in the first six months of 2011, the cost of heating oil theft increased by 153% compared to the same period in 2010. The East of England was the worst hit region for domestic fuel theft.

Costs were partly due to an increase in the number of crimes, which doubled in the first six months of this year, but also due to the cost of 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.

Commenting on the issue, 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 homeowner may then be responsible for any specialist clean-up operation.

"Unfortunately while oil prices remain high, rural homeowners 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."

When it conducted its annual Rural Crime Survey earlier this year, domestic fuel was third on the list of top ten items most commonly stolen from the countryside, having moved up from sixth place the previous year.

To help deter thieves, NFU Mutual is urging members to consider using a number of preventative methods to protect precious heating oil supplies this winter.

"There are many ways homeowners can help limit the risk of becoming a victim of oil theft," said Whittaker. "Inexpensive methods include planting shrubs and erecting fences to hide exposed tanks, installing a locking cap to tanks and checking fuels levels on a regular basis.

"Homeowners 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.

"Those willing to spend some money to ramp-up their security could consider installing automatic movement sensor lighting to cover tanks and the surrounding area or fitting an alarm system which notifies the householder is fuel is being drained from the tank. Finally, homeowners should check that their insurance policy covers them for fuel theft and cleaning-up any oil spillage."