Cheaper Oil for Fuel?

fyr

This advice received yesterday from TV Police, following recent oil thefts in Thames Valley:
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In order to help protect your property you may wish to consider the following tips:-

• The position of the tank can have a significant effect on whether or not it will be attractive to thieves. If the tank is close to the property, with one or more windows capable of giving a view of it, then the thief may consider the chances of being seen too high. If the tank is close to a road, path, drive or alleyway then it will be a far easier target. Hiding the tank behind the garage, shed or some other type of outbuilding is then secured will add barriers that will slow down and potentially put off a criminal.
• Control switches that control the flow of oil should be turned off and the electricity supply isolated when the tank is not in use.

Padlocks

• A thief will usually come equipped with a limited range of tools to attack your tank so it's worth spending a littlemore on good quality locks. Close shackle padlocks are the best as they offer most resistance to the bolt cropper. Try to make sure that the lock is to British standard to ensure the lock is of a good standard.

Oil Level Gauges

• Remote electronic oil level gauges are now available which will set off an audible alarm if the oil level in the tank suddenly drops or falls below a quarter full. These gauges should be placed in areas where they will notify someone to react to the alarm. There are a few different versions on the market at the moment and seem to cost between £70 and £100. Get into the habit of regularly checking oil levels so that you will know if you have lost any.

Security Lights

• Security lights can have a very positive effect and make any property a much harder target for the thief. It's notalways necessary to floodlight the area with high power beams, as a more subtle level of lighting may be all that is needed. Low energy 'dusk till dawn' lights positioned close to the tank should, in most cases, provide sufficient light to illuminate any suspicious activity.

Defensive Planting

• Defensive planting is nature's way of helping to reduce crime. Thieves will not wish to force their way through or over a prickly hedge. The smallest trace of blood or shred of ripped clothing could help the police identify the offender. These shrubs can, if planted around your tank, provide an effective and decorative thief proof barrier. If you would like more information about defensive plants to protect your property contact your local Neighbourhood team on: 101

Securing Your Oil Tank

• Following on from the defensive plant tactic, fences and walls can also make life difficult for the thief. A wooden or metal fence, trellis or wall can give significant protection to the tank, but it must be remembered that the oil tanker driver will need access to fill the tank. A metal or grill cage with a lockable access point across the top of this wall or fence can further improve security. The wall or fence should be as close to the tank and as high as possible. Of course a trellis could also be decorated with defensive planting. A product called 'Tank Guard' surrounds the existing storage tank with a metal enclosure. This sheet metal enclosure has lockable access doors to allow filling and maintenance and has internal anchorage points to fix it to the concrete base. A tank guard costs less than one tank full of oil and will last many years.

CCTV

• The use of CCTV as crime prevention and a crime detection tool can have its uses and could play a part in theprotection of oil tanks, but before you spend lots of money on equipment make an assessment of your needs and get further advice from a Crime Prevention Advisor or CCTV expert.

Additional Advice

• OFTEC or the 'Oil Firing Technical Association for the petroleum industry' offers advice and guidance for thosewho use and store oil at their premises. There are certain rules and regulations that may apply to you and OFTEC will help clarify these for you.
• They can be reached at https://www.oftec.org or by calling 0845 6585 080. They also produce an 'easy guide to domestic oil storage

fyr

G_M wrote: »

Me too. But of course once the tank gets down below halfway (2250 ltrs) I start monitoring prices and top up if I think it's dipped to a low point.

Theft? One or more of:

* most important is to have someone at home for as much time as poss in the weeks following delivery (thieves follow delivery trucks and target recently filled tanks)
* foliage growing over/hiding the tank
* tank out of sight from the road
*Yale Bunded Oil Tank Alarm
* Watchman alarm
* CCTV
*

Yale lock link shows no available product; this seems to be alternative, and I see they also do one for Vent, which I hadn't considered as another weak point:
http://www.tanklocks.com/spinsecure/

Smiley_Dan

Not sure if this helps anyone, because if you need oil you need oil and you can rarely postpone a purchase decision, but oil prices look to keep dropping with the US's shale gas revolution leading to lower oil prices - http://www.upi.com/Business_News/2014/01/01/Xinhua-US-oil-boom-most-underreported-story-in-2013/UPI-18601388557583/#ixzz2pEwwvyQf

I'm not sure how this affects kerosene prices being a newb to domestic heating oil.

Robxk

Just got 500 litres in Leicestershire for 53.50 from rutland oil. Best price I've had for 2 years.

Let's hope it goes down even further.

mnbvcxz

1200l from oj williams of cornwall for 52.90 pence a litre. (55.55 with vat)

Mitchel and Webber were 60p but suddenly offered to price match when we mentioned the other quote but we thought it was fairer to go with the first quoter.

Pleasingly its the cheapest we've had for several years.

manda1205

For anyone who may be interested, I have just had 1000l delivered for 56ppl. I am on Norfolk/Suffolk border and it was CPL who I managed to get the cheapest price from on Friday.

werdnareklaw

manda1205 wrote: »

For anyone who may be interested, I have just had 1000l delivered for 56ppl. I am on Norfolk/Suffolk border and it was CPL who I managed to get the cheapest price from on Friday.

Thanks for that. Just checked with FuelFighter who I use and they quote 54ppl +VAT for 500 litres.

I live mid/east Lincolnshire about 25 miles from Immingham

manda1205

werdnareklaw wrote: »

Thanks for that. Just checked with FuelFighter who I use and they quote 54ppl +VAT for 500 litres.

I live mid/east Lincolnshire about 25 miles from Immingham

My price was inc VAT just in case that wasn't clear.

werdnareklaw

It's warmer down south too!

MoiraMan

53.6ppl in Co. Armagh, Northern Ireland for 900 litres via Beckett Fuels.