Fuel Theft Guide

Fuel theft most commonly refers to petrol, diesel and heating oil stolen from vehicles and fuel tanks. Thieves are attracted to remote locations and generally target farms and construction sites during the winter. Even with a prison sentence depending on the severity of the crime ranging from 6 months up to seven years if caught. This often isn’t enough to stop most criminals from carrying out their crimes.

The shorter days and longer nights make it easier to steal thousands of pounds worth of fuel quickly and discreetly. However, while most cases of fuel theft occur during the winter, it’s important to be vigilant throughout the year.

The volume of fuel stolen and the technique used varies greatly. Criminals generally use basic techniques such as a tube to siphon/decant away the fuel into portable containers. However, more recent techniques include pumping the fuel into bulk tanks mounted on or in the criminals’ vehicles, which speeds up the theft and allows larger amounts of fuel to be uplifted.

Unfortunately, in many instances of fuel theft, tank sight tube gauges or supply pipes are smashed or cut during the process. This can cause the remaining fuel to leak into the surrounding environment, causing high clean-up costs for owners who must also repair or replace both fuel storage tanks and stolen fuels or oils.

Fuel oil stored in above-ground tanks is generally more at risk from theft as it’s more easily accessible. If you suspect any suspicious behaviour around a fuel tank, you must report it to the police as soon as possible.

At Speedy Fuels, we provide a tank telemetry system which is essentially a fuel theft monitoring system that has sensors that are fitted to the tank to monitor the fuel on a continuous basis.

If they detect any unusual drop in oil levels, you will be notified that either a theft or leak is in progress, allowing you to take action without delay.

It’s worth noting that this won’t necessarily prevent theft before it happens. By the time you are aware of a mishap, the tank could already be damaged.

Implementing the below steps will help prevent the theft from happening in the first place.

It’s important to put measures in place to protect your fuel tank and make it extremely difficult for thieves to target your fuel.

If you witness a theft in progress, you must never approach the thieves, as this could place you in harm’s way. Try to remain calm and do the following:

1. Call 999 and report the theft to the police
2. If you can, write down or try and remember as many details as possible, such as race, age, height, clothing, number of people, etc
3. Try and make a note of any vehicle’s model, colour and registration number if it’s safe to do so

Once the police arrive:

1. Provide them with all of the information you were able to record or remember
2. Provide them with any evidence, such as CCTV footage
3. Ensure they provide you with a crime number; you’ll need this for any insurance claims

If the theft has already occurred, you must call 101 instead of 999. You should then follow the steps below:

1. Call 101 and report the theft to the police
2. Provide them with any evidence, such as CCTV footage
3. Ensure they provide you with a crime number; you’ll need this for any insurance claims
4. Call your insurance provider to let them know about the theft
5. Consider installing extra safety measures to reduce the risk of theft happening in the future
6. If your fuel storage tank is damaged, have it assessed as it may need to be replaced

The cost of fuel theft can be catastrophic to replace lost fuels and oils and repair tanks, pumps and ancillary equipment. Fuel thefts surged to 39,563 incidents between July and September 2023, a surge of 77% compared to 2022 and more than quadrupled since 2019, costing filling stations an average of £10,500 each per year (RAC Foundation).

While fuel theft is more common at filling stations, fuel theft for larger businesses can be even more costly due to the greater volume of fuel stolen in addition to a halt in business operations.

Fuel cards are growing in popularity, but this, unfortunately, comes with the risk of increased fraudulent activity.

Around 25% of fleet managers have reported that their fuel cards have been intercepted in the post. Card skimming is another issue, with scammers installing cameras over keypads so that they can record the PIN. The card can then be cloned and used to make fraudulent purchases.

Another type of fuel theft is when employees fill up their company vehicle but then siphon some of the fuel for personal use.

But there are steps that you can take to minimise the risk of fuel card theft or abuse. Providing each driver with their own card will help identify each transaction. You can also set card limits once you know how many miles the vehicle does to the gallon on average.

At Speedy Fuels, we offer Harvest Fuel cards which mitigate risk by using chip and pin technology, reducing the risk of theft and fraudulent use and making them a secure option for fleet managers.

Another type of common fuel theft is where someone dispenses fuel from a pump and deliberately leaves without paying. It is often known as ‘making off without payment’ and ‘bilking’.

Occasionally, this can be an honest mistake. In this instance, you can make a civil recovery by completing a V888/2A form on GOV.UK to request the name and address of the registered keeper at the time of the incident. You can then write to the registered keeper, advising them of the time and date of the incident, the amount owed and how they can arrange payment.