Protecting your home heating oil while you are on holidays

Its holiday season and time to ditch all those responsibilities and take a well-earned break.

But not everyone goes on holidays.  Some folks have nasty intentions and use the time that you are on holidays to help themselves to your home heating oil.  Kerosene is a precious commodity these days and as the price fluctuates on an upward trend, it is even more precious than usual.  There are simple things that you can do to protect the oil in your tank from being stolen while you are on holidays.

Lock the tank:  A lock will not keep a dedicated thief from getting into the home heating oil, but it will present a deterrent  and if there is a choice between stealing from a tank with a lock and stealing from one without, we can presume that the latter will lose out and the bolt cutters will not come into use.

Well Lit tank:  Ensure that the area around your oil tank is well lit and if necessary, add a motion sensor light to make life more difficult for those who like to creep in the shadows.

Keyholder:  Let a trusted friend or family member keep the key to your house and pop over regularly to make it look as if the house is inhabited.  Open curtains, turn on lights etc.   If you want to be really safe, a house sitter is a good idea for both home and home heating oil tank.

Alarm:  If you want to up the level of security provided by a locking device, you might want to think of installing an alarm system. This has the added advantage of letting you know when the oil level drops suddenly, but a gauge fitted with alarms will also act as a deterrent to thieves.

CCTV:   There are many types of cameras systems available to keep an eye on your tank.  From simple CCTV systems to complete alarm systems.  Having the tank under the watchful eye of a camera will go a long way to encouraging those kerosene stealers to jog on to another less high-risk victim.

For further advice and information on avoiding losing your home heating oil to thieves, see here   and we have included some good advice on insurance.   An ounce of prevention goes a long way to you enjoying your stress-free, well-deserved holiday and returning to a nice cosy house.   Bon Voyage!