Heating Oil Use..theft?
Discussion
Back in November I worked out we used about 170L max a month. I based this on a diagram of the bunker and using a dip stick and measuring tape with a bit of math thrown in. It was a pretty solid and reliable calculation. We have a house of approx 250sq M, it's 5 years old, very efficient but we do have the heating/boiler going all the time.
What is puzzling is we had a top up of 500L only 52 days ago. Yesterday the boiler stopped working. Plumber checked the oil tank-empty! And we would have had a bit in there at the date of top up. BUt let's assume we have used at least 500L in this short period.
Likely? I can't believe we have. Then again I am not so sure we have been robbed.
Cost to top up tomorrow £1 per litre!
About to get robbed again.
What is puzzling is we had a top up of 500L only 52 days ago. Yesterday the boiler stopped working. Plumber checked the oil tank-empty! And we would have had a bit in there at the date of top up. BUt let's assume we have used at least 500L in this short period.
Likely? I can't believe we have. Then again I am not so sure we have been robbed.
Cost to top up tomorrow £1 per litre!
About to get robbed again.
burwoodman said:
Cost to top up tomorrow £1 per litre!
What in f
k flaming vadge?! We were quoted 59ppl last week?! That was assuming a minimum order of 2000l, but even so the delta shouldn't be that large. Where are you?Do you have a plastic or metal tank? Our old metal tank developed a leak on one rail of the plinth - typically at the back where we couldn't see it. Our consumption crept up slowly, but it wasn't until the thing went BANG and split right acroos the the plinth that we realised we had a problem!
The main supplier in Fernhurst is Fuel Care. They quote 66p I think as of today but can't get to us until Monday. That's no good for us as both my wife and daughter are down with bad chestie colds ergo cheekie chappies speedy delivery at £1 a L.
I realised a few Jerry cans wasn't going to touch a 1400L tank so asked if he could deliver 150. Afraid the minimum is 500L so that'll be £500. Nice and simple math mind.
I'm just baffled. Have I used it or has my neighbour 'borrowed' it. The plumber seemed to know.... it must be travellers
edited to add-tank is only 5 yrs old and plastic/polymer. It could be leaking but i doubt it
I realised a few Jerry cans wasn't going to touch a 1400L tank so asked if he could deliver 150. Afraid the minimum is 500L so that'll be £500. Nice and simple math mind.
I'm just baffled. Have I used it or has my neighbour 'borrowed' it. The plumber seemed to know.... it must be travellers
edited to add-tank is only 5 yrs old and plastic/polymer. It could be leaking but i doubt it
Edited by burwoodman on Thursday 17th March 16:43
Any nicks in the fuel line anywhere betwixt tank and boiler? Is it gravity fed or pumped?
Crucially, if you're concerned about theft, is the tank secure?
May be worth doing the sums on grabbing a small drum of fuel from somewhere local to tithe you over until monday? If you're going through 150-170l a month, then 75l (3x jerry cans) should see you through the weekend?
Crucially, if you're concerned about theft, is the tank secure?
May be worth doing the sums on grabbing a small drum of fuel from somewhere local to tithe you over until monday? If you're going through 150-170l a month, then 75l (3x jerry cans) should see you through the weekend?
May also be worth phoning around to other suppliers - tell them your "usual" supplier has let you down, and you're stuck with kiddies unwell.... chances are someone may well step up to bat at a reasonable price in the hope you will use them again for your new usual supply.... and if they do step up, then I suggest you use them.
When our tank split, we were likewise quoted extortionate rates unless we were prepared to wait several days - within two phonecalls I'd found a new supplier who got some to us that afternoon, enough to see us through until two days later when they came back and filled up the rest - all for the same low price.
It pays to shop around!
When our tank split, we were likewise quoted extortionate rates unless we were prepared to wait several days - within two phonecalls I'd found a new supplier who got some to us that afternoon, enough to see us through until two days later when they came back and filled up the rest - all for the same low price.
It pays to shop around!
Sounds to me like theft could be the likely story if there's no leaks. Apparently the preferred method is to drill thought plastic tanks where the filler cap is locked, with a hand drill and then use a hand pump to pump out the contents. If you've got a flimsy cap, they could have jsut inserted a small (or several) pipe in through the opening.
The fact your tank was filled recently would also support this. There has been a spate of thefts near my parents where it would appear the gang have been following the oil truck and noting down where it had dropped off. They then returned shortly afterwards (days / weeks) and emptied the contents.
burwoodman said:
The tank isn't secure. It has a flimsy latch on which you could attached a lock but a solid boot would tear that off. If someone has bothered to go to all the effort involved in stealing our oil they would bring some bolt cutters. I'm not 100% sure I have been robbed
Unfortunately, they aren't that thoughtful. Neighbour found a feckin great hole in the side of his plastic tank where they had rammed a sharpened scaffold pole into the tank wall. This then drained the oil straight out into waiting 25L drums and in to the back of a transit apparently.They aren't concerned about losing any on the floor nor the damage they do.....
If your's is like mine, there are three caps on the top of the tank. Each one can be used to syphon the oil out if you have a 'kindly' tealeaf......
When we ran out just before Christmas ( my fault being a clutz) someone recommended buying some red diesel from a neighbouring farmer to get us over the few days prior to being able to get a delivery. Luckily, a mate offered to drain out some of his to help us out. Not sure the red diesel route would actually work and doubt it's legal....
Hope you get it sorted....
burwoodman said:
robsti said:
Have you underfloor heating?
Yes we do and it's on 24/7. I presume you think we could be using a LOT of oil?He could not get a delivery due to the snow so was putting fuel in daily with Gerry cans and it worked out cheaper staying in a hotel!
In my case, there was a leak in the 20 metre pipeline from the storage tank to the boiler, which fortunately I noticed before the tank was emptied.
Central heating oil will operate in diesel engines, needs lubrication, but easier to hide than red diesel.
My oil tank is nearly empty, and apart from the travellers fraternity threat, I am not going to replenish stocks until I have priced out a replacement LPG gas boiler and tank
Central heating oil will operate in diesel engines, needs lubrication, but easier to hide than red diesel.
My oil tank is nearly empty, and apart from the travellers fraternity threat, I am not going to replenish stocks until I have priced out a replacement LPG gas boiler and tank
I doubt if you've been robbed. My place is about the same size, age and u/f heating. We used a 1000l between early November and end of Feb. Works out at about 70-80l/week although that does include the cold period before Christmas with snow.
Not impossible therefore for you to have used 500l in 7 weeks and if someone did steal some they can't have taken much (it has been fairly chilly of late)
Not impossible therefore for you to have used 500l in 7 weeks and if someone did steal some they can't have taken much (it has been fairly chilly of late)
Fuel oil theft is actually quite common these days and you can see that as prices rise it isn't something that's going to go away. The same is true for red diesel theft from farms. I'm not sure people don't use the heating oil to run diesel vehicles off. Probably not ideal but if you didn't pay for the vehicle in the first place.......
We put an article on the website a little while back now: heating oil theft
In this instance it may well be that you have used the oil but at least you'd know for sure. £1 a litre sounds very nasty. Especially if they supply you on a regular basis. We have an automatic top up agreement with the oil company, it might be worth spending half an hour on the phone if it saves you 200 quid.
Good luck
Henry
We put an article on the website a little while back now: heating oil theft
In this instance it may well be that you have used the oil but at least you'd know for sure. £1 a litre sounds very nasty. Especially if they supply you on a regular basis. We have an automatic top up agreement with the oil company, it might be worth spending half an hour on the phone if it saves you 200 quid.
Good luck
Henry
Fuel oil theft is actually quite common these days and you can see that as prices rise it isn't something that's going to go away. The same is true for red diesel theft from farms. I'm not sure people don't use the heating oil to run diesel vehicles off. Probably not ideal but if you didn't pay for the vehicle in the first place.......
We put an article on the website a little while back now: heating oil theft
In this instance it may well be that you have used the oil but at least you'd know for sure. £1 a litre sounds very nasty. Especially if they supply you on a regular basis. We have an automatic top up agreement with the oil company, it might be worth spending half an hour on the phone if it saves you 200 quid.
Good luck
Henry
We put an article on the website a little while back now: heating oil theft
In this instance it may well be that you have used the oil but at least you'd know for sure. £1 a litre sounds very nasty. Especially if they supply you on a regular basis. We have an automatic top up agreement with the oil company, it might be worth spending half an hour on the phone if it saves you 200 quid.
Good luck
Henry
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