HOMEOWNERS who rely on heating oil have been urged to screen their tanks and install fuel alarms after a spate of thefts driven by soaring fuel prices.

Rural households are being targeted by oil thieves who are exploiting the surge in energy prices by selling stolen fuel on the black market, according to reports from Suffolk Police. The Police Service of Northern Ireland said on Sunday that they had also received recent reports of oil thefts in Fermanagh and Omagh.

The price of oil is continuing to rise, as the situation in the Middle East deteriorates. However, criminals are siphoning off fuel to sell themselves. Around 1.5 million households in Britain that are not connected to the gas grid rely on home heating oil.

Oil boilers are most commonly used by rural homeowners not connected to the gas grid, with the oil pumped from a storage tank located at the property. Many homeowners store hundreds of pounds worth of heating oil at their property at any given time.

The Countryside Alliance has re-issued its oil theft prevention guide for rural households.

Mo Metcalf-Fisher, Director of External Affairs at the Countryside Alliance, said:

"It is sadly no surprise that criminals are seeking to profit off the back of a hike in oil prices by preying on rural communities. An oil tank can be drained within minutes and a tank that's not properly protected will make an easy target for thieves looking to make some quick cash. With oil being liquid gold right now, following theft preventative advice from local constabularies is essential."

There are several measures which can assist in minimising chances of suffering the effects of fuel theft:

This should be common sense but locking down a tank with a secure cap or hardened hoses is always worth doing. However, with some thieves employing pumping systems to extract fuel, it's almost certain that these individuals will turn up with gear to slice their way through basic locks. It is always worth investing in a good-quality lock but this shouldn't be your only line of defence. If a determined criminal has time on their side, they could potentially just drill straight into the tank to extract the contents.

Most criminals use the cover of darkness to escape with their spoils so preventing this with a reliable lighting system can go a long way to tackling fuel theft. For example, the tank could be covered with a spotlight while this system could also be put on a motion-activated system to avoid annoying neighbours. Illumination should go a long way to dissuade those acting suspiciously.

For years, petrol stations have been using CCTV to catch individuals who drove off without paying for fuel. As well as providing evidence to police, these systems also help dissuade other motorists from committing the offence. Investing in a similar setup could have the same effect. Modern CCTV is relatively affordable and can be a valuable tool in your arsenal against fuel thieves. At the very least, a reliable system is far cheaper than the contents of most filled tanks.

Keep your oil tanks close to your house or work premises so you can see any movement around the tanks with ease. This is also to act as a deterrent as thieves will prefer more remote tanks to ensure they are not spotted. However, this is not always possible so installing fences and locked gates around a fuel tank can also be a great deterrent. To have maximum effect though, these should be as high as possible. If this stretches your security budget, you could consider a greener solution. Planting shrubs or prickly thorns around your tank can also be quite effective. Modern forensics mean that a thief forcing his way through a bush will leave enough evidence to identify themselves. The prospect of clambering through spiky foliage should be enough to dissuade many a criminal.

Burglar alarms are useful to prevent access to property and might be a valuable asset if your tank is stored in an outbuilding or shed. Alternatively use an electronic level gauge to keep an eye on the amount of oil or fuel you have in your tank at all times. You will then be alerted if the figures don't add up.

If the system detects something amiss – such as a sudden drop in contents – it will send out an alert such as a text message.

If you have time conduct a daily audit of tank levels and consumption can help with forecasting and identifying how much fuel is generally required month to month and can help identify sudden drops or possible incidents of tampering. This also means that fuel thefts can be discovered almost immediately after they occur.

Rural fuel theft is a serious issue and one which can seriously hamper a business. This is especially true for farms which have been the victim of this offence before as criminals are more likely to try again if they've been successful. Investing in appropriate insurance should be a must in the event the worst should happen.

There is no fool-proof way to prevent yourself becoming the victim of fuel theft but these measures should help make you a harder target.

Report any robberies or suspicious behaviour to the police.