Stolen heating oil

Greaney

Just posting this to give folks the heads up. A friend of mine (older lady, early 60's) got her heating oil stolen TWICE in the last three weeks!! Just advising folk to find a way of securing their oil tank.

The theives often leave enough for a few days/week or two, so that folk don't notice it's gone and think 'gosh, I used up my oil awful quick'. So if you've used your heating oil up in a very short period of time, you may have been stung.

Dempo1

Scumbags, worst kind of thief's!:mad::mad::mad:

fergiesfolly

What area did that happen? Have a feeling we may have been bled as well.

Sponge Bob

Renmore, probably

gaeilgegrinds1

Happened my fiance's aunt in Barna, left enough for the rest of the week. She was away until Friday and the place was freezing, she had had the oil set but of course none in it. Scumbags.

Madame Razz

We had over a thousand litres taken earlier this year. We were away at the time and had the dogs with us. Purposely only order in smaller amounts now as a result; I know this costs a bit more but if my oil is going to be thieved again I would rather they got as little as possible.

epgc3fyqirnbsx

Can you claim off your house insurance of this happens?

Amhran Nua

We put an L-shaped bar through the cap on the tank and a padlock on the other side of it, no more problems on that front.

stunt_penguin

Amhran Nua wrote: »

We put an L-shaped bar through the cap on the tank and a padlock on the other side of it, no more problems on that front.

Er yea hangonaminute... doesn't everyone have the tank padlocked? Thought this wold be the S.O.P for anyone with the best part of a grand sitting in their back garden...

x in the city

why cant people put a cage or a fu||k off electric fence across the drum...

Dempo1

stunt_penguin wrote: »

Er yea hangonaminute... doesn't everyone have the tank padlocked? Thought this wold be the S.O.P for anyone with the best part of a grand sitting in their back garden...

Yeah, problem with these determined scumbags is they will pierce a hole at the bottom of the tank and drain the oil out if they can get past a padlock, i have heard a number of people caught out like this!

gaeilgegrinds1

Slightly diverging here but this is the very reason tackling crime is one of my top qualms when politicians come to my door. When you hear what happens these theives your blood boils, or what doesn't happen!!!

Chopper40

My neighbour heard a noise in her garden a couple of weeks ago and looked out and there was a scumbag robbing her oil. She rang the cops and the said they'd radio the nearest copper in the vicinity. she was peeping out the window and the scumbags walky talky went iff!!! it was actually a copper stealing her oil. then he sneaked away and then came to the door and pretended nothin happened. the lady was elderly and too afraid to tell the cop what she had seen. then the dirty cop said he needed to take the barrels that he had already filled away as evidence and for finger printing and she hasnt heard word since!!! Its crazy

Chopper40

Chopper40 wrote: »

My neighbour heard a noise in her garden a couple of weeks ago and looked out and there was a scumbag robbing her oil. She rang the cops and the said they'd radio the nearest copper in the vicinity. she was peeping out the window and the scumbags walky talky went iff!!! it was actually a copper stealing her oil. then he sneaked away and then came to the door and pretended nothin happened. the lady was elderly and too afraid to tell the cop what she had seen. then the dirty cop said he needed to take the barrels that he had already filled away as evidence and for finger printing and she hasnt heard word since!!! Its crazy

That sounds a bit OTT to be honest. A guard wouldnt need to go around robbing oil. Never think he might have had a scanner to hear any potential talk on the guards frequency?

gaeilgegrinds1 wrote: »

Slightly diverging here but this is the very reason tackling crime is one of my top qualms when politicians come to my door. When you hear what happens these theives your blood boils, or what doesn't happen!!!

I'd be the same but sadly unless you murder someone or are caught with a substantial amount of drugs your not going away for more then a year. Then you have the good behaviour crap that means they do HALF of what they were sentenced too.

Was reading the local paper last week, a taxi driver was pulled from his car and ''viciously'' beaten and your man got a suspended sentence mainly because he paid E1000 in compensation. That should be compulsory to avoid a DOUBLE sentence, and if they don't pay it, take it from their dole

Chopper40

its not OTT. its true. I'll give you the old ladies phone number if you want. you can ask her.I'll even give you her address and you can call around and investigate the tank yourself. ya never know maybe she'll give you a cup of tea and a McVities Hobnob

regarding the scanner idea, thats OTT. He was in uniform!!!!

Black_Knight

Friends of mine had theirs stolen a few weeks back from Gaelcarraig park in westside. Behind Westside dunnes. Granted its not a great area (im too kind) but awful bástards who did it. They had only got a refill recently and all.

I wonder are they watching for the heating oil trucks going around, knowing that its payday when they rob that houses oil.
I also wonder is there someone on the inside letting the scum know. The scum get free oil, while the supplier sells more oil.

Amhran Nua

Black_Knight wrote: »

I also wonder is there someone on the inside letting the scum know. The scum get free oil, while the supplier sells more oil.

Should be easy enough to check, have anyone who has had their oil stolen tell us the supplier, if its 100% the same company you might be on to something. I kind of doubt it though.

biko

Chopper40 wrote: »

regarding the scanner idea, thats OTT. He was in uniform!!!!

Wait, she saw a "scumbag" stealing oil, his walkie talkie then went off and he then came around and called to the door in uniform?

That's pretty serious allegations you are posting there, has this been reported to Mill Street?

_Whimsical_

Chopper40 wrote: »

its not OTT. its true. I'll give you the old ladies phone number if you want. you can ask her.I'll even give you her address and you can call around and investigate the tank yourself. ya never know maybe she'll give you a cup of tea and a McVities Hobnob

regarding the scanner idea, thats OTT. He was in uniform!!!!

...a guard in uniform stealing oil?
I didn't think things had got QUITE that bad in the public service yet:D

Seriously though, could you friend be a little confused about this? The most likely scenario would be that she spotted someone stealing oil,he had a radio scanner and heard the police were on route so dumped the oil barrel and the guards then arrived,found the oil and came to the door with it.

Its scary enough to think the thieves are slick enough to be monitoring police radio in the course of their crimes. However If there is a guard who is insane enough to be out committing crime in uniform in broad daylight we all have a lot more than our oil to worry about.

Incidently it is interesting about the radio scanner. The last two times I've got oil I've noticed the delivery guy has radio'ed it in to the office to confirm he'd delivered and to check that the oil was prepaid by laser card. Maybe someone is monitoring their radio communications to get the lowdown on who is getting oil that way.

_Whimsical_

Dempo1 wrote: »

Yeah, problem with these determined scumbags is they will pierce a hole at the bottom of the tank and drain the oil out if they can get past a padlock, i have heard a number of people caught out like this!

Do they only steal small quantities? How do they take a tank load and get away with it? It's not like you could stash it under your arm.

In theory it should be easy enough to spot someone coming if they're planning to do this.There should be some obvious large gear like a drum required.

hairyfairy00

Black_Knight wrote: »

Friends of mine had theirs stolen a few weeks back from Gaelcarraig park in westside. Behind Westside dunnes. Granted its not a great area (im too kind) but awful bástards who did it. They had only got a refill recently and all.

I wonder are they watching for the heating oil trucks going around, knowing that its payday when they rob that houses oil.
I also wonder is there someone on the inside letting the scum know. The scum get free oil, while the supplier sells more oil.

How did they get into the back garden? Only reason i ask is because the back alleys are gated off, or was it one of the houses backing on to Innishannagh because they have no alley to the back?

And as for you being "too kind" about describing Gaelcarraig/Westside, i for one have had it up to my eyeballs with people bad mouthing the area. I've lived here all my life and have never experienced any trouble.

Anyway back OT, people who steal heating oil should be shot with a ball of their own sh1té!

bryaner

Chopper40 wrote: »

its not OTT. its true. I'll give you the old ladies phone number if you want. you can ask her.I'll even give you her address and you can call around and investigate the tank yourself. ya never know maybe she'll give you a cup of tea and a McVities Hobnob

regarding the scanner idea, thats OTT. He was in uniform!!!!

Sorry but that comes across as pure bull sh!t.

Black_Knight

hairyfairy00 wrote: »

How did they get into the back garden? Only reason i ask is because the back alleys are gated off, or was it one of the houses backing on to Innishannagh because they have no alley to the back?

And as for you being "too kind" about describing Gaelcarraig/Westside, i for one have had it up to my eyeballs with people bad mouthing the area. I've lived here all my life and have never experienced any trouble.

Anyway back OT, people who steal heating oil should be shot with a ball of their own sh1té!

No idea about the back garden situ.

All I know is they got robben, my other buddy in Laurel park (or there abouts) got robbed about 6 weeks ago. Another guy got robbed in Greenview Heights about 2 years ago. There was one also about 2 years ago, something like a drug bust in her estate. Somewhere around laurel park, but im a bit sketchy on those details.

Thats all :rolleyes:, but then again, I dont think I know/knew anyone else who lived in that area so from my perspective its got a bad record. Living there all your life is probably different, id say they'd be quicker to rob some temporary nobody resisdent than someone whos been living there all their life.

dollybird2

I live in Westside and had oil robbed a couple of years ago. Good quantity they got also. I have the back garden secured and a 2 gates with padlocks locking off entry through the side of the house. So far this has worked thankfully. Total scumbags robbing oil, took long enough to get money together for it in my case that it boils my blood someone would come along and rob it.

Chopper40 - Your post is reminiscent of the crap you posted in the Mayo forum that Biko has now edited. Total spam.

Greaney

To answer the question about where her oil was stolen from, she lives in Gentian Hill, between Knocknacarra and Salthill so I don't think the remarks regarding one's address apply.

She also thought they might have been watching her house as they were back to steal the second lot very quickly.

Ficheall

Oil stolen from ours in Hazel Park - probably over the hols. Only noticed yesterday as I'd been slow to go turn the heating on after all the water froze and wanted to make sure everything else was in working order. We had no lock on the tank, and we're in an estate with neighbours on both sides and a row of houses facing our back yard. Tank would be fairly accessible just by jumping over the back wall and sticking a pipe in - there's even a handy road at the back wall of the house where one could park inconspicuously whilst subtly nabbing the oil.

Suppose I should report the incident to the Gardai, but I've no real interest in having them come out to the house - hopefully they'll tell me over the phone to put a lock on it, that they've heard from people with similar problems all over the city, and that I should keep an eye on it in future and let them know if anything like that happens again...

seriouslysweet

Why would you mind them coming to the house? Just wondering is there something I am missing. Would there be lots of student houses there? I wonder do they go more for better areas or otherwise? It's an awful thing to do regardless.

Ficheall

Ah no, I don't mind per se, it's just that it's not as though they'll be able to do anything anyway, and it just wastes both my time and theirs.
And aye - at least half the houses are student houses, or at least rented, I'd say..

seriouslysweet

I wonder would they think they'd get away with it more then...nasty thing to do. We've three dogs, they'd leave limbless!!!

_Whimsical_

Ficheall wrote: »

Ah no, I don't mind per se, it's just that it's not as though they'll be able to do anything anyway, and it just wastes both my time and theirs.
And aye - at least half the houses are student houses, or at least rented, I'd say..

Sorry that happened to you.:o

For interests sake...
Did you buy oil in the weeks before your oil was stolen ?
Just wondering as several people in this thread felt oil was stolen shortly after they'd bought it.

Ficheall

It was about two months, I reckon.
Tbf, people will be more inclined to think "I'd only just bought the damned stuff" than "well.. I got a couple of months out of it" anyway - or even might not realise their oil had been pinched if they'd had it a reasonable length of time!

_Whimsical_

Ficheall wrote: »

It was about two months, I reckon.
Tbf, people will be more inclined to think "I'd only just bought the damned stuff" than "well.. I got a couple of months out of it" anyway - or even might not realise their oil had been pinched if they'd had it a reasonable length of time!

Yup, very good point Ficheall. Thanks for answering. Thought as much myself but still I was curious.

DRakE

Chopper40 wrote: »

My neighbour heard a noise in her garden a couple of weeks ago and looked out and there was a scumbag robbing her oil. She rang the cops and the said they'd radio the nearest copper in the vicinity. she was peeping out the window and the scumbags walky talky went iff!!! it was actually a copper stealing her oil. then he sneaked away and then came to the door and pretended nothin happened. the lady was elderly and too afraid to tell the cop what she had seen. then the dirty cop said he needed to take the barrels that he had already filled away as evidence and for finger printing and she hasnt heard word since!!! Its crazy

LOL, pure bull****

Ficheall

I feel I should apologise to our city's scumbags - seems our oil wasn't stolen after all, Ficheall just stupidly managed to hit a ridge in the tank all three times he dipped the stick in, and didn't get anywhere near the bottom of the tank :rolleyes: I'm sure there's a beautiful coitus analogy there somewhere...

tommy21

Ficheall wrote: »

I feel I should apologise to our city's scumbags - seems our oil wasn't stolen after all, Ficheall just stupidly managed to hit a ridge in the tank all three times he dipped the stick in, and didn't get anywhere near the bottom of the tank :rolleyes: I'm sure there's a beautiful coitus analogy there somewhere...

Well you've learned a lesson Ficheall which should stand to you in future - its not the length of the dipstick that counts, but how you use it.

ttoppcat

I got 300 euros worth of oil in on the 8th of october. I probably used it 4/6 hour per day max and by the 19th of December it had ran out. I had called my landlord to see if there was a problem with the heating system as i thought theres no way I could have used that much so quickly. He came and checked and said there was no oil left in the tank. He kindly offered to stick 200 euros worth in it that weekend as I was heading off to the folks place for the weekend and that i could sort him out at a later date.
I left for my hols on the 22nd of December and was gone till the 5th of Jan. The landlord asked me to leave the oil on constant while i was gone at least while the cold spell lasted as its an old house and he had trouble with burst pipe last year. I told him i wasnt keen on doing this as it would cost so much but as the pipes in the house were frozen and as he said he would keep an eye on the place and put it on timer when the thaw came I agreed.
2 days ago he came to the door to say he'd just checked the oil and that i was almost out!!! I said I still owe ya for the last lot you put in and he said not to worry about that for now just get oil in for the house and we'd sort the other money later. I expressed my disbelief that 200 euros worth had gone in such a short space of time, whereby he told me it was 300 he'd had put in it!!!
He's a totally level guy so theres no issue there but i'm now wondering could I have been robbed? Or would leaving the heating on constant for so long use that amount of oil??
The other thing is I'm really hoping he doestnt actually charge me full price for that fill he put in as I feel its unfair as its not my fault the house is old and I was not comfortable leaving the heating on full time. And if i do have to pay it it means my total heating bill for the winter alone could be at least 800euro!!!

Phew sorry that took longer to explain than i though:o Any ideas?

Ficheall

You left the heat the entire time!? That's nuts.

ttoppcat

Ficheall wrote: »

You left the heat the entire time!? That's nuts.

I know:o I should never have agreed to it, but i'd so much on my mind and trying to get everything organised before xmas and the landlord seemed really worried as there was ice formed on the attic tank and I'd no water due to frozen pipes within the house.
I would hope he'll be decent about it and not charge me for oil that i wasnt even here for!!!

edit: I should also mention that i turned the thermostat down to half before i left..

inisboffin

ttoppcat, even on full time, it seems like ye may either 1) have a really inefficient system, 2) have a leak or 3) had it stolen!

My parents had their heating on the whole time, for a couple of months and didn't use that (they had some broken rads, it was kind of silly of them to do anyway).
Also check your house thermostat if you have that. It that is broken the heating will stay 'on' ALL the time, as opposed to reaching a certain temperature, and then shutting off when that is reached (although permanently 'switched on', it should fire on and off with a thermostat in the house)

get_d_hand_in

All depends on how big the house/boiler. All the oil could be used if it was on 24hrs for 2 weeks.

ttoppcat

Thanks for that guys. Will ask the landlord about the thermostat inisboffin. Yeah i thought it seemed a bit excessive even with leaving it on constant for a week.
Get d hand in...Its a old style 3 bed, two storey farm house, not massive but big enough. I dont think it was on for the full 2 weeks as when i came back it was on timed not constant but i'll check wiht the landlord.
Either way I think I need to get a padlock just to be on the safe side!

inisboffin

ttoppcat wrote: »

Thanks for that guys. Will ask the landlord about the thermostat inisboffin. Yeah i thought it seemed a bit excessive even with leaving it on constant for a week.
Get d hand in...Its a old style 3 bed, two storey farm house, not massive but big enough. I dont think it was on for the full 2 weeks as when i came back it was on timed not constant but i'll check wiht the landlord.
Either way I think I need to get a padlock just to be on the safe side!

Do get a lock, was just thinking that myself. If it was on timed, you definitely shouldn't have used that much. There's a ton of variables, but a figure tossed around was in winter, a house would use 9l or 2 gallons ISH a day. But again, tons of variables..

Discodog

I know of an old lady who discovered that the oil company, that she had been using for years, had been charging her for oil that was never delivered. The delivery driver was faking the deliveries & stealing the money.

Padkir

Discodog wrote: »

I know of an old lady who discovered that the oil company, that she had been using for years, had been charging her for oil that was never delivered. The delivery driver was faking the deliveries & stealing the money.

That happened with an Oil company in Galway county, who since went out of business, and has set up again as his 5 year ban on being a director of a company is over. What I can't understand is why people would even contemplate buying off him again, but he seems to be getting on well!

And also, I work part-time in the oil business, and I don't think people realise how little you're getting for €200 worth, with any sort of freezing weather, for a lot of the examples given here, I would think that most of you have used it!

Example - Ttoppcat, not picking on you but using your example to explain!:o
you are saying that €300 lasted from 8th October to the 19th of December. From when you bought it I'd say that would have been circa 400lts, it's very very probable you used that in 2 and a half months, considering it was the coldest December on record!:o

tommy21

Padkir wrote: »

That happened with an Oil company in Galway county, who since went out of business, and has set up again as his 5 year ban on being a director of a company is over. What I can't understand is why people would even contemplate buying off him again, but he seems to be getting on well!

And also, I work part-time in the oil business, and I don't think people realise how little you're getting for €200 worth, with any sort of freezing weather, for a lot of the examples given here, I would think that most of you have used it!

Example - Ttoppcat, not picking on you but using your example to explain!:o
you are saying that €300 lasted from 8th October to the 19th of December. From when you bought it I'd say that would have been circa 400lts, it's very very probable you used that in 2 and a half months, considering it was the coldest December on record!:o

Probably because people are unaware of his past!

Padkir

tommy21 wrote: »

Probably because people are unaware of his past!

Fair enough some people may be unaware, but I mean this was in the courts and papers, etc. Usually it's amazing how quick any bit of bad publicity spreads, but this seems to be the exception...!

ttoppcat

Padkir wrote: »

And also, I work part-time in the oil business, and I don't think people realise how little you're getting for €200 worth, with any sort of freezing weather, for a lot of the examples given here, I would think that most of you have used it!

Example - Ttoppcat, not picking on you but using your example to explain!:o
you are saying that €300 lasted from 8th October to the 19th of December. From when you bought it I'd say that would have been circa 400lts, it's very very probable you used that in 2 and a half months, considering it was the coldest December on record!:o

Cheers for that Padkir. I'm glad (in a way) to think it hasnt been stolen!! Just got another 250 euros worth delivered today so I'm gonna have to seriously ration it if its to last me till spring. It really is unbelievable how much the prices have risen:(

RMD

ttoppcat wrote: »

Cheers for that Padkir. I'm glad (in a way) to think it hasnt been stolen!! Just got another 250 euros worth delivered today so I'm gonna have to seriously ration it if its to last me till spring. It really is unbelievable how much the prices have risen:(

As mentioned €300 from October to December does sound normal enough. But in regards to the Landlord topping it up and running it while you're away, considering it's his property it's technically his responsibility to keep it running smoothly and in good nick. If that means keeping the heating on while you're away, that should be coming out of his own pocket.

Put a lock on lads, get a good one while you're at it. 10-15 euro could save you hundreds of euro in the end, better off not buying the cheapest thing you can find down in the hardware, more than likely can be snipped with a bolt cutters. Get something good and don't run the risk.

inisboffin

RMD wrote: »

As mentioned €300 from October to December does sound normal enough. But in regards to the Landlord topping it up and running it while you're away, considering it's his property it's technically his responsibility to keep it running smoothly and in good nick. If that means keeping the heating on while you're away, that should be coming out of his own pocket.

Put a lock on lads, get a good one while you're at it. 10-15 euro could save you hundreds of euro in the end, better off not buying the cheapest thing you can find down in the hardware, more than likely can be snipped with a bolt cutters. Get something good and don't run the risk.

Unfortunately it is the OP's choice whether or not they stayed for Christmas, and technically fair maintenance is renters responsibility - but it could be argued on means, as oil is an expense, but usually occupying a place would mean it is warmer.

Agree about a good lock, worth the money.

Padkir

RMD wrote: »

Put a lock on lads, get a good one while you're at it. 10-15 euro could save you hundreds of euro in the end, better off not buying the cheapest thing you can find down in the hardware, more than likely can be snipped with a bolt cutters. Get something good and don't run the risk.

A lock might deter anyone going in trying to steal your oil, but if the tank is in a spot they can get away with it and they've decided they want your oil, I've seen countless tanks pierced or the pipes at the bottom cut, meaning you lose both your oil and the tank, which could be another €300!

It's awful what people think they can do!:mad: I'd love to come on someone in my back garden trying to take it!!

SinewaveSurfer

Guys,
of those of you seemingly experiencing OIL theft... are you sure it hasn't happened at the point of delivery ?

We use the same company, and relatively recently started dipping immediately after each delivery. and the last guy shafted us by a few inches. Roughly 100 euros worth. Different chap, same company. We haven't decided whether to report him to the company or try and catch them out on the spot next time around. The main reason we don't report it immediately is because it didn't become apparent until we got a refill from the usual chap, and noticed the extra inches. We severely doubt we were lucky enough to receive an extra 100 euros worth of oil...so...

This is the oldest trick in the book by the way, and unless you see obvious signs of theft and are certain you were delivered the full amount in the first place - it would be my first assumption as to where the missing oil went.



@ttopcat,
you, or your landlord, or both of ye - are insane. Simply turn the water supply off when not in use (especially if you're not going to be in the house during a frozen period). Blasting the heat out indefinitely is a pure red-neck, sledgehammer-to-kill-a-fly type of solution.

I definitely wouldn't be paying those bills, even if I was certain the alleged amount of oil was in fact delivered and used for that purpose.