Heating oil thieves

Rumple Fugly

Just wondering if anyone has had the misfortune to be targeted in this latest form of thievery?

My brothers uncle in-law had a story to tell about this. He had his heating oil stolen twice in the space of a few days from his house. After the second time he descretly filled his empty tank with water and got the oil tanker to come back around and hook up the hose and pretend to fill his tank again as a favour.

A couple of nights later his tank was emptied again...to his delight, until he got a threatening phone call from the water-thieves, telling him never to pull a stunt like that again! :eek:

I'm not sure of what happened after that but it just shows the cheek these sh*t heads have!

Anyone else have any similar tales?

Pacing Mule

I thought this thread was going to be about the cost of keeping prisoners warm. :mad:

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Latest??? It's far from a recent trend...

RichieC

Who'd do a thing like that..

pow wow

It's been going on years in Donegal/NI. Particularly at the seldom-used holiday homes of those from NI in Co. Donegal. Never heard of any wild and wacky tales, other than them drilling the tank if you try to lock/enclose it :rolleyes:

Mike 1972

Rumple Fugly wrote: »

he descretly filled his empty tank with water

This was his mistake.

He should have used petrol. Would have been expensive but worth it for the satisfaction of seeing the fukers blown to kingdom come.

Cuddlesworth

Rumple Fugly wrote: »

Just wondering if anyone has had the misfortune to be targeted in this latest form of thievery?

My brothers uncle in-law had a story to tell about this. He had his heating oil stolen twice in the space of a few days from his house. After the second time he descretly filled his empty tank with water and got the oil tanker to come back around and hook up the hose and pretend to fill his tank again as a favour.

A couple of nights later his tank was emptied again...to his delight, until he got a threatening phone call from the water-thieves, telling him never to pull a stunt like that again! :eek:

I'm not sure of what happened after that but it just shows the cheek these sh*t heads have!

Anyone else have any similar tales?

They rang your uncles number and are within visual range of the tank? Must be really hard to track down, can understand why he is having difficulty catching them.

FatherLen

hide yo kids, hide yo wife, hide yo husband!!! they stealin oil from everybody!!!

Offy

I moved to Sligo a month ago, got a half tank, two days later I ran out of oil

Auldloon

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

They rang your uncles number and are within visual range of the tank? Must be really hard to track down, can understand why he is having difficulty catching them.

Not necessarily. Maybe they follow the delivery truck on its rounds.

Pwindedd

I've a feeling this has happened to us.

We bought 500 litres at the end of December and run our heating for approx 8 hours a day - we ran out at the end of Feb. Is 500 litres a feasible amount to use in 2 months?

I'm a little unsure as we've only lived in the house for 6 months or so and have never used an oil fired system before. The tank was full when we moved in and we hardly had the system on as it was out of action for a bit and not that cold.

Helpful feedback gratefully received.

Its a 3 bed end of terrace - average house size. thanks

Auldloon

Mike 1972 wrote: »

This was his mistake.

He should have used petrol. Would have been expensive but worth it for the satisfaction of seeing the fukers blown to kingdom come.

Why would the petrol explode?

up for anything

That is an old trick as is siphoning petrol/diesel out of cars.

Savage Tyrant

Yeah, we were victims to similar theiving bastards 2 years ago in our last house. Sickening! €450 worth stolen at the time.

SparKing

No offence, but that is rubbish, kerosene is red and stinks to high heaven.

Rumple Fugly

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

They rang your uncles number and are within visual range of the tank? Must be really hard to track down, can understand why he is having difficulty catching them.

It was my brothers uncle in-law. I dont know the man just heard the story. I'm guessing these fellas are watching the oil tanker, not specifically his house and obviously local if they got hold of his number.

Timothy Flat Clip wrote: »

Latest??? It's far from a recent trend...

I know this isnt a new thing but having the cheek to call up and threaten is pretty sh**ty

El Weirdo

Pwindedd wrote: »

I've a feeling this has happened to us.

We bought 500 litres at the end of December and run our heating for approx 8 hours a day - we ran out at the end of Feb. Is 500 litres a feasible amount to use in 2 months?

I'm a little unsure as we've only lived in the house for 6 months or so and have never used an oil fired system before. The tank was full when we moved in and we hardly had the system on as it was out of action for a bit and not that cold.

Helpful feedback gratefully received.

Its a 3 bed end of terrace - average house size. thanks

:eek:

K-9

Pwindedd wrote: »

I've a feeling this has happened to us.

We bought 500 litres at the end of December and run our heating for approx 8 hours a day - we ran out at the end of Feb. Is 500 litres a feasible amount to use in 2 months?

I'm a little unsure as we've only lived in the house for 6 months or so and have never used an oil fired system before. The tank was full when we moved in and we hardly had the system on as it was out of action for a bit and not that cold.

Helpful feedback gratefully received.

Its a 3 bed end of terrace - average house size. thanks

I'd expect that usage myself.

500 litres would last 3 to 4 months for me and 4 hours a day would be my max.

Rumple Fugly

SparKing wrote: »

No offence, but that is rubbish, kerosene is red and stinks to high heaven.

Like i said, i dont know the ins and outs of it, just what i'd been told.

BrianD3

I've heard the water in tank story from a few people who had heard it from someone else - sounds like an urban myth.

.

goose2005

Chuileog wrote: »

Not necessarily. Maybe they follow the delivery truck on its rounds.

Maybe they are the delivery people. :eek::eek::eek::eek:

solerina

Pwindedd wrote: »

I've a feeling this has happened to us.

We bought 500 litres at the end of December and run our heating for approx 8 hours a day - we ran out at the end of Feb. Is 500 litres a feasible amount to use in 2 months?

I'm a little unsure as we've only lived in the house for 6 months or so and have never used an oil fired system before. The tank was full when we moved in and we hardly had the system on as it was out of action for a bit and not that cold.

Helpful feedback gratefully received.

Its a 3 bed end of terrace - average house size. thanks

Id say theres no way you had anything stolen...heating on 8 hours a day, bloody hell do ye go about with no clothes on !!!!

I light the fire, cosy room and way cheaper....no need to heat every room in the house for 8 hours a day..I do 30 min in morn and a max of 2 hours during the rest of the day, not constant as residual heat keeps the place warm....maybe you need to insulate better !!!

Pwindedd

El Weirdo wrote: »

:eek:

Is that a lot, 2 hours in the morning an hour during the day and 3 or 4 in the evening, during one of the coldest winters? That equates to approx 200 quid a month on heating and hot water. Fug me that's expensive.

K-9 wrote: »

I'd expect that usage myself.

500 litres would last 3 to 4 months for me and 4 hours a day would be my max.

Ok I'm pleased to know that I haven't been a victim of heating oil crime but equally appalled at the cost of heating a house by oil. In previous homes my gas bill would have been about 100 a month for the same usage.

Runs to timer - half an hour a day should do it - I'll start a shower rota and buy some baby wipes.

K-9

Pwindedd wrote: »

Is that a lot, 2 hours in the morning an hour during the day and 3 or 4 in the evening, during one of the coldest winters? That equates to approx 200 quid a month on heating and hot water. Fug me that's expensive.



Ok I'm pleased to know that I haven't been a victim of heating oil crime but equally appalled at the cost of heating a house by oil. In previous homes my gas bill would have been about 100 a month for the same usage.

It has taken some hit over the last year, I'd say gas is cheaper but little option in Donegal.

Coldest here was -17 in December!

I tried to use a wee fan heater in the sitting room to cut down on use, but they are sore on the ESB too!

Savage Tyrant

K-9 wrote: »

It has taken some hit over the last year, I'd say gas is cheaper but little option in Donegal.

Coldest here was -17 in December!

I tried to use a wee fan heater in the sitting room to cut down on use, but they are sore on the ESB too!

Jeebus man, those fan heaters are lethal on the ESB.

Overheal

Wasn't me.

up for anything

Pwindedd wrote: »

Helpful feedback gratefully received.

I don't know anyone who can afford to run their heating eight hours a day. I'd usually have it timed to come on for 1.5 hours just before getting up time in the morning and an hour just before they get back from school. If there are individual thermostats on the rads, turn them down according to where you are in the house at particular times. There is also the option of turning down the thermostat on the burner itself. This also affects the temperature of the water and means that if you have children in the house they don't run the risk of scalding themselves if they turn on the hot water taps.

Pwindedd

up for anything wrote: »

I don't know anyone who can afford to run their heating eight hours a day. I'd usually have it timed to come on for 1.5 hours just before getting up time in the morning and an hour just before they get back from school. If there are individual thermostats on the rads, turn them down according to where you are in the house at particular times. There is also the option of turning down the thermostat on the burner itself. This also affects the temperature of the water and means that if you have children in the house they don't run the risk of scalding themselves if they turn on the hot water taps.

Neither can we but it was damn cold at the time. I've lived in the UK since birth and all central heating systems there seem to come with the option for heat or hot water or both and also an internal themostat that turns the heat off when a desired room temperature is reached. None of my 3 irish homes have had these facilities. On or off are the only options. Why is this?

Dempsey

As far I know, and I work for a company that has a huge problem with diesel theft, some delivery people are tipping off people when they make big deliveries to easily accessible tanks. If the fill is worth their while they'll even go for tanks that have security fences and cameras pointing right at them.

The Gardai seem indifferent to this type of theft, too much work for their simple heads.

Overheal

Dempsey wrote: »

The Gardai seem indifferent to this type of theft, too much work for their simple heads.

From what I've read on these boards the AGS seems indifferent to a lot of things. Especially things that require investigation on their part. If it doesn't involve something serious like a homicide or violence they seem to be very laissez faire about it. Dont get me wrong when they actually go to work investigating a homicide or something they appear quite professional.

I suggest a motion alarm. A camera can miss stuff, but an alarm that can wake you up: you can do the camera work yourself, maybe scare them off or snap photos of their plate.

Daegerty

I know there is an awful lot of it going on, the ****e is nearly 1 euro per litre now from about 35c 8 years ago.

Some shaggers are doing it to houses left unoccupied, have a trap set for one of these f1ckers but so far he hasn't come back. I swear if i ever catch the little sh1t i'd taer the face off him

Outkast_IRE

Pwindedd wrote: »

Neither can we but it was damn cold at the time. I've lived in the UK since birth and all central heating systems there seem to come with the option for heat or hot water or both and also an internal themostat that turns the heat off when a desired room temperature is reached. None of my 3 irish homes have had these facilities. On or off are the only options. Why is this?

Building regs that lag years behind other countries in areas like this , and no real enforcement of building regs.

Daegerty

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

Building regs that lag years behind other countries in areas like this , and no real enforcement of building regs.

Building regs are more of a hinderance than anything else. Its easy to make a heating system work that way, just requires a simple valve or two.

Dempsey

Overheal wrote: »

From what I've read on these boards the AGS seems indifferent to a lot of things. Especially things that require investigation on their part. If it doesn't involve something serious like a homicide or violence they seem to be very laissez faire about it. Dont get me wrong when they actually go to work investigating a homicide or something they appear quite professional.

I suggest a motion alarm. A camera can miss stuff, but an alarm that can wake you up: you can do the camera work yourself, maybe scare them off or snap photos of their plate.

I'd have a loaded shotgun within arms reach and not be afraid to use it if you try to get these people's plates or faces because things could turn nasty very quickly.

I actually heard a story, 2nd hand information now so it could be exaggerated, that a local business caught thieves on camera and their faces were identifiable. Gardai still havent made an arrest over the incident.

MidlandsM

I've one of these in the back yard........TOTAL PIECE OF MIND and worth considering if you are concerned about oil theft/getting robbed......



His name is Murph, and he loves the taste of tea leaves blood.

Stained Class

Had this prob myself.

Suspected the neighbours at one point.

Turned out that it was an intermittent fault with the timer switch.

We didn't detect it cos there was a lot of power cuts in our estate at the time.

This was going on 3 years & we lost a lot of cash over it.

DOH!:(

milehip1

Rumple Fugly wrote: »

Just wondering if anyone has had the misfortune to be targeted in this latest form of thievery?

My brothers uncle in-law had a story to tell about this. He had his heating oil stolen twice in the space of a few days from his house. After the second time he descretly filled his empty tank with water and got the oil tanker to come back around and hook up the hose and pretend to fill his tank again as a favour.

A couple of nights later his tank was emptied again...to his delight, until he got a threatening phone call from the water-thieves, telling him never to pull a stunt like that again! :eek:

I'm not sure of what happened after that but it just shows the cheek these sh*t heads have!

Anyone else have any similar tales?

he should have pulled a Padraig Nally on them (with buckshot of course)

yoshytoshy

Ha! ,thats Gas! ,NOT:pac:

listermint

Surely the best way to avoid this is a tank inside a brick shed enclosure (with roof) These guys go for easy targets, a small lock or a fence wont stop them. But enclosing the whole tank will make them move on to the easier targets.

mikemac

Mike 1972 wrote: »

He should have used petrol. Would have been expensive but worth it for the satisfaction of seeing the fukers blown to kingdom come.

Why would petrol explode but kerosene wouldn't?

Well seeing as he got a threatening phone call, it should be easy to report and get the number traced! Unless he already knows the caller....

Cantona's Collars

feelingstressed wrote: »

Why would petrol explode but kerosene wouldn't?

It's a lot easier to ignite petrol than kerosene-if the cnuts put petrol in their heating system and turn it on-BOOM!

A mate of mine had problems with oil theft-he had his suspicions it was someone living not too far from him so borrowed a staffordshire bull terrier and left it in the garden.Was woken a couple of nights later by screams-looked out and saw the dog dragging the oil thief down off the fence,he turned off the lights and went back to bed,no more oil stolen from that night on.

feelingstressed

feelingstressed wrote: »

Why would petrol explode but kerosene wouldn't?

In an oil burner! different ignition process, real risk of explosion in the burner.

mikemac

Not realy a shock to have your heating oil stolen

But the fact that they watch the house and know the phone number clearly shows they have local knowledge.
Is this in an estate, someone who can see the house?

If not, you'd reckon it might be the delivery driver. They knew they returned and also have the phone number

mikemac

Deleted User wrote: »

In an oil burner! different ignition process, real risk of explosion in the burner.

Thanks, I genuinely didn't know the technical reason

squod

Look on ebay for a CCTV system. Infa red IR cameras at close range, or if there's and engineering fabricator nearby they could do you up a lockable cover.

Dempsey

squod wrote: »

Look on ebay for a CCTV system. Infa red IR cameras at close range, or if there's and engineering fabricator nearby they could do you up a lockable cover.

You think they wont just drill a hole in the tank? If they want to steal it a lock or lockable cover wont put them off in my experience, you'll probably just end up with a damaged tank.

seaniefr

Dempsey wrote: »

You think they wont just drill a hole in the tank? If they want to steal it a lock or lockable cover wont put them off in my experience, you'll probably just end up with a damaged tank.

we got hit last year
i now have a cctv system installed, oil tank is behind garage & fenced off got timbers laid around tank with nails upturned by the time they get close to the tank i will have the scum-or at least a blood sample:D

mgmt

seaniefr wrote: »

we got hit last year
i now have a cctv system installed, oil tank is behind garage & fenced off got timbers laid around tank with nails upturned by the time they get close to the tank i will have the scum-or at least a blood sample:D

Home Alone style...nice

squod

Dempsey wrote: »

You think they wont just drill a hole in the tank? If they want to steal it a lock or lockable cover wont put them off in my experience, you'll probably just end up with a damaged tank.

Maybe, most thieves are opportunists. No system is 100% like.

argosy2006

All i can say is those theives are really COLD!