As you head away for a little break this Summer, weather at home or abroad, we all know how important it is to secure our homes. 

It’s one thing to lock up your home and head off, but one thing holidaymakers often forget however, is how to protect their home heating oil from fuel thieves whilst they are away. Your home heating oil is a valuable asset, now more than ever. So you don’t get caught out when you get back from your trip, here are a few tips on protecting your home heating oil this Summer:

Lock up your garden and secure access

You lock your house up securely before you leave it, so why not your garden too? Aside from your home heating oil, there are other valuables in your garden, like the contents of your shed, a grill or BBQ and your garden furniture. If you know your perimeter could be more secure, take some time to upgrade it before you jet off. A garden fence with a sturdy lock, or a secure gate will work – anything that acts as a deterrent to thieves.

Upgrade your tank lock

Your oil tank can be fitted with a secure padlock to make accessing the contents more difficult. If your current tank lock looks rusty or has degraded in quality, why not swap it for a newer model which will be much more effective? If you don’t already have one, you can pick one up relatively inexpensively from any hardware store.

You don’t just have to keep your tank locked whilst you’re on holiday either – in fact, the only time you need to remove it is when you have arranged for a home heating oil delivery and you won’t be home when it arrives.

Why not try a tank monitor linked to your phone?

If the volume of oil in your tank drops suddenly, it’s normally down to a leak or a theft, neither of which are ideal. But how would you know if this happened while you’re on holiday? You no longer have to remain in the dark about the contents of your tank, as a simple app can do the monitoring remotely for you, and alert you if anything changes. It’s great for peace of mind while you travel.

Security lights & CCTV go a long way in deterring would-be thieves

Simple home security systems make your property much less attractive to thieves, and the easiest way to do it is with motion-triggered external lights and CCTV (or dummy cameras if you don’t want to go to the added expense).

Check your insurance policy

Most people have home contents covered by their insurance policy, however do you know if your home heating oil tank contents are covered too? Check your policy for any exclusions or mentions of your home heating oil tank and contents, and get a quote to upgrade your cover if you feel you would benefit more from this peace of mind.

Tell your neighbour or a family member when you’re away

If you have neighbours you’re friendly with or you have family popping by whilst you’re on holiday to pick up the post or water the plants, why not ask them to keep an eye on the garden too and see that nothing suspicious has happened to your oil tank contents? You can always return the favour when they go on holiday themselves.