The Shropshire Star reports that warnings have been issued in rural Shropshire to protect oil tanks from thieves as evidence suggests that theft of heating oil from rural properties may be on the rise

Heating oil is usually stored in an outdoor tank, making the fuel an attractive target for criminals and there are concerns the cost of living crisis has led to the increase in heating oil theft from rural homes.

In response, OFTEC, a registration body for off gas grid heating, is raising awareness of the precautions that households in Shropshire can take to safeguard their oil tanks from theft.

These include installing an electronic tank alarm system to remotely monitor the fuel in your tank.

The alarm can notify you if the tank’s inspection cap is lifted or the oil level drops suddenly – and sophisticated models can even send an alert to your smart phone or watch.

Other precautions include motion activated security lights are cost-effective and will startle most thieves. For added peace of mind, place lights in areas which are visible from inside your house when triggered.

CCTV cameras are also a good deterrent and can provide valuable evidence if your heating oil is stolen.

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The Shropshire Star – Shropshire farmers and rural households warned over risk of oil theft

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Chronicle Live reports that North East families living in rural County Durham and Northumberland who have no mains gas will be receiving an additional £200 cost of living payment in the new year

The Alternative Fuel Payment, which will be given to up to four million households who rely on fuels such as heating oil or LPG, will be made “as soon as possible in the New Year”, according to the Government.

The £200 payment is in addition to the £400 energy bill support scheme all households with an electricity supply receive.

If you’re eligible for the payment, you should get the money automatically from your electricity supplier, most likely as a bill credit on your electricity bill.

Because there is no register of people who do not use mains gas for their heating, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) said it was “working at pace with stakeholders to identify the best method of identifying eligible customers and making payments to them in a way which is as easy as possible”.

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Chronicle Live – Families with no gas will get extra £200 to help pay for heating in the new year

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The BBC report that more support is needed for homes relying on heating oil or Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), according to councillors in Oxfordshire

The government is giving off-grid energy consumers an extra payment of £100, but there are calls to help people make the switch to renewables.

According to Oxfordshire County Council, 20,000 of its residents use LPG or oil as their main heating.

The government said it recognised people were struggling.

Uffington resident and parish council chair Mike Oldnall, who uses oil to heat his home, said the “hit of [an extra] £300 every time you fill your oil tank up is going to have some impact somewhere”.

Sally Povolotsky, a councillor in the rural area of Hendreds and Harwell, said: “I’m worried about the physical health of my residents who are too scared to even put their heating on because they’re worried about that oil tank just draining down.

Leader Liz Leffman said local Citizens Advice Bureaus had people coming in for food vouchers because they were spending so much on LPG and oil.

The council voted to write to the government asking it to create a package for rural communities with grants for renewables or air source heat pumps, or to switch to biofuel boilers. Government figures show 55,000 households are not connected to the gas grid in Oxfordshire.

The BBC – Oxfordshire: Calls for more help for off-grid energy homes

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