Suffolk's top rural police officer has predicted an increase in heating oil thefts this winter and warned thieves could be following oil delivery vans.

Sgt Brian Calver has shared his "personal gut feeling" surrounding a rise in heating oil thefts in winter, saying that those who had been holding off and waiting for a price decrease would soon succumb to the colder temperatures.

He encouraged communities to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity, saying: "if anyone spots a vehicle following a heating oil delivery driver, jot down their registration number and a description of the car so you can report it immediately."

Sgt Calver also said that the perpetrators of heating oil thefts are "unscrupulous people who are more likely to sell to unscrupulous contacts".

However, if you are cold-called by someone trying to sell you heating oil at a discounted price, it is likely the individual will be a rogue trader who should be reported to the police.

He added: "It's also worth bearing in mind that heating oil sold by rogue traders may well contain other contaminants that could damage heating systems, leaving householders with significant repair costs."

Sgt Calver offered his advice for keeping your heating oil safe and deterring thefts:

  1. Moving your tank to a more secure spot can be a costly option so consider screening it from view with plants instead.
  2. If installing or repositioning an oil tank, try to locate it within sight of nearby occupied buildings and consider appropriate lighting.
  3. Place gravel or stone around your tank. Brian added: "this will make the approach noisier and deter those looking to make a silent getaway."
  4. Consider perimeter security for the whole tank, such as a metal cage, fencing, or even a hedge, but make sure deliveries can still be received.
  5. Brian promotes the use of locks, but warned against expensive locks, saying: "If they want your oil that badly, they won't hesitate in drilling through your tank instead, which would warrant a costly replacement."
  6. Check your oil levels frequently and consider an electronic oil level gauge which sends an alert to your mobile phone if the oil level drops quickly
  7. Employ a variety of surveillance or alarm techniques, including CCTV, security lighting and trip wires. Brian said there are plenty of effective solar-powered security devices on the market.

Unlike gas, heating oil is not covered by the energy price cap. This means it can rise daily and has risen sharply since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Heating oil, usually kerosene, is also less efficient for heating homes than gas.