Its bloody freezing outside, and now its bloody freezing inside as well. I thought the heating had packed up but on further investigation by torch light this morning The heating oil has run out……ether we have used it far faster than normal (unlikely)or some thieving gits have pumped it dry (quite common, around these parts). You can’t lock the tank or they just drill the tank, so it’s better to let them have the oil rather then having to buy a new tank as well.
W@nkers! Dig a big trench round the tank and cover it with branches and leaves, hopefully they will fall in
Not great news either way .Maybe just a cheap beam and camera from B&Q may give you future piece of mind.
Ordered 1000 litres online this morning with a very polite request for a quick delivery, they called me back to get payment and said they are very busy at the moment so it would be within 5 working days so latest would be next Wednesday, they couldn’t make any promises but would do their best. So, I had to quickly put on my Pinocchio head and said I was very concerned as we have an elderly relative staying with us, tat ta, delivery late this afternoon or tomorrow latest. A right royal result. The oil company also told me they having a few calls from people who have ‘run out’ when they thought they still had plenty, apparently the thieves use vans with a tank and pump in the back, pull up, drop the hose in and pump it out, only takes minutes. Our tank is hidden behind a fence and not viewable from the road but it wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to work out where it is given there is no gas out here. If it has been nicked I think we will have lost around 200 litres from my estimation. I have spoken to the girls at the stables and they haven’t seen anything out of the ordinary, but then again anyone from the postie to deliveries always back into our drive, so a van would not necessarily be noticed as out of the ordinary. Who knows, but if we have used it, that boiler is drinking it like George Best drank spirits.
Funny but when I was in plaster many years ago and in the depths of winter our boiler packed in. Jeanette phoning British Gas could get no engineer call out for three days. "Three days! Can we not get one squeezed in before that. It doesn't matter what time you can get here as my husband's home with a broken leg?" "Broken leg! We'll be there this afternoon madam" Immobile I was, infirm I wasn't, so I hope some poor old age pensioner didn't die of hypothermia just because British Gas were afraid of a 'copy to BBC Watchdog' letter.
Hide the tank in a cheap garden shed or erect four breeze block walls around it with some sort of roof and a lockable door, make vehicular access protected with lockable posts, spikes, gate, use a CCTV from Maplins, get a dog, decorate the place with worning signs "Danger of Electrocution" or similar.
Nice full tank ! That must be worth a return visit .No sleep tonight freedom .Work out the route in even if its through a hedge and seal it up or if its down a track block it .
Had ours nicked twice form work, around 2000lt both times... through locked electric gates, 12ft high security fence and cctv in the lorry yard (plenty of fuel there)yard opposite - police said the footage was unusable! brilliant- the first time they unscrewed the padlock fixing and once we figured it out and 'secured' it they pulled the feed pipe out of the ground and did it again - didn't drill the tank- v clever some of these fuel thieves No more oil for us now as we installed a Biomass boiler, just a pile of scrap wood for em to nick - funny they have now lost interest in our site!
As mentioned David get a dog mine hears everything ears constantly pricked up,car door slams etc shes up, scrotes came down side of house when were in bed an shes going ballistic downstairs,cant beat em!
We got home from a dinner in that there London at just before two this morning were delighted to find a note on the mat that the oil had been delivered. I am going to drop them a line in the morning to say thank you. We are all quick enough to moan when something goes wrong but not to say anything when someone goes the extra mile plus who knows when our 'elderly relative' might come and stay again. I am thinking about wiring up a bird scare detonator to the lid somehow, they might still nick the oil but at least they will have to drive home in soiled trousers.
I must be more tired than I thought, that never even occurred to me and I was feeling quite pleased with myself for coming up with the idea….But, the more I think about it, it could solve two problems, the other being the planning permission issue to knock this place of ‘local historical interest’ down and build a new house. Best wire a few of them round the tank as well just to make sure. You want a party, no problem but I hope you have a good solicitor, just in case things get interesting?
Say what you want about the yanks but I doubt they have problems with people coming onto their land just to steal some heating oil. I'm guessing that the prize would look a bit less attractive if you're not sure whether the owner has an AR-15.
Good to hear your warm and toasty again David, take a nice cup of tea out to Ling before she settles down for the night by the tank
Good news that your topped back up but please get some sleep before building the trap Wahoo post 2000!!! Now what happens?
