Fuel theft from filling stations now at highest level since 2015

It’s the latest chapter in the ever-more depressing fuel price saga here in the UK. The problem of drivers leaving without paying has always been a somewhat perennial problem for forecourt owners, but the issue has been particularly accelerated in recent years (if you’ll pardon the pun). It all paints quite a bleak picture from an economic perspective, and an environment in which fuel theft is still a very real and present threat for UK businesses – not just forecourts. 

Here's what’s happening, and why it matters. 

What’s going on?

Essentially, the number of motorists who are driving off from filling stations without paying for fuel has been rising more or less steadily recently, and now we’re coming to the end of 2023, this type of incident is now at its highest levels since records began in 2015. 

The data for this year comes courtesy of the Forecourt Crime Index from the British Oil Security Index. It found that in Quarter 3 alone (that’s July through to September of this year), the number of unpaid fuel incidents was almost 31 per site. That roughly works out to one every few days. 

Forecourt operators are losing a substantial amount of money from this, too. The average cost of each incident was about £51. They’re also losing money from instances of “no means of payment”, which basically involves motorists saying they’ll pay, but then failing to. While the rise in those cases has tapered off in recent months, these incidents still cost an average of about £65 a time. 

Filling station fuel theft is now at an unacceptable level, according to BOSS operations director Bruce Nichol.

"A recent surge in fuel prices has seen ‘drive-off, failure to pay’ incidents begin to rise, even though ‘no means of payment’ reports have plateaued,” he said. “The change has pushed the Forecourt Crime Index to reach record levels."

So what does this mean for you?

In a nutshell, it demonstrates how the fuel crisis and its continuing impacts are still being keenly felt throughout the UK – even if other stories have recently been pushing them recently out of the news – and that everyday motorists in particular are still feeling the squeeze. 

As for the latest figures, the underlying causes aren’t quite clear yet, but it’s probably a mix of several factors. Those driving off will likely include at least a few opportunists who are simply trying to save themselves a bit of money, as well as some level of systemic criminal activity. However, a fair proportion of it may still well include desperate, cash-strapped motorists who are simply driven to ever more desperate measures to make ends meet. That doesn’t necessarily make it acceptable, but it is worth bearing in mind when taking steps to secure your own fuel. 

One good way to do that, as we’ve covered previously here on the blog, is to talk to your team directly about fuel theft. One of the reason it’s so prevalent at many companies is because staff can come to think of it as a victimless crime. If you suspect it may be happening, it’s worth talking to your team as a whole and emphasising that contrary to what some people think, it certainly isn’t a victimless crime – it has serious impacts on employers, bottom lines, and ultimately the job security of employees. 

That covers internal threats – as for external ones, that’s exactly where we can help here at TankSafe. Our range of fuel protection devices not only gives you peace of mind that your fleet is safe from fuel theft, but they’ll also benefit you economically as well, with reduced repair bills and increased fuel retention. 

TankSafe Shield is used by courier giant DPD and is the shortest, strongest, and most secure anti-siphon on the market, while TankSafe Optimum is trusted by Ford, Mercedes, Volvo, Iveco, and thousands of truck fleets around the world. 

You can find out more about our TankSafe Shield and TankSafe Optimum anti-siphoning devices on their dedicated pages on our website, or find answers to some of the most common questions over on our FAQs page. If you’ve still got queries, our experts will be happy to resolve them - feel free to give us a quick call on 01253 400 401, and we’ll be happy to help however we can!