You may have received a notification informing you that you have an unsafe site.
Fuel suppliers have an obligation to ensure that heating oil does not escape into the environment whilst they deliver fuel to our homes. Oil is poisonous to fish, other wildlife and smothers plants - just two litres of oil could seriously pollute the volume of fresh water needed to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool.
Unfortunately, this means that occasionally our oil suppliers may refuse to deliver fuel, due to a fault or a problem they have identified with the oil tank on site. Although it is recommended that you visually inspect your tank monthly for leaks or damage, most of the time the delivery driver will be the only person to look at or go near your tank for many months.
When they do spot a problem, they are prevented from making further deliveries as this would severely increase the risk of oil escaping and harming the environment. Having to repair or replace an oil tank is an unfortunate expense however clean-up costs could run into tens of thousands of pounds and land contamination caused by a leak could significantly affect the value of your property.
With the average oil tank only lasting around 15 years, we all must do what we can to spot problems early, thus minimising the risk of any oil spills and 'aborted deliveries'.
Oil tanks should be inspected yearly, usually when your boiler is serviced, and we recommend visually inspecting your tank monthly for any obvious signs of damage or deterioration.
Learn more about unsafe tanks and how you can check your heating oil tank before delivery.
