A rural community charity has warned of the increasing risk of home heating oil theft after its own organisation was targeted. Kate Clifford, director of the Rural Community Network (RCN), stated that over 1,000 litres of oil were stolen from the charity's Cookstown offices in 2024.
New figures indicate there have been 600 reports of oil and fuel thefts in Northern Ireland since 2021. From January to June 2026, there were 45 oil thefts, following 59 incidents in the entirety of 2025.
The Consumer Council for Northern Ireland noted that oil theft reports tend to increase during energy crises, when prices are affected by geopolitics and global events. The average cost of 500 litres of home heating oil in Northern Ireland had risen to £491.00 by early September 2026.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) advises residents to take precautions such as locking and disguising tanks, fitting level gauges with alarms, and installing security lighting and CCTV.