[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/blog\/forecourt-fuel-thef\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/blog\/forecourt-fuel-thef\/","headline":"Forecourt Fuel Thefts Quadruple","name":"Forecourt Fuel Thefts Quadruple","description":"It sounds a little contrite to say it, but times are hard. Over the past few years, we\u2019ve had Brexit unsettling the economy swiftly followed by a pandemic. Just as we think things might begin to normalise once more, we then have a devastating war in eastern Europe which has sent shockwaves around the world and stunted economic growth in 2022 to just 3.1 per cent. The domino effect has been an increase in oil and energy prices, as well […]","datePublished":"2023-12-01","dateModified":"2023-12-01","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/sean-neylon\/#Person","name":"Sean Neylon","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/sean-neylon\/","identifier":34,"description":"Max Wheeler is a leading motoring journalist and classic car specialist at Smart Motoring, renowned for his sharp insight and infectious passion for all things automotive. With years of experience covering motoring news, supercars, and the enduring legacy of classic cars, Max brings stories to life with style and authority. Whether it\u2019s the roar of a Lamborghini, the elegance of an Aston Martin DB5, or the cultural impact of vintage motoring icons, he delivers expert commentary that inspires enthusiasts and collectors alike. Dedicated to celebrating the heritage and future of driving, Max Wheeler is your trusted voice for classic car news and beyond.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a036ec19c690fbd907de932d0ede682f992b96e00164fbf2238ccfb7c3681767?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a036ec19c690fbd907de932d0ede682f992b96e00164fbf2238ccfb7c3681767?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Smart Motoring","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/forecourt-thefts-quadruple-drive-offs-uk.jpg","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/forecourt-thefts-quadruple-drive-offs-uk.jpg","height":1382,"width":2000},"url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/blog\/forecourt-fuel-thef\/","about":["BLOG","LATEST CAR NEWS"],"wordCount":525,"keywords":["fuel theft"],"articleBody":"It sounds a little contrite to say it, but times are hard. Over the past few years, we\u2019ve had Brexit unsettling the economy swiftly followed by a pandemic.Just as we think things might begin to normalise once more, we then have a devastating war in eastern Europe which has sent shockwaves around the world and stunted economic growth in 2022 to just 3.1 per cent.The domino effect has been an increase in oil and energy prices, as well as mortgage rates rising and rising.Fuel theft up 77% compared to the same period last year  Earlier this year, I was stopped by security as I intended to leave a supermarket for suspiciously walking in at speed and not picking up a basket (I only wanted a battery).A friend who worked in the store said that staff were being extra vigilant, due to a marked increase in theft due to the current economics of the UK.It was an eye-opening conversation and highlighted an issue that large superstores and supermarkets were having to deal with – issues that simply hadn\u2019t occurred to me.So, it was with only mild surprise that I now hear that forecourt fuel theft has more than quadrupled in the past four years.To be exact, 39,563 incidents have occurred where forecourt owners have attempted to trace perpetrators over a period of just three months from July to September.These numbers come from attempts to trace drivers via the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.Forecourt Crimes QuadrupledFigures are compared against the same quarter for 2019 – a year when such crimes were already starting to rise. This has become quite a problem that doesn\u2019t seem to be stabilising.The average cost to each forecourt has been an estimated \u00a310,500 per annum according to The British Oil Security Syndicate.That figure of 39,563 is actually up by a whopping 77% on the same period for 2022 where the forecourt crime number was 22,335.Forecourt Drive-OffsIncredible as it sounds, when you consider that all cars are uniquely registered and most (if not all) forecourts have security cameras, most of these crimes are classed as \u2018drive-offs\u2019, where customers will fill the vehicle up with petrol or diesel and then simply drive off without attempting to make any payment. On a crowded busy forecourt where faster online payments might now be accepted, it can understandably be hard for staff to keep a check on exactly what is going on.Aside from regular drive-off activity, RAC Foundation Director, Steve Gooding, suggests that this “might indeed be an ever-growing problem” and the current figures that we have could be the tip of an iceberg hinting at a much larger issue.Unlimited Fine or PrisonTimes are hard indeed, and non-payment is risking an unlimited fine and a maximum of 2-years in prison, which suggests that many people are finding themselves in desperate situations where the risk appears to be worth taking.Naturally enough, if forecourts are continually losing around \u00a310,000 each year due to theft, price rises might become inevitable for an entirely different reason to the cost of oil.\u00a0Maybe this is just one problem that disappears when EV’s take over."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/blog\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Forecourt Fuel Thefts Quadruple","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/blog\/forecourt-fuel-thef\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]