Petrol Thefts Surge Amid Rising Fuel Costs
Petrol theft has surged by 62% compared with a year ago, according to new figures compiled for the BBC. One forecourt owner reported that drive-offs are costing him £2,000 a week across his five sites.
Data from fuel theft recovery company Pay My Fuel reveals this increase comes as petrol and diesel retailers also report a jump in abuse faced by their staff, attributed to high fuel prices caused by the US-Israel war with Iran.
Since the conflict began, the cost of filling a typical family car with petrol has risen by £14, while a typical tank of diesel has gone up by about £27.
The government stated that fuel thieves “must face the full force of the law,” and police forces confirmed they are taking a proactive approach to the issue.
Retailers’ Experiences and Rising Incidents
Josh, a petrol retailer with five garages in the south of England, shared his experience, noting he now sees about five drive-offs a week at each garage, a significant increase from the previous one or two. He provided CCTV footage to the BBC, illustrating drive-offs occurring at all times of day and resulting in varying costs to his business.
- One evening, a motorbike carrying two people pulled up. Footage shows the two remaining on the bike as the driver put £14.97 worth of fuel in the tank before driving off.
- In another video, the driver of a white van filled up with £151.53 worth of fuel before driving away during the morning rush hour.
- A third incident showed the driver of a white Porsche SUV putting £75.15 of fuel in her vehicle in the middle of the afternoon, also failing to pay.
While some drive-offs were by people unable to pay, Josh described most as “pure theft.” He added, “There just seems to be a sort of public acceptance now that theft is okay.” Josh, who requested his surname not be used due to abuse faced by forecourt staff, believes that while a percentage might act out of desperation, “the large majority is organised, pre-planned.”
Statistical Evidence of the Surge
According to Pay My Fuel data, the number of drive-offs experienced by an average forecourt each week has risen from 2.1 in March 2023 to 3.4 in March this year – an increase of roughly 62%. The firm, which operates systems across 1,400 forecourts to help recover stolen funds, also reported that the average value of a drive-off had risen by 46% over the same period.
Ian Wolfenden, the firm’s director, commented, “It’s a lot worse.” He explained, “An average drive-off for one of our customers used to be £56, and now it’s gone up to £67. So if you consider they’re losing nearly £70 every two days, it’s not insignificant.” Wolfenden highlighted that the problem is three or four times worse in less affluent areas, specifically naming east and south east London, Glasgow, Manchester, Leeds, and Birmingham as particular problem areas.
Industry Concerns and Impact on Prices
Gordon Balmer, executive director of the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA), confirmed that the increase in fuel prices since the war began has led to a “noticeable increase” in fuel theft. He noted that some theft is “obviously organised crime,” while other instances involve people claiming to have forgotten their wallet or purse. Balmer suggested, “Some of that could be due to the cost of living.”
Rachel King, a forecourt manager for three petrol stations in Gloucestershire, also reported an increase in drive-offs, warning that this could push fuel prices up even further. “If people continue to do it, it will affect the forecourts, as in the price of fuel, because obviously as a forecourt you try and sell your fuel price fairly. But also if you’re getting these massive hits from drive-offs you’ve got no option but to keep your prices a little bit higher to cushion the losses.” She emphasized that independent operators, unlike larger chains, often cannot “afford the hit.”
Law Enforcement and Government Response
Superintendent Lisa Maslen, head of the National Business Crime Centre, stated that fuel theft continues to “place a significant and unacceptable strain on fuel retailers, impacting businesses financially and placing additional demand on policing resources.” She affirmed that police forces are taking a “proactive approach to tackling this issue, working to identify offenders, disrupt repeat behaviour and ensure those responsible are held to account.” Maslen added that police are boosting collaboration with fuel retailers and cost recovery agencies to identify patterns and target repeat offenders.
A government spokesperson reiterated, “Fuel theft undermines businesses and their workers. These thieves must face the full force of the law.” They urged anyone who had witnessed such a crime to report it to the police.
Profiteering Claims and Staff Abuse
While fuel prices saw a slight dip over the weekend, the RAC reported that the cost of petrol remained 19.2% higher than at the start of the war, and diesel remained 34.5% above pre-war levels. Balmer explained that these increases have been particularly challenging for forecourts that purchase fuel daily and must immediately reflect the higher costs, leading to increased abuse of staff.
The PRA criticized the government’s “frustrating” accusations of price gouging and profiteering, with Balmer stating they had “not been helpful.” Last month, the government announced that the competition watchdog was ready to intervene if evidence of price gouging at the pump emerged. Retailers had previously countered these claims, calling the language “inflammatory.” Josh noted that people seemed to “genuinely believe it,” leading to significant staff abuse: “They’ve had people calling them thieves, shouting at them, it’s quite intimidating for these guys – they don’t come to work to be shouted at.” Balmer highlighted that over half of the pump price (55%) is tax, and retailers actually operate on a “very slim margin.”
The government condemned such behavior, stating: “Any form of abuse against someone simply going about their day-to-day work is completely unacceptable.”
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