Key facts
- Fuel theft from UK petrol stations has averaged nearly £200,000 per day since the Middle East conflict began.
- Incidents of fuel theft rose by 20% in the five months following February 28.
- The estimated value of stolen fuel increased by 48% compared to the previous five-month period.
- The daily volume of stolen fuel increased by 24%, reaching an estimated 108,900 liters.
- Forecourt Eye plans to offer free crime reporting technology to over 2,000 retailers through a partnership with Facewatch.
Fuel theft from UK petrol stations has surged by a fifth since the start of the Middle East conflict, with an estimated £194,000 worth of fuel stolen daily. Industry analysis from Forecourt Eye attributes this rise to increased wholesale prices following disruptions to oil supplies and subsequent higher costs at the pump.
The figures, extrapolated from a sample of 550 forecourts, indicate an average of 2,872 daily theft incidents across the UK, an increase from around 2,400 previously. These incidents include driving away without payment and claiming inability to pay after filling up.
The volume of stolen fuel has also risen by 24%, from an estimated 87,000 liters to 108,900 liters per day. In response, Forecourt Eye will partner with facial recognition company Facewatch to provide free crime reporting technology to over 2,000 retailers starting in the autumn.
Fuel prices reached their peak in April, subsequently falling before rising again after the collapse of peace talks. This situation comes amid government statements, including from Chancellor John Healey, indicating a willingness to act on potential price gouging by fuel retailers, a claim denied by the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA). The British Retail Consortium, represented by Andrew Opie, stated that competition among supermarkets has kept prices as low as possible, citing other cost pressures such as National Insurance contributions and business rates.