Fuel theft surges in the UK amid sharp price hikes
In the UK, fuel theft has increased due to a sharp rise in prices caused by the conflict between the US and Iran. Often, stolen fuel is taken by owners of luxury cars such as Ferrari, Aston Martin, or Mercedes AMG GT, according to The Times.
Data from approximately 500 petrol stations indicate that in March, losses from stolen petrol and diesel rose by 27%, from £8,300 to £10,600 per day. When scaled across all 8,400 petrol stations in the country, this accounts for over £1.2 million weekly. The volume of fuel theft increased by 15.7% compared to February, when prices began to rise rapidly.
According to Michelle Henhoz, manager at Forecourt Eye, thefts are now carried out by both organised groups and ordinary people under financial pressure. Often, people fill their tanks and leave without paying or promise to pay later but fail to do so. Cases of non-payment increased by 22%, and drive-offs rose by 6% in March compared to the previous month.
Forecourt Eye is an analytical company specialising in gathering data from petrol stations and providing insights to detect trends and risks within the fuel industry.
Given these developments, the industry faces significant losses driven by economic instability and rising prices. The increase in fuel theft reflects not only the economic crisis but also a change in consumer behaviour.
Analysts predict that instances of fuel theft may continue to rise if the economic situation does not improve and if regulatory bodies do not strengthen security measures at petrol stations.
