“Forecourt crime index reaches highest level since 2015” reports BOSS

The Q3 Forecourt Crime Index for 2023 revealed that incidents of unpaid fuel increased by 1.3% (Q2 2023: +4.7%) pushing the Forecourt Crime Index to 259.1 in Q3 (256.0: Q2 2023), the highest level since it was introduced in 2015. Drive-Off-Failure-to-Pay incidents rose by 5%, while No-Means-of-Payment reports fell by 2.6%.  

BOSS collates the Forecourt Crime Index from reports of No-Means-of-Payment and Drive-Off-Failure-to-Pay incidents made to Payment Watch, the unpaid fuel debt recovery service that’s operated by BOSS.    

During Q3, the average number of unpaid fuel incidents per site was 30.9 per site (28: Q2 2023) with No-Means-of-Payment incidents accounting for 62% of all Payment Watch reports. The average cost of No-Means-of-Payment incidents was £64.79 (£68.19: Q2 2023), while the average cost of a Drive-Off-Failure-to-Pay episode fell to £50.98 per incident (£52.51: Q2 2023).

Increases in Drive-Off-Failure-to-Pay incidents occurred at a time when the cost of fuel began to rise to an average of 153 pence per litre for unleaded fuel (145 ppl: Q1 2023). Fuel prices are now at a similar level to Q1 2022. 

Litres of fuel taken in Drive-Off-Failure-to-Pay incidents fell to an average of 33.54 litres per incident (34.32 litres: Q2 2023). The average litres drawn in a No-Means-of-Payment incident fell to 42.02 in Q3 from 43.16 in Q2 to (41.5 litres: Q1 2023).

Unacceptable level

Bruce Nichol, operations director at BOSS, explained: “Incidents of unpaid fuel are at an unacceptable level. A recent surge in fuel prices has seen Drive-Off-Failure-to-Pay incidents begin to rise at a time when No-Means-of-Payment reports have plateaued and decreased slightly.”  

Nichol continued: “The change has pushed the Forecourt Crime Index to reach record levels. Our Payment Watch debt recovery team is working hard with site operators to check and verify the details of vehicles involved in unpaid fuel incidents and, as a result, recovery rates remain high.”  

Further, Nichol observed: “Incidents of unpaid fuel cost UK forecourt operators millions of pounds annually, while customers driving away without paying leads to lost revenue and increased operational expenses. We encourage forecourt operators to be vigilant, and particularly so at peak periods when most incidents tend to be reported.”

*Forecourt crime reduction guides that help forecourt retailers reduce incidents and keep forecourts safe places to work and shop are available from BOSS. Visit www.bossuk.org for more details