Forecourt Eye reports 20% increase in fuel theft incidents across UK

Fuel theft prevention company Forecourt Eye has estimated that drivers have taken an average of £194,000 of petrol and diesel without payment each day since the start of the Iran conflict as higher pump prices have placed renewed pressure on motorists and forecourt operators alike.

The analysis finds that incidents of fuel being taken without payment rose by 20% in the five months after the conflict began on 28 February when compared with the previous five months. Across the same period, the value of stolen fuel rose by 48%, with the increase emerging as pump prices were pushed higher due to disruption in global energy markets.

The figures suggest that fuel theft is becoming a bigger cost for forecourts at the same time as many are facing higher operating costs, tighter margins and escalating customer frustration over prices they don’t directly control.

The issue was already growing before the latest fuel price pressure. The RAC Foundation reported that forecourt owners attempted to trace offenders over 66,378 fuel theft incidents between February and April 2025, up by 49% from the same period a year earlier.

The incidents are likely to include drive-off theft, where a driver fills up and leaves without attempting to pay, as well as cases where a customer claims they have no means of payment after filling their vehicle.

With forecourts facing both rising losses and increased operational pressure, insurance experts suggest the figures quoted should act as a prompt for businesses to check that their security procedures, incident reporting and commercial cover are keeping pace with the risk.

Serious commercial problem

Craig Morgan, insurance expert at SJL Insurance Services, stated: “Fuel theft can sometimes be dismissed as a low-level crime, but for independent forecourts it can quickly become a serious commercial problem. When a business is losing fuel several times each week, the cost is not limited to the petrol or diesel taken. There can also be staff safety concerns, damage to pumps or property, general disruption on the forecourt and time spent reporting incidents or trying to recover losses.”

Morgan continued: “The latest figures are particularly concerning as they emerge during a period of higher fuel prices linked to disruption in global energy markets. The majority of motorists continue to pay honestly, but repeated theft creates a cost that small businesses cannot absorb forever. In some cases, those losses may eventually be reflected in tighter payment rules, increased security measures or higher costs for honest customers.”

Further, Morgan observed: “Forecourt operators should make sure they’re documenting every incident clearly, retaining surveillance recordings, training staff on safe escalation procedures and checking that their insurance cover still reflects the risks they’re facing. Theft, malicious damage, business interruption and staff-related risks should all be reviewed rather than assuming that every loss will be covered automatically.”

Time for action

For forecourt owners, fuel theft isn’t always a simple case of one lost transaction. A single incident can create several knock-on risks, particularly so if a driver becomes aggressive, damages equipment or leaves the site in a dangerous manner.

Higher pump prices can also make the financial impact of each incident far larger. Even if the number of thefts increases only slightly, the amount lost can rise sharply when petrol and diesel prices climb.

Industry bodies have also warned against treating fuel theft as an understandable response to financial pressure. Drive-off thefts remain a criminal offence, while repeated losses can put more strain on legitimate businesses and the customers who use them.

Craig Morgan said: “The first step is making sure staff know exactly what to do when an incident happens. Employees should not be expected to chase or confront a driver, particularly so if there’s any risk of aggression. A clear process for recording details, preserving surveillance footage and escalating the incident is much safer and more useful from an insurance perspective.”

Morgan affirmed: “Forecourts should also review whether their current payment procedures are still suitable. For some sites, that may mean looking again at pay-at-pump, pre-authorisation, clearer No-Means-of-Payment processes or extra checks at higher-risk times of the day.”

According to Morgan: “From an insurance point of view, the evidence trail matters. If a business needs to make a claim or review its cover, insurers will want to understand what happened, what evidence is available and what reasonable steps were already in place to reduce repeat incidents.”

Practical steps for operators 

Forecourt operators are encouraged to observe five practical steps:

*Keep surveillance systems clear and well maintained

Cameras should cover pumps, number plates, entrances, exits and payment areas 

*Record every incident

Log the time, pump number, vehicle details, value of fuel taken and any staff observations as soon as possible 

*Protect staff first

Make sure employees know not to put themselves at risk by confronting drivers 

*Review payment procedures

Consider whether pay-at-pump, pre-authorisation or tighter payment checks are needed for higher-risk sites

*Check the policy detail

Review whether theft, damage, business interruption and staff safety risks are properly reflected in current insurance cover