DO YOU HAVE AN UNDERGROUND OIL TANK IN YOUR GARDEN?
From 2020, the use of fossil fuel oil for heating buildings will be banned. Across the country there are thousands of underground oil tanks, which can be harmful to both the environment and human health. These must be removed.
It’s a good idea to do this during 2018, as you can then apply for funding from Enova. The amount of support will be halved in 2019 and will cease in 2020.
We would like to emphasise that As a homeowner, you are liable for any oil spill. It can be very expensive. I would advise anyone with an underground tank to contact Vitek. At the moment, we are removing one or two oil tanks a week. We have many years’ experience and expertise in tank cleaning and removal, says the department manager.
Here is our recommendation: Emptying, cleaning, decontaminating or removing an underground oil tank should be carried out by professionals who are certified for the job.
How to proceed
An oil tank should be emptied, decontaminated or removed by a certified company. As a homeowner, you should have the following information about the tank:
- Age
- What is the tank made of (steel, fibreglass, etc.)?
- Last condition check
- Size
- Routing of cables to the tank
- Current contents of the tank
- Where in the garden is the tank situated?
If you need further information, please contact your local council and ask if they can help you.
Read more about our hazardous waste services here.
Removing the tank
You can choose whether the tank should simply be emptied, cleaned, decontaminated or removed entirely. We recommend that it be removed.
All associated pipes on the wall must also be emptied and removed. The same applies to the day tank inside your house. If you have an indoor cellar tank, this should also be emptied, decontaminated, dismantled and removed.
Reporting
Once the tank has been decontaminated and delivered to an approved collection point, this must be reported to the local authority. All companies carrying out tank decontamination are required to do this, but it is you, as the property owner, who bears ultimate responsibility for ensuring that it is done.
New and environmentally friendly heating
An oil-fired boiler is usually connected to a central heating system with radiators or underfloor heating. It can be replaced with heating solutions that can be connected to the water-based heat distribution system.
Good alternatives might include solutions based on wood combustion or various heat pump systems, such as air-to-water heat pumps, liquid-to-water heat pumps, pellet boilers, pellet burners or wood-fired boilers.
Other heating solutions include solar heating or district heating.
Read more about Enova’s support schemes here
Please contact Vitek if you have an underground oil tank and need assistance.
