The new WatchmanAlarm from Kingspan Environmental Ltd

A revolutionary new electronic monitor and alarm has just been launched by Kingspan Environmental that will help alleviate householder fears over a rising number of heating oil thefts.

While theft of domestic heating oil is a perennial problem, incidents tend to increase when the price of crude oil rises.

The new WatchmanAlarm, which is part of Kingspan Environmental''s award-winning Sensor range, uses a transmitter on top of the tank and ultrasonic level techniques to measure, continually, the level of oil in a tank.

The information is accessed via the receiver which is plugged into an electric wall socket within the home. The level of the oil is displayed on an LCD screen on the receiver. When the level of oil in the tank is below 10 per cent, the fuel dispensing pump symbol appears - and a buzzer option can be added - indicating to the householder that it is time to order more oil.

In the event of the oil level dropping at a rate that is not typical for a domestic oil tank (more than 1.5 cm per minute) the receiver will emit a siren-type sound that indicates either a leak, or theft, is occurring.

The WatchmanAlarm has been well received by the police forces we have spoken to. Those in rural areas are only too aware of the problems associated with oil theft, particularly in the current climate. Their job is made all the more difficult because most occur at night when the householder is asleep.

The WatchmanAlarm is a revolutionary system that instantly alerts householders when thefts are happening, not days or weeks later.
It is easy to install and cheap to run. It attaches to any steel or plastic tank, up to three metres in height.