Act to prevent oil storage tank disaster says Charity

Age Scotland is calling on owners of domestic oil storage tanks to check on its state of repair, and to act if there is damage.

Charity spokesperson Greg McCracken said: "We've recently taken a number of calls to the Age Scotland Helpline from older people and their relatives seeking help with damaged domestic oil storage tanks. The cost of replacing these, as well as the additional cost of the lost oil, has run into thousands of pounds.

"Early autumn is very much the time that consumers should be checking their systems and filling up with oil, as it tends to be cheaper at this time of year before demand rises.  Spending a little time and money on maintenance now could avoid the cost of replacing your tank in the future, as well as the cost of cleaning up any spills."

Age Scotland has produced an online guide to help domestic oil storage tank owners to minimise the risk of damage.

See Age Scotland's guide to oil storage tank maintenance