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You have to follow certain regulations if you have an oil storage container at your home, business or farm.

The person responsible for the property or premises is usually legally responsible for the oil storage container, for example the homeowner, business owner or site manager.

Which regulations to follow

The regulations are different depending on where you store your oil.

At your home

You normally have to follow building regulations for your home if you have an oil storage container installed.

At your business

You have to follow oil storage regulations for businesses if the container can hold 201 litres or more of certain types of oil.

The regulations for businesses also apply to public sector buildings like schools, hospitals, churches and residential care homes.

At your farm

You have to follow different regulations depending on whether you鈥檙e storing oil:

• for heat and power for agriculture, for example to fuel your tractor or run a grain dryer
• to heat your farmhouse - follow regulations for your home
• for a separate part of your business, for example to fuel vehicles you hire out - follow regulations for businesses

Checking and labelling your tank

You should get your oil storage container inspected every year by someone who鈥檚 registered with a 鈥榗ompetent person鈥� scheme.

The person inspecting your tank will let you know when you should replace it.

Oil Care suggest that you at least once a month.

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Your tank should have a sticker that tells you how to look after your oil. If it does not, you can .

You must meet building regulations if you have a new or replacement oil storage container installed at your home in England, for example to fuel your cooker or central heating.

There are different building , and .

Choosing someone to install your tank

You should choose someone who鈥檚 registered with a 鈥榗ompetent person鈥� scheme. They can self-certify that their work complies with building regulations and can deal with building control issues, like objections.

If you do not use someone registered with a competent person scheme, you鈥檒l have to get a Building Control Notice from your local council and arrange and pay for an inspection yourself.

Penalties

The person installing your tank could be prosecuted and fined with building regulations.

You鈥檙e also responsible for making sure their work meets the regulations. Your local authority could make you pay for faulty work to be fixed.

Check if you need extra protection from leaks

The person installing your tank will do a risk assessment, and they鈥檒l let you know if your tank has to have secondary containment (a 鈥榖und鈥�). The bund must:

• hold 110% of the tank鈥檚 capacity
• be impermeable to oil and water

You鈥檒l need a bund if your tank鈥檚 in any of the following places:

• where oil spills could run into an open drain or a loose manhole cover
• where the tank vent pipes cannot be seen when the tank鈥檚 being filled, for example because the delivery tanker is parked too far away
• within 10 metres of coastal waters or inland fresh waters like lakes or streams
• within 50 metres of a drinking water source, for example wells, boreholes or springs
• where oil spills could run over hard ground and reach coastal waters, inland fresh waters or a drinking water source
• in the inner zone of groundwater source protection zone 1

You鈥檒l also need a bund if your tank can hold more than 2,500 litres of oil.

If there鈥檚 an oil leak or spill

Stop the oil spreading if you can. Follow the advice on your tank sticker and on the .

Do not try to clean up the oil spill yourself. Get help from:

• your insurer
• the Environment Agency
• your oil supply company

You may face legal action if an oil spill pollutes the water course. All types of oil need to be dealt with correctly, even if they鈥檙e sold as 鈥榚nvironmentally friendly鈥� or 鈥榞reen鈥�.

You must follow the regulations for businesses if your oil container can hold 201 litres or more of:

• petrol
• diesel
• biofuels
• kerosene
• hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO)
• vegetable oil and plant-based oils, for example sunflower oil or aromatherapy oil - including waste cooking oil
• synthetic oils, for example motor oil - including waste oil
• oils used as solvents
• biodegradable oils, for example lubricating or hydraulic oils
• liquid bitumen-based products, for example waterproofing or damp proofing products, or coatings for a road surface

The regulations do not apply to:

• liquid petroleum gas (LPG)
• hydrocarbon products that are solid when unheated, like bitumen
• solvents that are not oil based, for example trichloroethylene
• aromatic hydrocarbons like benzene and toluene
• waste mineral oils drained from vehicles, and mixtures of diesel and petrol that cannot be used as vehicle fuel

Other exceptions

You do not have to follow oil storage regulations if your oil is:

• stored for distribution to other places
• in use, for example lubrication in a hydraulic system

The regulations do not apply if your storage containers are:

• underground
• in a building that would capture leaking oil - contact your local council to find out if you have to meet any extra fire safety regulations
• at a refinery
• at a premises for onward distribution of oil - but not a premises which sells oil directly to end users or a premises that uses oil

Farms

You must follow different regulations if your oil is on a farm and you use it:

• for heat and power for agriculture, for example to fuel your tractor or run a grain dryer
• to heat your farmhouse

Choosing someone to install your oil storage tank

You should choose someone who鈥檚 registered with a 鈥榗ompetent person鈥� scheme.

Penalties

You can be fined if you do not follow the oil storage regulations.

The Environment Agency can also serve an anti-pollution works notice to make you bring your tank up to legal requirements.

Get advice

Contact the Environment Agency if you have a question about following oil storage regulations in England.

If your business is outside England, contact one of the following: