An oil leak at your home can be costlier than you think, both in terms of your finances but also your health. That’s why any suspected oil leak should be acted upon immediately.

Your CMG independent insurance loss assessor can provide you with advice about what you should do, and whether you can make a home insurance claim to help you cover the cost of any repairs and environmental remediation.

What causes an oil leak?

Oil leaks, known as an escape of oil in insurance terms, are typically caused by a leaking oil-fired boiler, or a split or damaged oil tank.

Tanks can experience wear and tear and like oil-fired boilers, should be checked annually to ensure they are safe and in proper working order.

An oil leak is considered an emergency because it can cause significant damage not only to the surrounding area but to people’s health.

It can kill grass and plants and contaminate drinking water, not to mention create a potentially hazardous and lingering smell that can cause headaches, coughs, and fatigue.

If you think you might have an oil leak, you should phone a professional as soon as possible to have your tank and boiler inspected.

How will I know if I have an oil leak?

There are several clues that you might have an oil leak at home.

You might smell the oil and be affected by the fumes.

You might also see the effects of the oil leak in your garden where it might have

damaged plants or grass around the oil tank.

You might also see a split, dent, or puncture on the surface of your oil tank.

What should I do if I think I have an oil leak?

Oil leaks can be incredibly serious, especially if they spread to neighboring properties, or get into local watercourses and sewerage systems.

Some remediations can run into hundreds of thousands of euros.

That’s why you need to act fast if you suspect an oil leak.

In the first instance, you should turn off your oil supply and call out an experienced professional to empty your tank if necessary

NEVER hose the oil leak away because this can impact your insurance claim; trying to hose away an oil leak won’t get rid of the oil, only cause it to disperse further and create more damage.

You should use dirt, sand, and other commercial grade products designed to prevent the home heating oil from entering drains and septic systems.

Once you have addressed the immediate leak, you should ensure your home is well ventilated to avoid filling with harmful fumes.

You should contact a plumber to assess and repair the damage and may require an engineer to replace your oil tank or supply lines.

You should also phone your CMG independent loss assessor to determine whether you have a home insurance claim.

You should always call CMG for claims advice before you call your insurance company because we have decades of experience in making home insurance claims on behalf of our customers for escape of oil.

How can CMG help with my claim for an oil leak?

Home insurance claims for an oil leak can be quite complex and involve several different specialists to determine the extent of damage and the required repairs.

Your CMG independent insurance loss assessor has an in-depth understanding of this process and can manage it from beginning to end on your behalf.

Your CMG loss assessor will first arrange a remediation expert to carry out a site survey and soil test at your property. This helps to determine the full cost of remediating the soil.

Once this assessment is complete, your loss assessor can prepare all your home insurance claim paperwork and submit it on your behalf to your insurer.

It is important to remember that your insurer will appoint a loss adjustor to act on their behalf, not yours, to negotiate a settlement for your home insurance claim.

As your independent insurance loss assessor, CMG will handle all the paperwork related to your claim and liaise with your insurer and their loss adjuster.

We can manage all day-to-day correspondence about your home insurance claim and follow-up on any actions required.

To find out more about how to deal with an oil leak at your home or help to lodge a home insurance claim, please call us now on 0818 118 118 (ROI) or 028 8224 9015 (NI), or visit our website at claimmanagementgroup.com/escape-of-oil .