AD | When we were looking to move out of Bath some years ago, our favourite house was in a village that wasn’t (and still isn’t) on mains gas. Everyone used oil tanks for their heating instead. At the time, this put us off because we didn’t know anything about it, and didn’t fancy a huge heating oil tank in our garden. But now the popularity of heating oil appears to be rising in the UK. And it’s given me food for thought.
How Do You Hide Your Heating Oil Tank?
Few would argue that a clunky, cumbersome domestic heating oil tank is an unattractive feature in your garden. If you’re one of the 1.3 million homes in the UK which rely on heating oil, you’ll know all about how hard it can be to camouflage an oil tank. Added to this, oil and gas tanks need to be sited within easy reach of a road so your heating oil supplier can deliver the goods.
So, I’ve put together a handy list of gardening tips for disguising your heating oil tank, without compromising on accessibility. And if you’re looking for a heating oil quote to keep the costs down then why not check out what Rix Petroleum can offer? In the meantime, let’s take a look at a few ideas to hide your oil tank in the garden.
Plant and Protect
For me, flowers are the most attractive and natural-looking of options to climb, crawl and cover your heating oil tank. Think roses*, wisteria*, clematis, jasmine*, and honeysuckle*, which will all scramble over fences, trees and unsightly features (like a great steel or plastic tank!).
Plants with thorns can also double up as protection to deter thieves looking to steal your supplies. And if you’re careful, you can grow plants together that will flower at different times or are evergreen, so you’ll end up with year-round colour as well as coverage.
And, controversial, I know, but a very quick and easy way to hide an oil heating tank is to plant mature bamboo. Bamboo has earned a bad reputation for taking over and causing damage but, if you keep it in containers and cut off any roots that ever protrude out, you’ll have instant screening that looks great, sounds wonderful in the wind, and is evergreen. Plus, if your heating oil tank supplier needs access, they can move the containers if necessary.
Fencing
Fencing is another quick and easy solution to disguising and hiding your oil tank. A clearly defined boundary should protect your container and act as a theft deterrent. But you need to choose your fencing carefully to enhance your garden space. For example, trellis fences* provide a stable platform for plants and flowers to climb – but do bear in mind that your heating oil supplier will still need to be able to reach the opening valve.
Hedging
If fencing isn’t what you’re looking for, why not consider hedging* as a more natural alternative? The drawback is that it will take time to grow to fully cover your container and it will need annual maintenance (clipping and trimming), but the right hedge can be a beautiful addition to your garden, as well as a haven for wildlife.
Build a Shed
Another quick way to camouflage an oil tank in the garden is to build a shed around it. This has the added bonus of giving you some extra storage, and hiding your tank from would-be thieves as well. Just remember to ges.
Paint Your Tank
Disguise your oil tank by painting it with paint that’s suitable for outdoors and can withstand the rain, wind, frost, sun, etc. You could either go for something that blends in with your garden’s palette or you could have some fun making your tank into a feature! Take a look on Pinterest for some creative inspiration.
Final Thoughts on How to Camouflage Your Heating Oil Tank
More and more people are turning away from gas towards more alternative heating methods. All fossil fuels, including kerosene, release ‘greenhouse gases’ like carbon monoxide. That said, if you still rely on fossil fuels for home heating, kerosene is one of the less environmentally-harmful options.
Technology advances include newer, cleaner and more efficient fuels, such as Bioheat® too, a blend of heating oil and renewable materials like vegetable oils. Having just paid our recent gas and electric bills, I wish I’d known a few years ago what I know now, I might have saved myself some money!
* This is a sponsored post and contains affiliate links (please see my Disclaimer).
I have no idea about the oil containers. I always thought every household has the automatic heating system and there is no need to bother about anything. 🙂 I can totally understand how it can affect the aesthetics of the garden. Hiding it behind the plants with lovely flowers is a good idea. 🙂
Via
Sadly no, they don’t! But heating oil can potentially be quite economical, provided you have space for a tank. And can hide it! ? xx
Heating oil sounds like such a good alternative to gas heating!
I think it can be, but the tank is very big, hence the need to disguise it!
Wow, I didn’t know 1.3 million homes relied on heating oil. That’s a huge amount! I always learn something new when I read your blog Lisa! Using plants to protect and camouflage the tank is a clever idea. It sounds like an economical solution, maybe everyone will have these in the future! Great post! <3 xx
It is quite a figure, isn’t it? I learned something new writing this post too, I didn’t realise how economical heating oil can be – perhaps we will all have our own tanks in future, always provided we’ve got the space, haha! x
I have an oil tank which is “bold” and unsightly. It is only covered by a spindley crawling rose plant now and needs more coverage.
What can I plant now (March 2025) to start to cover the tank but allow access to maintain it and, of course, allow the fuel providers easy access to fill it twice a year ?
I’d go for clump forming bamboo but in containers. They’re evergreen, don’t need much maintenance, and if you keep them in containers rather than in the ground, you can keep them under control. And your fuel provider can move any pots out of the way if they need to.