Nationwide emergency response
Oil spill clean up in Ireland
Heating oil leaking at your home or business? Call Verdé on 0818 714 002 for 24/7 oil spill response across Ireland, from containment through remediation and validation.
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Verdé are Ireland's largest oil spill clean up company, having responded to over 6,000 contamination incidents nationwide. Our experience includes all types of fuel spills in domestic, commercial and large-scale response situations, dealing with impacts to air, buildings, land, rivers, groundwater and harbours.
Or email info@verde.ie for non-urgent enquiries. Depots in Wicklow, Castlebar and Cork.
What to do — and what not to do — right now
Stop the oil supply only if safe, keep people and pets clear, and prevent oil reaching drains. Do not hose oil away or add detergent. Call Verdé’s 24/7 line for incident-specific advice; do not approach an unsafe spill.
Verdé publishes four clean-up stages and a 24/7 oil spill line; no fixed arrival time is promised here. Verdé Environmental Group, checked 2026.
Do
Turn off the oil supply at the tank
Close the valve on the tank outlet and stop using the boiler, cooker or pump.
Plug a small split temporarily
A bar of ordinary soap rubbed hard into a hairline split in a plastic tank will slow or stop a weep until we arrive. It is a stop-gap, not a repair.
Soak up and contain what has escaped
Cat litter, dry sand or earth banked around the spill will absorb oil and stop it spreading. Bag used litter and leave it for our crew — do not put it in the household bin.
Block the route to drains
Bank absorbent or soil across gullies, channels and driveways so oil cannot reach a drain, stream or river.
Keep people and pets clear, and ventilate
Open windows if fumes are indoors, keep naked flames away and do not smoke near the spill.
Photograph everything before you touch it
The tank, the pooling, the spread and any staining. Photos help both the clean-up and your insurance claim.
Tell your insurer and call us
Most home policies cover oil escape. Call 0818 714 002 — we deal with insurers and loss adjusters directly every day.
Don't
Don't hose it away
Water does not remove oil — it carries it deeper into soil and straight into drains and watercourses, which turns a contained spill into a pollution incident.
Don't use detergent or washing-up liquid
It emulsifies the oil so it travels further and is far harder to recover, and it makes laboratory validation of the clean-up messier.
Don't dig up or move contaminated soil yourself
Contaminated soil is a regulated waste. Moving it without classification can create a liability and complicate your claim.
Don't pour anything down a drain or gully
Including absorbent run-off. If oil has already entered a drain, tell us on the call — that changes how fast we mobilise.
Don't run the boiler to 'use up' the oil
If the leak is on the feed line or tank, running the system keeps the oil moving and the loss growing.
Don't wait to see if it gets worse
Kerosene migrates through soil and blockwork quickly. Early containment is the single biggest cost saving in any spill.
Not sure whether what you are looking at is a spill? Describe it and our 24/7 assistant will tell you what to do next.
Check my situationWatch: what to do, in under half a minute
Short, silent explainers you can follow on a phone at the tank. Every step is captioned on screen, so they work with the sound off.
Found oil? What to do in the first hour
A 24-second walkthrough of the five things to do — and the five things not to do — between finding a heating oil spill and the crew arriving.
How a Verdé clean-up works, call to sign-off
From the first call to the duty engineer through containment, remediation and validation, with the evidence pack your insurer needs.
These are Verdé animations, not site footage. Filmed clips of live clean-ups can be swapped in here as soon as they are available.
The films show immediate oil spill actions; they are not a substitute for site-specific safety advice. Verdé, checked 2026: the emergency line operates 24/7.
Who this is for — and who it is not for
This service is for homeowners, businesses, insurers and loss adjusters dealing with escaped fuel and contamination in Ireland. It is not a boiler repair or routine fuel delivery service. For non-spill environmental advice, see Verdé’s environmental services.
Three staffed Irish offices: Kilcoole, Castlebar and Cork. Galway is by appointment. Verdé Environmental Group, checked 2026.
Homeowners
Kerosene or heating oil escaping from a domestic tank, into the garden, under the floor or into a drain.
Get help nowBusinesses & industry
Forecourts, hauliers, plant, generators, marine and utilities — spill response, containment and site remediation.
See full servicesInsurers & loss adjusters
Independent assessment, remediation strategy, cost control and validation reporting for oil escape claims.
Insurance servicesWhat an oil spill clean-up involves
Verdé contains the spill, recovers escaped oil, treats affected soil or groundwater, then validates the result. The method and duration depend on what the site assessment finds; these stages are a sequence, not fixed deadlines.
Verdé publishes four clean-up stages and a 24/7 oil spill line; no fixed arrival time is promised here. Verdé Environmental Group, checked 2026.
1 — Containment
Stop oil spreading along the ground, drains and watercourses using suitable interception and absorbents.
First response; timing confirmed by the duty engineer.
Cost: site-specific assessment; no published range.
2 — Recovery
Recover free oil and segregate contaminated materials for appropriate transport and treatment.
After assessment; duration depends on access and the oil found.
Cost: site-specific assessment; no published range.
3 — Remediation
Treat affected soil and groundwater using a method selected for the actual contamination.
Site-specific programme; no fixed completion time is promised.
Cost: site-specific assessment; no published range.
4 — Validation
Check the result with sampling and prepare reporting and waste records for the relevant parties.
After treatment; sampling and reporting requirements determine completion.
Cost: site-specific assessment; no published range.
What is included, and which response should you choose?
Verdé’s oil spill service covers assessment, containment, recovery, remediation and validation. Call for an active spill; use the online report if you cannot call. The work required and any insurance cover depend on the actual incident.
EPA recorded approximately 40,000 tonnes of hazardous contaminated soil in Ireland in 2024; this covers all sources, not only oil spills. Environmental Protection Agency, 2026.
| Service | Included where required | Not assumed or guaranteed |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency assessment and containment | Included where requiredSpill assessment, source and pathway checks, containment and recovery planning. | Not assumed or guaranteedA confirmed arrival deadline before the duty engineer checks location and availability. |
| Clean-up and remediation | Included where requiredRecovery and site-specific soil or groundwater remediation, with appropriate waste handling. | Not assumed or guaranteedA fixed price or duration before contamination, access and treatment needs are assessed. |
| Reporting and validation | Included where requiredSampling, validation reporting, waste documentation and insurer/regulator liaison where required. | Not assumed or guaranteedA guarantee that an insurer will pay, or that every incident needs the same notifications. |
| Option | Best for | What happens next | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Call 0818 714 002 | Best forAn active leak, strong fuel smell or oil reaching a drain or watercourse. | What happens nextDiscuss immediate safety and mobilisation with the duty team. | Timing24/7 line; site arrival is confirmed on the call. |
| Report online | Best forYou cannot call and need to send your incident details. | What happens nextSend location and spill information through Verdé’s emergency form. | TimingNo guaranteed online reply time; call for an active spill. |
| Non-urgent enquiry | Best forPlanning, documentation or a question about an already-contained incident. | What happens nextContact info@verde.ie or the contact page. | TimingNot a substitute for the emergency line. |
What happens when you call Verdé?
Call 0818 714 002 for an active oil spill. Tell the duty team your location, what is leaking and whether oil has reached a building, drain or watercourse. The duty engineer confirms mobilisation arrangements; an online message is not a guaranteed immediate response.
Verdé publishes four clean-up stages and a 24/7 oil spill line; no fixed arrival time is promised here. Verdé Environmental Group, checked 2026.
1. Describe the incident
Have your Eircode, callback number, fuel type, visible spread and access details ready. Explain any strong indoor smell or nearby water.
2. Confirm the response
Ask the duty engineer what to do safely while waiting and when a specialist crew can attend. Location, access and incident severity affect arrangements.
3. Assessment and follow-through
Verdé’s specialist spill response team assesses the site and agrees containment, recovery and the next clean-up steps. Have insurer details available if relevant.
If anyone is in immediate danger or there is a fire, call 112 or 999 rather than waiting for environmental clean-up.
Which Verdé depot is nearest to your Eircode?
Enter the incident’s full Eircode to check the nearest staffed Verdé office in Ireland. The result shows the office and straight-line distance, not an estimated arrival time. Call the duty engineer to confirm dispatch and response time.
Three staffed Irish offices: Kilcoole, Castlebar and Cork. Galway is by appointment. Verdé Environmental Group, checked 2026.
Nearest means straight-line distance, not driving time. This check does not dispatch a crew.
Oil spill terms explained
Containment stops the spread; remediation addresses the contamination; validation checks the outcome. These terms describe different parts of Verdé’s oil spill clean-up service, not interchangeable promises that a site is already safe.
Verdé publishes four clean-up stages and a 24/7 oil spill line; no fixed arrival time is promised here. Verdé Environmental Group, checked 2026.
- Kerosene
- Kerosene is a liquid fuel commonly used in domestic oil heating systems.
- Containment
- Containment is stopping spilled oil spreading beyond the affected area.
- Free product
- Free product is oil present as a separate liquid, rather than dissolved in water or held in soil.
- Remediation
- Remediation is treating or removing contamination to address the risks found at a site.
- Validation
- Validation is checking and documenting whether the clean-up has met the agreed requirements.
- Groundwater
- Groundwater is water below the ground within soil and rock.
Contaminated land services · Groundwater assessment · Verdé project examples
Report a spill
For a live incident, calling is always fastest — 0818 714 002. If you would rather send the details, this reaches the duty team directly.
Verdé publishes four clean-up stages and a 24/7 oil spill line; no fixed arrival time is promised here. Verdé Environmental Group, checked 2026.
info@verde.ie
Oil spill questions, answered
A heating oil leak needs containment and an assessment of where the oil has travelled. Verdé’s answers below explain warning signs, reporting, insurance and clean-up; call the duty team for advice on your own incident.
Verdé publishes four clean-up stages and a 24/7 oil spill line; no fixed arrival time is promised here. Verdé Environmental Group, checked 2026.
Why is there a kerosene smell in my house?
A kerosene or heating oil smell indoors almost always means oil is escaping somewhere — from the tank, the feed line, the boiler or a spill that has soaked into the ground or floor slab nearby. Open windows, keep naked flames and cigarettes away, do not run the boiler, and check the tank and line for wetness or staining. If the smell is strong or persistent, call 0818 714 002 — fumes mean the oil is still moving, and early containment is far cheaper than a late one.
How can I tell if my oil tank is leaking?
The common signs are: your oil level dropping faster than your usage explains, a smell of kerosene near the tank or inside the house, dark staining or oily patches on the ground or walls around the tank, dead or yellowing vegetation nearby, and a rainbow sheen on standing water or in a nearby drain or stream. Any one of these is worth acting on — do not wait for all of them.
What should I do first if I find heating oil leaking at my house?
Stop the source if it is safe to do so — close the tank valve and stop using the boiler. Do not hose the oil away or put it down a drain. Keep people and pets clear, ventilate the area, avoid naked flames, and call the 24/7 line on 0818 714 002 so a crew can be mobilised.
How quickly can Verdé get to a spill?
Crews mobilise from the nearest of our depots — Wicklow (head office), Castlebar, Co. Mayo and Cork — and we cover the whole of Ireland. Response time depends on your location and the scale of the incident; the duty engineer will confirm a mobilisation time on the call.
Will my home insurance cover an oil spill clean-up?
Many Irish home and commercial policies include cover for oil escape, though limits and conditions vary. We work directly with insurers and loss adjusters and provide the site evidence, photographs, validation data and waste documentation a claim needs. Notify your insurer as early as you can.
Do you handle the clean-up and the remediation, or just the emergency call-out?
Both. Verdé contains and recovers the spill, then carries out the soil and groundwater remediation and validation through to sign-off, so you are not left co-ordinating several contractors.
Who do I have to notify about an oil spill?
Depending on scale and pathway, your local authority environment section, the EPA and Irish Water may need to be informed, along with your insurer. Verdé liaises with the regulators on your behalf and keeps the evidence pack for you.
What happens to contaminated soil and waste?
Contaminated material is segregated, transported under licence and taken to permitted facilities, with full waste tracking documentation issued to you for the file.
Useful contacts
Contact Verdé for oil spill response, the EPA for environmental regulation, and Uisce Éireann if public water or wastewater may be affected.
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) — Ireland's environmental regulator.
- Irish Water — for spills that may reach the public water or sewer network.
- Report a spill to Verdé — 24/7 emergency line 0818 714 002.
Sources and further reading
Service claims are drawn from Verdé’s published information. The EPA’s 2026 release reports approximately 40,000 tonnes of hazardous contaminated soil in Ireland in 2024; it does not measure domestic oil spill frequency or your individual risk.
- Verdé: oil spill clean-up service
Verdé Environmental Group, checked 2026. Published service, four clean-up stages, 24/7 contact and contamination-incident experience.
- Verdé: contact and Irish offices
Verdé Environmental Group, checked 2026. Kilcoole, Castlebar and Cork. Galway is by appointment, not a staffed depot for this checker.
- Hazardous waste statistics: 2024 data
Environmental Protection Agency, 2026. Released 2 March 2026: approximately 40,000 tonnes of hazardous contaminated soil generated in 2024. This is national waste data, not a count of domestic oil spills.
- Uisce Éireann: contact and incident reporting
Uisce Éireann, checked 2026. Contact information where a spill may affect the public water or wastewater network.
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Still dealing with a live spill?
Call 0818 714 002