how to get 2.5 year old to follow rules??!!?!?

Hi everyone! My nonverbal lvl3 2.5 year old is driving my husband and I crazy. We have an oil heater in our living room and he will NOT stop messing with it! He repeatedly turns it on and off and will adjust the temp and just constantly messes with all the buttons. We continue to redirect when we catch him, we’ve tried hiding the buttons with duct tape (he will just rip the tape off).

I’m ripping my hair out, I can’t walk away from the heater without hearing him press all the buttons over and over. I don’t know if he doesn’t understand no or just doesn’t care. Please help!!!!