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Our guide to home insurance security systems

Tips and Guides | By Marianne | 28.05.2018

When it comes to protecting your home from burglars, having a good home security system can help. If your home doesn’t currently have an alarm and you don’t have any security measures in place, you could be up to five times more likely to be targeted[1].

What are the benefits of having a home security system?

Not only can having a home security system act as deterrent, it can alert you if a burglar breaks in and may even contact the police on your behalf, depending on the type of alarm you have installed. 

Depending on your insurance provider, having a home security system installed could lower your home insurance premium too. 

What are my options?

There are four main types of home security systems. These are: 

  • Bells-only alarms – The cheapest and most popular type of alarm. If a burglar breaks into your home the alarm will sound. It relies on a passer-by or neighbour to raise the alarm.

  • Auto-dialler alarms – If your alarm goes off you will be automatically called. You can have a list of contacts so that if you don’t answer, the next person in your list will be called. This can be more effective than a bells-only alarm, as the alarm sounding won’t go unnoticed. Some auto-dialler (or dialler alarms as they’re also known) come with fire and flood detectors too. 

  • Smart home-security systems – This is a sophisticated wireless alarm system that puts you in control. As well as being contacted if your alarm sounds, you’ll be able to use your tablet or smartphone to view live images of your home. If a burglar is present or has been and gone, you’ll be able to contact the police. If it’s a false alarm, you’ll be able to reset your alarm in a matter of seconds. From your tablet or smartphone, you’ll also be able to turn the alarm on in certain zones of your home and off in others, and control the lighting so that you can give the appearance that someone is at home even if there isn’t. 

  • Monitored alarm systems – The most effective type of alarm. It offers all the benefits of a smart home-security system but has a police or keyholder response. This means that if your alarm goes off the monitoring company will ring the police or keyholder straightaway. 9 out of 10 reformed burglars when questioned admitted that a monitored alarm system would have put them off.[2] As this type of system is monitored 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, you have to pay a monthly or annual monitoring fee.