Table of Contents
Did you know? According to statistics, 63% of burglaries in the UK happen in homes without a basic security system.
That really shouldn’t come as a surprise since most burglars closely monitor the homes they choose to break into and make sure there aren’t any deterrents that get in the way of their burglary.
One of the best defences for burglars to break into homes is the burglar alarm. They work using a series of sensors that go off as soon as they detect any unusual activity, notifying the person-in-charge to take necessary action.
A general idea of the cost of a wireless burglar alarm installation, based on an average house with 3 bedrooms, 2 external doors, a kitchen, lounge, and hallway, would be in the region of £780 including VAT.
The cost of a burglar alarm installation will obviously vary from property to property, depending on a number of factors including the type of alarm, the number of sensors used, and the general complexity of the system.
TYPES OF BURGLAR ALARMS
There are mainly three main types of burglar alarms for your home security. They all have the same primary purpose; stopping intruders from entering your home. However, there are a couple of added functionalities in some that affect the total costs, including the installation.
Let’s look at each one in detail to help you make a decision on which one’s best for you.
Bells-only burglar alarms
These are the standard kind of home burglar alarms and are very popular with homeowners in the UK. They emit loud sounds to alert people nearby of an intrusion. Bells-only burglar alarms use a number of sensors to detect potential break-ins, and when an intrusion is detected, a loud siren is sounded, hopefully deterring the intruders.
An important factor here is that since these burglar alarms aren’t monitored by a third-party, they rely on the homeowners and neighbours to take action as soon as the alarm is triggered, which is why they aren’t particularly effective in secluded and isolated areas.
You can expect to pay around £500 for a professionally-installed bells-only alarm.
Pros: no monthly monitoring costs; even the simplest burglar alarm can help deter burglars.
Cons: you won’t be alerted unless you’re in or very near your home; might not stop burglaries if no one is around to stop them.
Dialler/Monitored burglar alarms
These burglar alarms work exactly like the bells-only alarm with the additional feature of contacting someone in the case of the alarm being triggered. This could be you, your family, or someone trustworthy that you’d like to be notified in case of a break-in. In some cases, homeowners might opt for professional burglar alarm monitoring services and have a security company monitor their alarm 24/7, and also connect to the police if necessary.
These alarms offer great peace of mind knowing that your burglar alarm is being monitored even when you’re away and are a great choice for people leaving in remote areas.
The cost of a dialler/monitored alarm is similar to a bells-only alarm. The expected starting price for a professionally-installed dialler/monitored alarm would be £600. In addition to the installation cost, you’d be expected to pay a certain amount every month for dialler/monitoring services.
Pros: someone will always be alerted; a professional company will take action if need be.
Cons: recurring costs.
Smart burglar alarms
Simply put, smart burglar alarms are managed via an app with notifications on your phone. Like monitored burglar alarms, they alert someone in case of a break-in, but it is usually integrated with your phone and other smart devices such as CCTV cameras and lights. For instance, when the burglar alarm is triggered, the smart lights in your home would turn on to scare away any intruder. The alarm can also be turned on and off from your phone. It’s extra beneficial when you’re away and need to keep an eye on what’s happening back home.
The average cost of installing a smart home burglar alarm system would be high as compared to the other two variants, mainly because of all the complexities and added features involved. You can expect to pay a starting price of £1000.
Pros: alerts you even when you’re away from home; can be controlled and monitored via your smartphone.
Cons: can be expensive.
The above three types of home burglar alarms are also available in wired and wireless versions.
Wired burglar alarms
Wired burglar alarm systems, as the name suggests, use wires to connect to the sensors. These burglar alarms take longer to install since there is more work involved and the cables and wires need to be properly set up. They generally have a higher installation cost due to high labour costs. However, they are cheaper to maintain due to less reliance on batteries. In conclusion, wired burglar alarms have a higher initial cost, but are easier to maintain.
Wireless burglar alarms
As opposed to their wired counterpart, wireless burglar alarm systems use Wi-Fi or radio frequency to connect to the sensors. They are easier to install due to the absence of cable and wires, which results in low labour costs, and therefore, low installation costs. However, their maintenance cost is higher because of batteries needing to be replaced every couple of years. Another thing to consider when installing a wireless burglar alarm system is that they are not suited for areas that experience too much interference for the wireless components to work. In conclusion, wireless burglar alarms have a lower initial cost, but are relatively costlier to maintain.
OTHER COSTS TO CONSIDER
In addition to the installation costs of a home burglar alarm system, there are other costs that need to be considered:
Maintenance costs
On top of the cost of buying the equipment for a home burglar alarms and getting it installed, you should also consider the regular maintenance costs. On average, a burglar alarm maintenance visit would cost you around £75-£125. The charges will also differ if you have a maintenance contract. An annual service will ensure that the system is working as it should, for example, by checking and changing any batteries reaching the end of their lives, and detecting any possible issues before they become a problem.
In addition to having your burglar alarm maintained by a professional service, you must also do your part. You must ensure that it remains clean and dust-free, and make sure to get rid of those pesky spiders that just love spinning a cobweb on security systems such as the alarms and cameras.
Monitoring costs
As discussed above, if you’re using a monitored burglar alarm, you will be expected to pay a monthly fee for professional home burglar monitoring services. The monthly charges range from £15-£45. When alerted, the Alarm Response Centre (ACR) performs a check to confirm the alarm, notifies the person-in-charge and, if appropriate, alerts the police.
At odd times, during the night for instance, if your burglar alarm is triggered, you don’t need to worry about it. Keyholding could allow you to sleep easy. A key holding service means that a professional SIA guard would be sent to your property to check the situation. You may want to use a key holding service if your property is unoccupied, for when you’re away on holiday, or just for when you’re out at work. The guard would conduct a thorough survey of the site, both inside and out, and also deal with securing the site following an intrusion.
Repairing costs
When your burglar alarm shows signs of an issue, it is time to have it repaired. It must be done ASAP to prevent false alarms or, in a worst-case scenario, prevent it from triggering in the event of a break-in.
A question normally asked by people is if a visible alarm is enough to deter burglars, even if it’s not working? And the answer is no. What’s the point of having a burglar alarm installed if you don’t plan on setting it up or having it fixed if it breaks? That’s leaving your home’s safety and security to chance and we strongly advocate for you to get your burglar alarm fixed as soon as the first sign of a fault arises.
A home burglar alarm repairing service would cost you around £86.40. The total charges may vary depending on the nature of the fault and the type of burglar alarm.
WHICH ONE IS BEST FOR YOU?
Choosing one best home burglar alarm system is a kind of an impossible task since it all comes down to personal preferences and requirements. What might work best for one home might be totally wrong for the other.
Basically, all burglar alarms work the same way with the addition of a few components and services. A bells-only burglar alarm works best if you’re living in a densely populated area, know your neighbours, and can rely on them. Since this type of burglar alarm only sounds an alarm and doesn’t specifically alert someone, you must either be in your home all the time (which is quite impossible) or have a good, trustworthy relationship with your neighbours for you to count on them to alert you instantly during an alarm trigger.
A dialler/monitored burglar alarm is a great choice for when you don’t want to rely on chance and always want to be notified of a break-in or have your burglar alarm monitored by a professional burglar alarm monitoring service. This gives great peace of mind knowing there’s always someone looking out for you and even notifying the police if need be.
A smart burglar alarm system, coupled with professional monitoring services is a truly remarkable duo and guarantees you the utmost safety and security. You have all the perks of a professionally monitored burglar alarm system as well as full control over your home’s security, even when you’re far away. It’s all just a click away!
Deciding whether to go the wired or wireless route is also up for debate since it all matters on your personal choice and options available to you, e.g. interference-free neighbourhood for a wireless system.
In the end, what you’ll need to make a decision is determining your requirements and setting a budget. If you need any help making your decision, or even setting a budget, contact us right away! We are here to help.
WHY DO YOU NEED A HOME BURGLAR ALARM SYSTEM?
You need to evaluate what’s really important here. The cost of a break-in is much higher than the cost of a burglar alarm system. Therefore, your home’s safety and security must be your topmost priority.
A burglary will cost you – and we are not just talking about the obvious monetary losses here. There’s a lot of costs attached to it than just the valuables lost.
The Office for National Statistics puts the average cost of a domestic burglary around £3,030, out of which £1,400 is the property stolen or damaged. That is a huge amount and it’s more than enough to put someone in a financial crisis.
In addition to financial losses, there are huge losses faced in terms of mental trauma and loss in productivity. Approximately, £1,190 is the reduction in the quality of life of the victim due to the physical and emotional trauma suffered as a result of the burglary.
The remaining £440 is money lost in terms of loss in productivity and time off work for victims of the crime.
There are other costs involved with such crimes such as defensive expenditure, insurance administration, health services, police costs, and other CJS costs that take up the total of the average cost to a staggering £5,930!
Read these key facts & statistics on burglaries throughout the UK to see why home burglar alarm systems are so important for you and your loved ones’ safety.
WHY CHOOSE CALDER SECURITY FOR HOME BURGLAR ALARM INSTALLATION?
We, at Calder Security, offer you complete home burglar alarm services, from installation to repairing and monitoring to maintaining. We are Yorkshire’s leading independent security company and here is why you should choose us for your home burglar installation needs:
- We are SSAIB approved installers: all of our burglar alarm installations comply with standards: PD6662: 2010, DD243 and BS8243.
- Our systems meet the stringent requirements of BS4737 AND EUROPEAN STANDARD EN50131 (Intruder Alarm Systems in Buildings).
- We have all types of burglar alarms for your needs and are experts in installing both wired and wireless systems. We can advise you on which burglar alarm is best for your home.
- We are specialist security system installers and have been operating in the security industry since 1976.
- We give out timed appointments to our valued customers. We would hate for you to wait.
- We are a Wakefield based company, covering the entire West Yorkshire region and beyond.