Why You Should Consider A Home Alarm For Your House

Hands up if you have left your house without locking your front door or left your patio door wide open. Yeah, us too. Especially when sharing apartments with others you may not know very well, it can be a common occurrence to find keys left in the front door or windows left open without anyone realising.

For this reason, it’s extremely important to have a quick check of the following before heading off to work, school or holiday:

• Have you turned off the immersion?
• Have you turned off the iron or stove?
• Have checked and locked external doors /windows?
• Have you set the home alarm?

Having some home security system in place is vitally important. According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO) the number of burglaries in Ireland in 2021 dropped by over a fifth compared to 2020’s figures. While this may seem like a good thing and a reason to put off installing any home alarms, CSO statistician Josh Dalton told NewsTalk that this drop was most likely down to the increase of people working from home. As a result, now that we’re gradually going back into the office during the day, there’s a good chance this statistic will begin to climb once again.

Taking this into account, we've got a quick guide to home alarm systems to make sure you don’t fall victim to this crime - and how they might also help with lowering the cost of your home insurance.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT ALARMS

Having a house alarm is one of the most effective burglary deterrents that you can have in place. If you do decide to get an alarm system installed in your home, there are a number of things you should take into consideration, such as selecting the appropriate system for your home and the ongoing costs associated with installing the system.

Home alarm systems usually fall into two categories, wired and wireless, and choosing which one suits your needs is entirely up to the homeowner.

Wired alarm systems, as the name might imply, are usually wired throughout the house and can be cheaper to operate depending on if your home is already wired for the system.

Your typical wireless alarm system operates on batteries and transmits signals via a radio frequency.

Both are equally effective but can vary in installation and operational costs.

There are two further sub-sections of alarm systems: audible and remotely monitored.

• Audible home alarms are the ones you usually hear going off at 3 AM in the morning. If the alarm is triggered by an unwelcome guest the alarm is activated and will sound until cancelled by the code holder.

Did you know? External alarms can only sound for 15 minutes by European law before the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or local authority can be called due to noise pollution breaches.

• Remotely monitored alarms send a message to the central monitoring station, who will contact the owner, key holder and Gardaí as required.

ADDITIONAL EXTRAS

Some alarm companies can provide you with the option of adding video surveillance to your alarm. These cameras are placed in key areas around the outside of the property so that all vantage points are covered.

Motion detectors can also be added to your alarm package by your provider at the time of purchase. These detectors can be placed inside and outside the home or property. For additional security, you can place the motion detectors in key areas such as the kitchen or living room, which you can activate at night.

HOUSE ALARMS AND HOME INSURANCE

Having an alarm system on your property, installed to EN50131 standard and by a recognised installation company, will be taken into consideration by your insurer when you are arranging your https://www.chill.ie/home-insurance/. The level of discount you may be offered can depend on the type of alarm you have in place and the insurer.

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Installing an alarm system might appear costly, but the long term benefits in terms of home security and potential discounts on home insurance can make it worthwhile. But be mindful that, although a home alarm can act as a deterrent, it doesn't mean that it should be your only security precaution. Make sure that your physical home security measures are in place as well which can also go towards reducing the chances of a burglary occurring.