If you’ve ever been victim of a burglary before, you know how stressful it can be. As well as all the hassle that comes with filing a police report, cataloguing what has been stolen and getting in touch with your insurer, it can also leave you feeling unsafe in your own home.
One way to deter burglars and alert you and your neighbours to an intruder is to install a burglar alarm. But how much will it cost?
For a standard house alarm, expect to pay between £400 and £1000 for the supply and installation of a burglar alarm. Additional subscription/monitoring maybe required depending on the supplier. We’ll go into the factors that make up the cost of an intruder alarm in this guide.
Burglar alarm installation cost
How much it costs to install a burglar alarm will depend on the type of burglar alarm you choose, the condition of your electrics and where you live in the country. HaMuch has a large database of hourly and daily rates for UK based electricians and security specialists, so take a look at the table further down the page to get an idea of how much you’ll pay for burglar alarm installation in your town or city.
However, the average burglar alarm installation cost is £120-£240, not including the alarm itself. It takes around 2-3 hours to install a good-quality alarm, so the hourly cost for an electrician or alarm specialist is around £60-£80.
How much should a burglar alarm cost?
How much a burglar alarm costs depends on the brand and the type of alarm you choose. There are a few different types of burglar alarm and some types can be blended together.
Bells-only
Bells-only burglar alarms are exactly what they say they are: they only make a sound and don’t make contact with yourself, an alarm company or the police if they are triggered. They are the simplest type of alarm, and therefore are typically the cheapest. A bells-only wired alarm starts from around £380, whereas wireless bells-only alarms start at around £400.
Monitored
Monitored burglar alarms are more expensive than bells-only alarms as they are designed to put an agent in touch with you if it detects a break-in. The agent can also contact the police for you to increase the likelihood of them catching the burglary in progress.
Monitored alarms generally start from around £500 excluding installation costs.
Smart burglar alarms
Smart burglar alarms are becoming the standard now. Most British Standards-approved alarms will have a connection to smartphones, but you can buy more sophisticated smart burglar alarms that include cameras two-way microphones. These alarms can cost £650 or more.
Wired or wireless
You’ll also need to choose whether you want a wired or wireless system. Wired alarm systems require wiring to connect the sensors and alarm panel together. While wired systems have the benefit of not needing battery changes, you will experience an outage if you have a power cut.
On the other hand, wireless systems will continue to work even if your electricity gets cut off. Battery-powered systems emit signals to connect the sensors to your alarm panel. This means that the sensors need to stay within a set distance from the alarm panel to ensure the signal is strong. If the sensors are installed too far away, the signal could be too weak to trigger the alarm. Generally, wireless burglar alarms are more expensive than wired options.
How long should a burglar alarm last?
A burglar alarm should last at least 10 years. In fact, it could last longer than this – but you’d probably want to update your system by this time to take advantage of new technology.
If you have a wireless alarm system, the battery will typically require changing every 2-3 years. If you have your alarm serviced every year, your alarm specialist will be able to tell you when the battery needs changing.
Wired systems generally have a back up battery to allow for short power cuts. These generally last around 3-5 years before they need to be replaced.
Is it worth installing a burglar alarm?
The decision to install a burglar alarm is a very personal one. While some people will say that they are not worth the money, others will feel much more comfortable knowing that they have one installed.
If you have been burgled before, it can be worth installing a burglar alarm simply for your peace of mind. Knowing that you have a system there to detect an intruder can help you to feel safe in your home again after a burglary.
Some people believe that burglar alarms act as a good enough deterrent when they are visible on the front and back of your home, so burglars won’t even attempt to break into your home if they see one. Because of this, many homeowners decide to install dummy alarms – a fake alarm system that sits on the front of your house – as this is enough to deter someone from entering your home uninvited.
Do burglar alarms stop burglars?
Burglar alarms act act as a good deterrent to burglars. To keep your home efficiently protected, it’s recommended that you install a real home alarm system and keep it maintained. That means that if the presence of the alarm on the front and back of your property isn’t enough to stop someone from breaking in, the alarm will sound as soon as they enter.
Even if your alarm is a monitored alarm, it’s still unlikely that the police would get to you before the intruder runs away. Hopefully they will make a dash for it before they get access to any of your property.
To help deter burglars further and catch them in the act if they do decide to try their luck, you could also consider installing a CCTV system and a smart doorbell alongside your home alarm.
Can an electrician fit a burglar alarm?
Yes, an electrician can fit a burglar alarm – mostly wired systems. You may be able to hire a registered electrician or a security specialist, who is usually a qualified electrician anyway. It’s best to get a few quotes from security firms and electricians to see who can give you the best price and advice for your property.
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