monitored ~GBP 20-45, smart app ~GBP 0-10
Advanced options
The insurance discount is usually smaller than sales patter implies (GBP 10-30/yr, and only for maintained/approved systems: some policies then REQUIRE you to set it or claims wobble: read that clause). Monitored alarms with police response need an NSI/SSAIB-certified install and URNs: the full package. The deterrence research consistently ranks visible bell box, lighting, locked side gates and lived-in signals as the burglar's actual checklist: the alarm works best as part of the theatre.
What The Burglar Alarm Cost Calculator Works Out
- 10-year cost of ownership: the install price plus 120 months of monitoring or app fees plus GBP 80 a year servicing. DIY smart kits run GBP 200 to GBP 400, fitted bells-only GBP 400 to GBP 800 and fitted-and-monitored GBP 600 to GBP 1,000 plus GBP 20 to GBP 45 a month, so honest decade costs run from about GBP 700 to over GBP 4,000.
- Net yearly cost: the ten-year figure divided by ten, less the insurance discount. That discount is worth its real GBP 10 to GBP 30 a year, only for maintained and approved systems, and some policies then require the alarm to be set for cover to hold.
- What actually deters: the offender-interview research is consistent that a visible bell box, security lighting, locked side gates and lived-in signals are the burglar's target-selection checklist. A sounding alarm mainly puts time pressure on a burglary already under way.
- Quoted install price and servicing (advanced): replace the tier default with your quote and set the real maintenance contract, typically GBP 60 to GBP 100 a year for a maintained system and nothing for a DIY kit you look after yourself.
- Years of ownership (advanced): alarm panels and sensors are usually good for 10 to 15 years. A shorter horizon suits a house you expect to sell; the total and per-month figures rescale accordingly.
- Extra sensors and replacements (advanced): fitted door contacts and PIRs add GBP 30 to GBP 60 each beyond the standard kit, and batteries and tired sensors need a round of replacement roughly every five years.
- Per month, all in (advanced): everything over your ownership period divided by the months, which is the honest way to compare a GBP 300 kit with GBP 5 a month of app fees against a GBP 800 install with GBP 30 a month of monitoring.
- Expected loss avoided (advanced): your yearly chance of an attempt x the average loss x the reduction the alarm gives. About 2% of households a year see a burglary or attempt and the average loss including damage and disruption is around GBP 3,000, so even a 50% reduction is worth only about GBP 30 a year on expected value. The alarm is bought for the other 98% of nights.
- Net of discount and risk (advanced): the yearly cost less the insurance discount and the expected loss avoided, which is what peace of mind actually costs.
- Options table (advanced): the three tiers plus the GBP 95 physical-deterrence bundle (bell box, PIR light, gate lock) over your chosen years, using your extras and replacement assumptions. The research's own allocation is to fit the cheap deterrence first and add the alarm tier the household's risk argues for.