Houses with burglar alarms have been issued a warning (Image: Getty)
Anyone who has a burglar alarm on their house could risk a huge home insurance bill, price comparison website MoneySupermarket has warned.
That’s because there are rules set by insurers around burglar alarms, and what makes them valid, and failing to adhere to the rules could mean they won’t pay out.
Many of us have burglar alarms on our houses. The little boxes visible on the front of the house, flashing every now and then, also broadcast to the entire street – including any would-be intruders – that the is protected by an alarm.
Just the sight of the alarm box alone may be enough to put off some thieves who won’t want to risk tripping a huge, blaring noise for the sake of pinching your telly.
But if the worst was to happen, and you do get burgled, a key home insurance mistake could see your insurer refusing to pay out.
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Some home make it a hidden condition of your policy that you need to service your burglar alarm annually.
If you do get robbed, the insurers may ask for evidence that this was done.
And if your burglar alarm is faulty, or found to have any issue, your insurer could also refuse to pay.
MoneySuperMarket said: “When applying for home insurance, you’ll likely be asked whether you have a burglar alarm.
“However, if you tell your insurer that you have an alarm, but it doesn’t activate during a break-in, your insurer could refuse your claim.
“This is because your insurer will expect you to take “reasonable precautions” to ensure that your home and belongings are secure, so failing to keep your burglar alarm in working condition could see people falling foul of this little-known rule.
“With this in mind, is urging households to test their alarms NOW to avoid a costly mistake.
“This also means that people with a burglar alarm should set it every time they leave their home or risk having their home insurance claim rejected for not taking reasonable care or precaution.
“When you take out home insurance, providers ask if you have a burglar alarm – and failing to maintain it by skipping annual servicing or ignoring broken sensors, or not using it when you leave your home unoccupied – could void your cover.
’s home insurance expert, Alicia Hempsted added: “While insurance is there to help you in the event the worst happens, your insurer will also expect you to take a certain level of care to make sure your home isn’t an easy target for criminals.
“If you’re unsure whether your alarm system works properly, or you don’t use it regularly, it might be better to tell your insurer that you don’t have one at all. However, having one and maintaining it could give you a discount on your home insurance.
“It’s also a good idea to test your burglar alarm before leaving your house vacant for extended periods of time, like going on holiday. If you have a monitored security system, just remember to call your provider before you test it so you don’t trigger a false alert.”