Monitored Alarm Systems vs Unmonitored Systems

Are you looking for a home alarm? One of the many questions you’re probably asking yourself is if you want a monitored or non-monitored alarm.

Monitored alarms offer you and your family that peace of mind, knowing you’re protected by a dedicated monitoring team. An unmonitored alarm is the simplest alarm sold on the market; it can be bought in most hardware shops in towns. They both have their pros and cons and we’re here to help breakdown the differences for you and make your life that bit easier.

Garda Response

Probably the most important thing to start with is the response you get by owning each alarm. In an unlikely event your home is broken into, the monitored alarm has that connection to a monitoring station. The station will alert you about a break in and if required send the Guards out to your home.

Professional monitoring saves you time and there is a lesser chance of a false alarm, this could be the difference between catching a criminal and arriving too late.

With an un-monitored alarm if there is a break in, your system will activate and ring. If you’re home, you’ll hear the siren, if not you’ll get a text saying your system has activated. It is the responsibility of the homeowner to ring the Guards if there was a break in, this is another added fear. Nobody wants to put themselves in danger to check if there is a burglar in their house or not.

Monitored alarms like HomeSecure notify you what sensor has been activated and if there is constant movement in the home, reducing that extra fear of putting yourself or someone else at risk. With HomeSecure, the shock sensors activate if someone tries to enter through a window, so the alarm could sound before someone even steps foot in your home Monitored alarms are dual verified, which enables a guarantee the fastest possible response from the Gardaí.

You’re probably thinking well how do people with an unmonitored alarm know if someone is in the home? They simply do not, and false alarms to the Guards are a lot more prevalent when owning an un-monitored alarm.

Response

When you own an unmonitored alarm, the alarm must be heard by the homeowner to be responded to. So, you’ll have to be home to 100% know if your system has gone off. We’ve all been there, whether you live in an estate or in the country, you have heard someone’s alarm go off. Not only is it hard to pinpoint what house it is coming from but when it is isn’t your own home you probably won’t report it.

Also, if you think about it from a burglar’s point of view. If they hear an alarm endlessly ringing and not being disarmed, it’s advertising to them that nobody is home and they can go back and spend a few minutes undisturbed in the home.  On average a burglar spends less than 10 mins in your home, so imagine trying to race home to see if there is a burglar in your home? They would be long gone and probably with most of your stuff.

With a monitored alarm, you will be able to disable it even if you’re not home from a smartphone app. With an un-monitored alarm, you will receive a text to say your alarm has been activated, but the thing to note here is you won’t be able to tell which sensor has been activated, which you can do with the HomeSecure app. You will have to manually turn off the un-monitored alarm and if you’re not home that can prolong the response you get.

Smartphone App

Most monitored systems these days will come with a smartphone app, where you’ll be able be able to arm or disarm your alarm on the go.

This is a handy feature if your alarm was to sound, and you knew it was a false alarm it is easy to turn it off through a smartphone app. This eliminates the chance of your alarm ringing for hours with no chance of turning it off or sending the Guards out to a false alarm. Through the handy smartphone app, you can check which sensor has been activated.

The HomeSecure App shows the battery life of your sensors, which our tech team can also see, so we’ll replace your sensors before the battery life runs out, so you’re always protected.

With some unmonitored systems they can come with app, but usually cost extra. With a monitored alarm, it would be included in your monthly fee.

Expense

Now the big question and the one you’re probably most worried about is the cost. Nobody wants to fork out an arm and a leg for an alarm system, but you also want to ensure you and your family are fully protected.

Initially a monitored alarm is usually more expensive that an unmonitored alarm. But a main thing to note here is, most monitored alarms are wireless. This means if you do have a problem with your alarm, the problem can be solved remotely. Monitored companies like HomeSecure even offer free battery replacement for sensors, which means you eliminate a call out fee and service charge.

With an unmonitored alarm, you are more likely to pay a once off fee. Monitored alarms usually offer a monthly subscription package to cover the cost of monitoring, so some people prefer to just pay up front and leave it at that. Although, some people are not aware that owning an unmonitored alarm can soon become costly, even though it can be bought in a local hardware store for a set fee, you most likely will have to hire an electrician to fit it. If you do contact a company who specialise in unmonitored alarms, it can cost around €1,000 just to get installed. Since you are the only one who will have access to the system, you won’t have the option for remote fixing, soon a call out fee and service charge are added to the mix, therefore one can see how the fees can start to pile up.

One thing to note in your decision-making is, home insurance companies offer discounts up to 15% if they know your house has a monitored alarm. After asking around we found out that Arachas Insurance offer discounts of 10-15% for monitored house alarms that are up to EN50131 standard and installed by a recognised company. Not only are you saving on peace of mind but also saving in the long run. But ultimately the decision is up to you.

HomeSecure specialise in monitored alarms and offer a monthly subscription package which includes a minimum of seven sensors, a smartphone app and best of all it is fitted in just 90 minutes. In their special summer deal, HomeSecure is offering €49 for the installation (was €99), so if you’re leaning more towards a monitored alarm don’t hesitate to fill out our enquiry form.