| Installing a home security system is becoming | | | | More basic errors are less widespread but |
| increasingly popular and easy for most do it | | | | worryingly more than one person in three is |
| yourselfers while saving money. Some home | | | | not changing their locks after losing their |
| security companies require a three year | | | | keys, 27 per cent are leaving a spare key |
| contract trapping home owners in. | | | | outside their house and around one homeowner |
| | | | in five does not lock doors and windows when |
| More than half of Britons (58 per cent) give | | | | they leave the home, a report for the insurer |
| away spare keys to their home, typically to | | | | adds. |
| friends and family, according to a survey by | | | | |
| NOP for insurer NIG. | | | | And these lapses in security can prove costly |
| | | | at any time. |
| But four per cent of movers do not bother to | | | | |
| reclaim their spare keys when they move | | | | Churchill Home Insurance today shows that |
| house. | | | | burglars are most likely to strike on |
| | | | Wednesday, costing up to £127 million a |
| In properties that are rented out, or have | | | | week. |
| been rented out at some point the problem is | | | | |
| worse. | | | | "Our findings show that burglars will target |
| | | | homes on week nights as well as weekends and |
| Seven per cent of tenants do not return their | | | | that homes need to be secure at all times, |
| spare keys when moving out, increasing the | | | | whether people are at home or not," said |
| possibility that a stranger has access to | | | | Martin Scott, head of home insurance at |
| your house. | | | | Churchill. |
| | | | |
| NIG director Adrian Harris said: "This is | | | | Friday and Saturday nights are the next most |
| really quite a worrying result for both home | | | | likely time for thieves to strike, while |
| owners and insurers. The fact that so many | | | | Thursday tops the list for London and the |
| unclaimed keys are in circulation raises | | | | south-east. |
| major questions about home security." | | | | |
| | | | "Burglaries can obviously occur at any time |
| Nearly three-quarters of recipients of spare | | | | but a few simple precautions can make a real |
| keys are family members, while 14 per cent | | | | difference. Home owners should always be |
| are neighbours and eight per cent are | | | | mindful of the risk of burglary and secure |
| friends. | | | | windows and doors when going out, even if it |
| | | | is only to visit a neighbour for a few |
| Despite the security risk that it poses, 59 | | | | minutes," Mr Scott added. |
| per cent of those surveyed said they did not | | | | |
| change the locks when they last moved into a | | | | Three quarters of people who own or rent a |
| new home. | | | | home say its safety is very important to |
| | | | them, with four in ten convinced their |
| Mr Harris added: "These results show it makes | | | | property is as safe as it can be, Privilege |
| sense for any new home owners to consider | | | | research finds. |
| changing their property's locks to ensure | | | | |
| that anyone still holding spare keys can't | | | | But with one person in six having no idea how |
| get back into the property or can pass them | | | | many people have keys to their home, there is |
| onto someone who may want to break in."e.g. | | | | a gap between perception and reality. |
| The EZWatch Burglar Alarm System is truly a | | | | |
| break through in security system simplicity | | | | Ian Parker, managing director of Privilege |
| and affordability. The alarm system comes | | | | Home Insurance commented: "The gap between |
| completely programmed and ready to use. In | | | | people's perceptions about safety |
| minutes you can secure your home or office | | | | consciousness and the reality is |
| with a professional grade security system | | | | considerable. It seems that many of us are |
| which is monitored 24 hours a day by our | | | | convinced that our homes are safe and yet we |
| state of the art National Alarm Monitoring | | | | are not taking the necessary precautions to |
| Center. Your local police or fire department | | | | keep our homes secure." |
| is dispatched within seconds of receiving an | | | | |
| alarm signal. | | | | Privilege has created a simple checklist to |
| | | | aid this. The insurer urges homeowners to |
| Hardly a day goes by without a new story | | | | never leave home without: |
| about spam, viruses, spyware, and other | | | | |
| hazards of using the Internet. Spammers and | | | | - Checking all doors and windows are closed |
| malicious hackers work relentlessly to defy | | | | and locked |
| computer defenses, expecting that some people | | | | |
| haven't applied the latest security fixes. | | | | - Switching on the security alarm, if you |
| | | | have one |
| With new technology, it is making it more | | | | |
| affordable and easier for people to install | | | | - Checking all gas and electrical appliances |
| their own home security system. One company | | | | are switched off and not left on standby |
| in particular started selling DIY home | | | | |
| security systems after the owners were | | | | - Placing valuables in a safe place |
| frustrated at the extremely high costs of the | | | | |
| larger national home security companies. Code | | | | - Ensuring fires and candles are extinguished |
| Tech security started offering systems where | | | | |
| the do it yourselfer can have a system up and | | | | British homeowners' top ten safety and |
| running for a few hundred dollars without | | | | security lapses are: |
| signing a contract for monitoring. Many | | | | |
| people believe that if a burglar breaks into | | | | 1. Not having, or not using, a burglar alarm |
| the house a simple alarm sound will deter | | | | - 76 per cent; |
| most people from sticking around. | | | | |
| | | | 2. Not asking tradesmen for identification - |
| That is exactly what Code Tech security | | | | 59 per cent; |
| offers, a wireless system that the home owner | | | | |
| sets up and then allows the system to call up | | | | 3. Not bothering to leave a light on when |
| to nine different telephone numbers versus a | | | | away from home - 48 per cent; |
| monitoring system. The homeowner can allow | | | | |
| the system to call a cell phone, neighbor, a | | | | 4. Not checking appliances are switched off |
| family member, friends, etc. with their own | | | | when they leave the house - 46 per cent; |
| personal message. | | | | |
| | | | 5. Not bothering to have the locks changed |
| The best selling product for Code Tech | | | | after losing keys - 37 per cent; |
| security is the "Complete Wireless alarm | | | | |
| system" that comes with a Control Panel, a | | | | 6. Leaving spare keys outside the house - 27 |
| dialer, motion detector, 2 door or window | | | | per cent; |
| sensors, and a keychain transmitter. Then | | | | |
| customers add on additional accessories as | | | | 7. Not having a smoke alarm or not checking |
| needed. For instance, most people add on more | | | | it regularly - 27 per cent; |
| window or door sensors. | | | | |
| | | | 8. Smoking in the home, or allowing others |
| Three quarters of British homeowners either | | | | to- 23 per cent; |
| do not have an alarm system, or do not bother | | | | |
| to turn it on, with six people in ten | | | | 9. Not locking all doors and windows when |
| forgetting to ask tradesmen for proper | | | | leaving - 18 per cent; |
| identification, Privilege Home Insurance | | | | |
| reveals. | | | | 10. Having no clue how many people have keys |
| | | | to their home - 14 per cent. |