Since the beginning of the recession there has been a sharp increase in burglaries across the country. Gardai have blamed this on rising unemployment. This news is sure to have many homeowners worried – and rightly so. Recent figures estimate that some €700m worth of goods have been stolen from Irish homes over the past decade – with €100m worth of goods being stolen between late 2007 and late 2008. It seems that today having adequate home insurance is more important than ever before.
There is no doubt that having an alarm fitted in your home reduces the chances of burglaries. Figures compiled by the Tipperary Garda Division, for example, indicate that a whopping 97% of burgled homes that they investigated had no alarm. That adds up to a lot of unnecessary home insurance claims and a lot of increased home insurance premiums!
So, what should you look for when buying a house alarm? First of all, it is essential that your alarm adheres to the EN50131/IS199 standard – if it does not most home insurance companies will not recognise it. So make sure that your alarm is installed by a reputable company and don’t hesitate to ask the engineer if the alarm conforms to the EN50131/IS199 standard.
You should also investigate the possibility of getting the alarm hooked up to the local Garda station. In the unfortunate circumstance that your home is broken into the alarm will automatically call the station and a squad-car will be dispatched immediately.
Many home insurance companies will offer a discount if you have a recognised house alarm fitted and Getcover.ie is no exception. So, when you have your alarm installed simply head over to the ‘Home Insurance’ section on the Getcover.ie website, follow the instructions and fill-in the details required for a home insurance quotation, click the tab indicating that you have a recognised burglar alarm installed – and presto! you’ll be given a better value home insurance quotation.
Even if you’re an existing customer and you install an alarm before your renewal date, just give us a call and we’ll be happy to reduce your home insurance premium.