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