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Brits investing £700 million to protect their homes

A recent study conducted by Allianz Insurance shows that Brits will invest £700 million in smart technology security devices to protect their homes from burglars.

The study looked at the rise of smart technology – and the increasing reliance on it – as the nation strives to protect their increasingly empty homes. It highlighted that UK homeowners are prepared to spend £234 on average on smart security – which can include movement sensors connected to mobile phones and Wi-Fi locks.

Last year there were an estimated 785,000 burglaries reported against households. Anxious to combat this risk, two in five homeowners create the impression that their home is occupied to deter burglars, but these simplistic methods no longer cut it, as one in five now has plans to invest in smart tech to protect their homes.

British homes are left empty for 91 hours each week – the equivalent of almost four days, as we spend more and more time working and commuting. The study found seven in ten homes are unoccupied when burglaries take place – evidence that leaving properties empty for such long periods is risky. Indeed, two in five Brits feel their home is more vulnerable when it’s empty.

Safety conscious Brits are willing to invest huge sums on smart tech devices, from remote CCTV and movement sensors, worth £112 on average, to text alerts to notify them when someone enters the home costing £90 and remote control gates amounting to £107 per household.

Londoners are already the most tech-savvy homeowners, having spent £112 on remote movement sensors connected to their phones, £105 on text alerts to notify them when someone enters the home and £107 on remote control locks – well over the national average3. People from Wales shy away from such futuristic trends, spending only £66 on text alerts to notify them when someone enters their property. Instead they choose to invest £215 on pets to protect their homes; 21% higher than the national average of £177.

While more homeowners are investing in smart tech to protect their homes, they also continue to spend cash on ‘traditional’ security measures. We found that households spend on average £188 on burglar alarms, and £177 on pets to protect their property, but are only willing to stretch to £88 for sturdy locks.

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We are Personal and Commercial Insurance Brokers based in Newquay, Cornwall covering the whole of the UK.

  1. Research carried out by OnePoll between 09/10/2015 – 12/10/2015 – using 2,000 UK Homeowners. £700 million calculation worked out by calculating the proportion of UK homeowners planning to invest in smart tech (21% of 14,300,000 = 3,003,000) then (3,003,000 x amount Brits willing to invest on smart tech [£234] = £702,702,000)
  2. Latest figures from the Crime Survey for England and Wales
  3. UK homeowners average: £91 spent on smart tech, including movement sensors (connected to smart phone), text alerts when someone enters home and remote control locks