We always hear about how having a back to base alarm can reduce your home and contents insurance, thereby helping the system pay for itself over a set period of time. We are not the type of people that take things at face value at Pacific Security Technology, however, so today we decided to investigate exactly how much difference these things make to an insurance quote! The results are revealed here.
What Makes a Difference to Your Quote?
The security features that make a difference to your quote vary at each different insurer. The three most common features that can increase or decrease your quote are:
- Whether you have key operated deadbolts on all external doors
- Whether you have locks on all external windows
- Whether you have any type of alarm system, whether it’s a back to base alarm or a local alarm
However, other security devices can also make a difference to your quote, including:
- Whether you have smoke alarms fitted
- Biometric locks (this made a difference to our tested AAMI quote)
- Keycard access to your property
- Whether you have security patrols in your housing complex or apartment block
Our Quote Details
All of our quotes were based on the following details:
- Contents insurance ONLY
- House built in 1980 on a concrete slab, made of brick veneer with a tiled roof
- Located in Parramatta, NSW
- Owner occupied by a female born on 10th April 1970
- $500 excess
- $50,000 replacement value for contents
- External deadlocks fitted, but windows locks not fitted to every window
- No previous claims history
How Much Difference Can a Monitored Alarm System Make?
The difference between having a monitored alarm system and not having a monitored alarm system, for a quote with the same company, varies from nothing at all, to a humdrum minor discount, to whopping savings!
The results are below:
| Allianz | AAMI | NRMA | Budget | GIO | |
| With monitored alarm system | 301.74 | 364.83 | 291.92 | 386.00 | 357.65 |
| With no alarm system | 334.89 | 501.46 | 367.14 | 386.00 | 404.56 |
Is It Worthwhile Getting a Monitored Alarm System?
Naturally, there is far more value in a back to base alarm system than just in the discounts on your contents insurance. The everyday feeling of peace and security, the potential to not need to pay an excess on insurance claims, and the personal safety of your family all make back to base alarms worthwhile.
In monetary terms though, monitoring can cost around $1 per day ($365 per year); with a potential saving of around $140 according to our quotes. That’s a pretty substantial discount … and makes it a very small price to pay for such peace of mind!