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Compare burglar alarm quotes over 1, 3 or 5 years
Alarm quotes are hard to compare because they split the cost differently: one charges more up front, another has a bigger monthly fee or a longer contract. Enter up to four quotes and this worksheet adds them up over the same period.
How the total is worked out
Total = one-off installation and equipment + other one-off charges + (monthly fee × months in the period) + (yearly maintenance × years in the period). If the minimum contract is longer than the period you chose, the worksheet uses the contract length for the monthly fee instead, because you would have to pay it anyway, and says so in the results.
It does not know about price rises during the contract, cancellation fees, VAT treatment or keyholding and response services unless you include them. Leave a box empty if a quote doesn't have that cost. Unknown is not the same as zero, so check anything a quote leaves out.
What to ask every installer
- Is the price fixed for the whole contract, and what happens at the end of the minimum term?
- Is the system monitored by a receiving centre, does it call your phone, or is it bells-only?
- Is the company certified by an inspection body for intruder alarms? You can check installers on the NSI company finder and the SSAIB website.
- Who owns the equipment, and what does it cost to leave early?