Despite a drop off in numbers during the pandemic-enforced lockdowns, burglaries remain a distressing and costly occurrence for hundreds of thousands of homeowners each year. With an increase in easy-to-install smart security solutions, however, merchants can capitalise on a growing market. PBM reports.
Over 250,000 burglaries were reported to the police between January and November 2020 in England and Wales. And whilst this shows a 24% decrease compared to the same period in 2019 as more people remained in their homes throughout the period as a consequence of the coronavirus-driven ‘stay at home’ measures, this still equates to more than 750 such crimes each day.
Of course, burglary can be a very profitable crime for offenders but it is significantly costly for property owners, with ONS statistics showing that victims incur an average financial loss of £4,040 from the theft of possessions and damage caused to property during a burglary.
Assessing the data, OnlineMortgageAdvisor.co.uk has outlined a number of ‘Top Burglary Prevention Tips’, encouraging homeowners to take sensible precautions such as using a police-approved security marking solution on valuables to make stolen goods harder to sell on and easier to identify, whilst also ensuring that doors and windows are properly locked before leaving the home or going to sleep. Similarly, blinds or curtains should be closed before heading out or going to bed.
The web-based mortgage service also highlights the particular advantages of technological solutions. Fitting motion-activated floodlights, for example, at the front and back of a property will help to deter burglars who want to quickly sneak in and out without any detection. Furthermore, it recommends the installation of a reputable burglar alarm and CCTV camera system which can drastically reduce the odds of the home being targeted. Smart doorbells will additionally enable homeowners to keep a close eye on their main door and catch any opportunistic criminals.
There has been something of a smart home security boom in recent years, with many suppliers of ‘traditional’ home security and hardware solutions enhancing their offering in the market. Significantly, this has also served to ‘open up’ the market in a number of ways, through the wider retail market and online resellers but also to the merchant sector.
ERA Protect
It is a theme picked up by tradesman Mark Humphreys in a recent issue of PBM’s sister publication, Professional Builder. Mark said: “Home security is big business nowadays, but it’s always been thought of as something a little elite or specialist, particularly when it comes to installation. Now though, with technology at the fore, it has become something both affordable and easy to install…. or so I was told.
“When an elderly customer of mine recently asked me to install a security system for her, I had the perfect opportunity to find out. Having Googled through the pages and pages of home security websites, I finally plumped for the new ERA Protect home security system — it seemed affordable, easy to install and if it did what it said on the tin, pretty easy to use too.”
Having obtained the kit, Mark commented: “Ridiculous as it sounds, I was even impressed with the packaging. You kind of felt like you were opening a new mobile phone and I think we can all relate to that little bit of excitement.”
“My customer had plumped for the security flood light camera, the motion sensor camera, and the alarm system too. Now the fun would begin…. installation. The cameras to the front and rear of the house needed a power supply which luckily enough for me, in this case, were available. The motion sensor camera to the front of the house also required a plug socket whist the floodlight camera to the rear required a spur.
“If, like me, you are not an electrician then you would need one at this stage to run some power and connect the camera, but this is a very basic requirement and costs very little to get someone in to ensure it conformed to regulations.”
He continued: “The system itself, I cannot fault. Plug and play is something we all like the sound of in this complicated technological world, and my scepticism that anything as complex as home security could be that simple was soon abated.
“You simply download the app, install the product, scan the QR code on each item and it’s done. It really is that simple. The whole installation took me no more than two hours (plus half an hour for an electrician) and that was with no previous knowledge of any home security set up before.
“The app allows you to see from either camera at the touch of a button; you can see live or recorded movements as they happen, and you can set or disarm the alarm as easy opening your front door. With the fob provided it is, in fact, easier than opening your front door!”
Mark concluded: “In short, the overall product cost was low, the instructions were simple and clear, the packaging was classy, and the end result is astounding. A great affordable product that gives you and your customers peace of mind.”
For further information on the ERA Protect range of smart home security solutions, go to: https://www.eraeverywhere.com/era-protect/
