Question 1

What is alarm monitoring?

Accepted Answer

Alarm monitoring means your intruder alarm sends a signal to a staffed Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) when it activates, and that centre takes action — calling you, calling your keyholders, or requesting police attendance — rather than the alarm simply making a noise at the property.

Question 2

What is an Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC)?

Accepted Answer

An Alarm Receiving Centre is a control room, staffed continuously, that receives alarm signals and acts on them under agreed procedures. In the UK, an ARC handling police-response signals must be certificated to BS EN 50518 by an approved inspectorate such as the NSI or SSAIB.

Question 3

How does alarm monitoring work, step by step?

Accepted Answer

A detector triggers the alarm panel, the panel sends a coded signal over a fixed line, mobile network or broadband to an Alarm Receiving Centre, an operator identifies the property and activation type, and then follows your agreed escalation list — contacting you and your keyholders, and requesting police attendance if the system qualifies for it.

Question 4

Is a monitored alarm better than a bells-only alarm?

Accepted Answer

A monitored alarm produces a response when nobody is there to hear the siren, which is the situation most burglaries happen in — so for an empty property, monitoring is the meaningful upgrade. A bells-only alarm is cheaper, has no ongoing fee, and still deters, but nothing follows the noise.

Question 5

What happens when a monitored alarm goes off?

Accepted Answer

The signal reaches the Alarm Receiving Centre within seconds, an operator checks it against your response plan, and in most cases calls you first to see whether it is genuine. If they cannot reach you or the activation is confirmed, they escalate to your keyholders, a response company, or the police.

Question 6

Will the police respond to my burglar alarm?

Accepted Answer

Only if your alarm is professionally monitored and the property holds a valid Unique Reference Number (URN) issued by your local police force. The police do not respond to bells-only alarms, to self-monitored app alerts, or to systems without a URN — in those cases you are reporting a suspected crime yourself, like any other member of the public.

Question 7

What is a URN (Unique Reference Number)?

Accepted Answer

A URN is the reference a police force issues to a specific monitored alarm system at a specific address, which lets the Alarm Receiving Centre pass activations from that system to the police. It belongs to the address and the police force, not to you or your installer, and it can be suspended or withdrawn if the system generates too many false calls.

Question 8

How do I get a URN for my alarm?

Accepted Answer

You cannot apply yourself. An installer or Alarm Receiving Centre certificated by an approved inspectorate applies to your local police force on your behalf, once your system meets the required standard and is under a monitoring contract. The force issues the URN to the address, usually for a fee.

Question 9

What is a confirmed alarm activation?

Accepted Answer

A confirmed activation is one where more than one independent signal indicates a genuine intrusion — typically two separate detectors triggering, or a detector plus audio or video verification — rather than a single detector firing once. Police forces treat confirmed activations as a higher priority than unconfirmed ones.

Question 10

What happens if my alarm has too many false alarms?

Accepted Answer

Your police response can be suspended and eventually withdrawn. Forces operate a false-alarm allowance over a rolling twelve-month period, and once you exceed it the URN is suspended until the cause is fixed. The exact threshold and how it is applied are set by each force, not nationally.

Question 11

Can I get police response without paying for monitoring?

Accepted Answer

No. Police response to an alarm activation requires a URN, and a URN requires the system to be monitored by a certificated Alarm Receiving Centre under a maintenance contract with an approved installer. There is no route to police response for an unmonitored or self-monitored system.

Question 12

What is a keyholding service?

Accepted Answer

Keyholding means a security company holds keys to your property and attends when the alarm activates, so that somebody checks the building without you having to go yourself or the police being involved. In the UK it is covered by BS 7984, and staff should be screened to BS 7858.

Question 13

What is the difference between keyholder response and police response?

Accepted Answer

Keyholder response means a security company or a nominated person attends the property with keys, for any activation, under a commercial contract you pay for. Police response means the police attend, only for confirmed activations at a property with a valid URN, and only under conditions the force controls.

Question 14

Who can I nominate as a keyholder?

Accepted Answer

Anyone you trust who can get to the property reasonably quickly, has keys and the alarm code, knows the ARC password, and is willing to be called at any hour. Most providers ask for at least two nominated keyholders so there is a fallback when the first cannot be reached.

Question 15

What is NSI approval?

Accepted Answer

The National Security Inspectorate is a UK inspectorate body that audits security and fire companies against the relevant standards and lists those that pass on a public register. NSI approval is one of the two routes — the other is SSAIB — by which an installer or Alarm Receiving Centre qualifies to obtain police response for its customers.

Question 16

What is SSAIB?

Accepted Answer

SSAIB is a UK certification body for security, fire and telecare providers, and the main alternative to the NSI. An SSAIB-certificated installer or Alarm Receiving Centre is equally able to obtain police response for its customers, and SSAIB maintains a public register you can check.

Question 17

NSI or SSAIB — which is better?

Accepted Answer

Neither is better. Both are recognised UK inspectorate bodies, both are accepted by police forces for URN purposes, and a company certificated by either can arrange police response. What matters is that the certification is current, held by the entity you are contracting with, and covers the specific service you are buying.

Question 18

How do I check an alarm company is genuinely approved?

Accepted Answer

Look the company up on the NSI or SSAIB register directly, on the inspectorate's own website, using the exact legal entity name and company number from the quote — not the trading name and not the logo on the website. Confirm the certificate is current and that its scope covers the service you are buying.

Question 19

What is BS EN 50131?

Accepted Answer

BS EN 50131 is the European and British standard series for intruder and hold-up alarm systems, covering system requirements, equipment and installation. It defines the four security grades used to match a system to the risk at a property, and compliance with it is expected for any system intended to have police response.

Question 20

What are alarm grades 1 to 4, and which do I need?

Accepted Answer

The grades in BS EN 50131 describe the level of intruder a system is designed to resist, from Grade 1 for low risk to Grade 4 for high-value or high-risk premises. Most UK homes are specified at Grade 2, and most commercial premises at Grade 2 or Grade 3.

Question 21

What is EN 50136, and what do ATS categories mean?

Accepted Answer

EN 50136 is the standard for alarm transmission systems — the signalling path between your alarm and the Alarm Receiving Centre. It classifies paths by how quickly a failure is detected and reported, which is why a monitored system notices a cut line or a lost mobile signal rather than simply going quiet.

Question 22

What is BS 8243?

Accepted Answer

BS 8243 is the British standard for designing and installing alarm systems so that activations can be confirmed, in order to reduce false alarms. It is the standard behind the confirmed-activation requirement that police response depends on.

Question 23

Is BS 5979 still a valid certification?

Accepted Answer

No. BS 5979, the old British standard for alarm receiving centres, has been withdrawn and replaced by BS EN 50518. A provider still advertising BS 5979 certification is quoting a withdrawn standard, which usually means their marketing material has not been reviewed for years.

Question 24

What is BS 8484?

Accepted Answer

BS 8484 is the British standard for lone worker services and devices, covering how a personal safety alarm is provided, monitored and escalated to police. A lone worker system monitored to BS 8484 by a certificated centre can obtain a police response level normally reserved for confirmed alarm activations.

Question 25

What is BS 7858 screening?

Accepted Answer

BS 7858 is the British standard for security screening of people working in environments where the security of assets or people is at stake. It covers identity, employment history, and criminal record checks, and it is what you should expect for anyone holding keys to your property or working in your Alarm Receiving Centre.

Question 26

What is a signalling device or alarm communicator?

Accepted Answer

A signalling device, also called a communicator, is the unit that connects your alarm panel to the Alarm Receiving Centre and transmits activations to it. It is a separate piece of hardware from the alarm panel, and it is usually the only thing that needs adding to make an existing alarm monitorable.

Question 27

What happened to BT Redcare, and what replaced it?

Accepted Answer

BT closed its Redcare alarm signalling service in 2025, after announcing its withdrawal in 2023. Systems that used Redcare had to be migrated to an alternative signalling provider — the main UK options being CSL, WebWayOne and Chiron — and any system still described as Redcare-signalled has either been migrated or is no longer transmitting.

Question 28

How does the phone network switch-off affect my alarm?

Accepted Answer

The UK's analogue phone network is being retired and replaced with digital voice over broadband, which means alarms that signal over a traditional phone line stop working reliably. If your monitored alarm uses a landline, it needs migrating to broadband or mobile signalling — this does not happen automatically, and a failed path is silent.

Question 29

Do I need a landline for alarm monitoring?

Accepted Answer

No. Modern alarm monitoring signals over broadband, over a mobile network, or both, and a landline is no longer required or even preferred. Mobile-only signalling is a normal choice for properties with poor or no broadband.

Question 30

What is dual-path signalling, and do I need it?

Accepted Answer

Dual-path signalling means the alarm can reach the Alarm Receiving Centre by two independent routes — typically broadband and a mobile network — so that losing one does not leave the property unmonitored. It is standard for commercial premises and for any property where an insurer specifies a higher signalling category.

Question 31

What happens to my monitored alarm if the power or internet goes down?

Accepted Answer

The alarm panel runs on a standby battery, so it keeps working through a power cut for a period set by its grade. Signalling depends on the path: a mobile path usually survives a broadband failure and vice versa, and on a supervised path the Alarm Receiving Centre is told when a path is lost rather than simply hearing nothing.

Question 32

How much does alarm monitoring cost in the UK?

Accepted Answer

Typical UK alarm monitoring runs from roughly £12 to £25 a month for digital monitoring, £20 to £40 with police response, and £25 to £70 where keyholder attendance is included. Remote CCTV monitoring costs more and varies widely with camera count and hours. These are indicative market ranges, not quotes — your actual price depends on the system, the risk and the response level.

Question 33

Do I have to sign a long contract for alarm monitoring?

Accepted Answer

Usually yes — twelve months is common and longer terms are often used to subsidise hardware — but terms vary and are negotiable. The details that matter more than the headline length are the notice period, what happens at automatic renewal, and whether price increases are capped.

Question 34

Can I switch alarm monitoring providers?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You are not obliged to stay with the company that installed your alarm, and switching monitoring provider is routine. The practical constraints are your current contract's notice period and whether your existing signalling device is locked to your current Alarm Receiving Centre.

Question 35

Can a monitoring company take over an alarm someone else installed?

Accepted Answer

Usually yes. A takeover means an approved company inspects an existing alarm, confirms it meets the required standard or specifies what needs changing, and then maintains and monitors it. It is normally much cheaper than replacing a working system, and it is the standard route when you move into a property with an alarm already fitted.

Question 36

Do I have to use the company that installed my alarm for monitoring?

Accepted Answer

No. Installation and monitoring are separate services and can be bought from different companies. In practice they are often bundled because it is simpler, and because police response requires both an approved installer for maintenance and a certificated Alarm Receiving Centre — but you are free to choose each.

Question 37

What happens if my alarm monitoring company goes out of business?

Accepted Answer

Your alarm keeps sounding locally, but monitoring may stop, and the failure can be quiet. Certificated Alarm Receiving Centres are expected to have contingency arrangements to transfer monitoring, but the installer holding your contract going under is a separate risk — and your police URN depends on an approved company holding the maintenance contract.

Question 38

Does my insurer require a monitored alarm?

Accepted Answer

Sometimes, and if they do, the requirement is usually specific — a stated system grade, a signalling configuration, professional installation and maintenance by an approved company, and often police or keyholder response. Check your policy wording, because an alarm that does not meet a stated condition can affect a claim.

Question 39

What is different about alarm monitoring for a business?

Accepted Answer

Commercial monitoring usually involves a higher system grade, dual-path signalling, open and close reporting so the Alarm Receiving Centre knows whether the premises were set on time, and a paid response arrangement rather than personal keyholders. Insurers are also far more likely to impose specific conditions.

Question 40

What is remote CCTV monitoring?

Accepted Answer

Remote CCTV monitoring means cameras are watched or reviewed by a monitoring centre, either continuously or when an analytic or detector triggers, so an operator can see what is actually happening and respond — often including a live audio warning to an intruder. It also provides the visual verification that can confirm an alarm activation.

Question 41

What are my data protection duties if my CCTV is monitored remotely?

Accepted Answer

If you operate CCTV for a business, or domestically in a way that captures areas beyond your own property, you have duties under UK data protection law — including signage, a lawful basis, retention limits, and responding to requests from people recorded. Using a monitoring company does not transfer those duties away from you.

Question 42

What is fire alarm monitoring?

Accepted Answer

Fire alarm monitoring connects a fire detection system to an Alarm Receiving Centre so that an activation is passed on when nobody is on site to hear it. The centre alerts your nominated contacts, and depending on the arrangement, the fire and rescue service — though many services now require verification before attending an automatic signal.

Question 43

What is a lone worker alarm?

Accepted Answer

A lone worker alarm is a personal device — a fob, app or badge — that an employee working alone can use to raise an alert, which goes to a monitoring centre that can listen, locate and escalate to the police. Where the service is provided and monitored to BS 8484, it can access a police response level normally reserved for confirmed alarm activations.

Question 44

Should I self-monitor my alarm with an app instead of paying for monitoring?

Accepted Answer

Self-monitoring is cheaper and genuinely useful, but it makes you the control room: you must be awake, in signal, and willing to act. It cannot obtain police response, has no fallback when you are unreachable, and no record of who did what — so it suits low-risk properties rather than replacing professional monitoring where the stakes are higher.

Question 45

Do smart home alarm systems get police response?

Accepted Answer

Not on a self-monitored basis. A DIY smart alarm that only sends alerts to your phone cannot obtain a URN, so there is no police response to its activations. Some brands offer a paid professional monitoring add-on, and whether that reaches police response depends on the installer and Alarm Receiving Centre behind it being approved — which is worth verifying rather than assuming.

Question 46

Can I get alarm monitoring in a rented property?

Accepted Answer

Yes, though you will usually need your landlord's written permission because fitting a communicator and any new detectors involves altering the property. Where an alarm is already installed, adding monitoring is often possible with minimal change, and the monitoring contract can be in the tenant's name.

Question 47

Is alarm monitoring worth it for an empty or holiday property?

Accepted Answer

This is the case where monitoring is most clearly worth the money, because an empty property is precisely where a bells-only siren achieves nothing. Monitoring plus a local keyholder or a paid response contract is the standard arrangement, and insurers often require it for unoccupied buildings.

Question 48

How long does it take to get alarm monitoring set up?

Accepted Answer

Adding monitoring to a suitable existing alarm is often a single short visit to fit and register a communicator, sometimes within a week or two of the survey. A new system takes longer, and if you need police response, the URN application adds time on top — that part depends on your police force, not your installer.

Question 49

What questions should I ask an alarm monitoring company before signing?

Accepted Answer

Ask which Alarm Receiving Centre will monitor the system and its certification, whether the company is on the NSI or SSAIB register under the exact legal entity on your quote, whether police response is achievable at your address, what the total cost is broken down by element, and what the notice and renewal terms are.

Question 50

What does AlarmMonitoring.co.uk actually do?

Accepted Answer

We are a free quote-matching service for UK alarm monitoring. You tell us what you need and roughly where you are, and we match you with monitoring companies covering your area so they can quote. We are not an installer, we are not an Alarm Receiving Centre, and we do not monitor alarms ourselves.

Question 51

What happens to my details when I submit an enquiry?

Accepted Answer

Your details are emailed to us and matched to alarm monitoring companies covering your area so they can contact you with quotes. We never sell your details for unrelated marketing, and you can ask us to delete them at any time. Full detail is in our privacy notice.

Alarm monitoring questions, answered

Basics

Police response

Response options

Standards and approval

Signalling and connectivity

Costs and contracts

Business and insurance

Self-monitoring

Practical situations

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