Home Insurance - use that key
Summary:
: Ignore police claims that you can leave your doors open. The insurance companies do not agree, and often give discounts to prove the point.
Would you be surprised if you walked out of your house without locking the doors, and found when you got back that everything of value had been removed? It is doubtful if anyone would be shocked if this happened and certainly no insurance company would be.
You are not recommended to try the above as an experiment, particularly because your home insurance will require you to take suitable precautions to try to ensure that this does not happen. This will come under the umbrella name of reasonable care, and will require you to close all access points (so this includes windows) and fasten all locks. It goes without saying, or should do, that any locks must be fully operative, working correctly and capable of providing reasonable security against intruders. (cheaper loan)
A burglar alarm can be a useful adjunct in the armoury of protection against unlawful access, but beware. It is no use buying a cheap alarm, fitting it and then forgetting it. Always remember that what is good for the insurance companies is likely to be good for you, and an inoperative alarm is of less value than a good lock. Discounts are often available to alarm owners, usually around 5% but sometimes as high as 20%, but the alarm must be properly maintained under a contract with an acceptable company. Also, not unreasonably, in the event of a claim the alarm must have been set whilst the house was unoccupied. (income protection)
There are various options available in alarm types, from the basic sounding if tripped, through those monitored by an outside agency to direct police connection. However it is as well to be aware that in the realm of 999 calls an alarm report is likely to have a low priority due to the incidence of false calls. Also it is as well to remember that the more sophisticated the equipment, the greater the cost.
Membership of a neighbourhood watch scheme can generate a discount from your insurers, although the degree of protection which these supply tends to be more associated with passive after the event information. This can lead to early prosecution of the offenders, but does not provide as much active protection as other systems. (personal loans)