Do you worry about missing unusual or suspicious activity on your home CCTV cameras? What happens if you’re not at home to check that everything is okay?
Many homeowners with security systems have these thoughts and it can be a very stressful level of responsibility. Not to mention that there were 402,000 burglaries within the UK last year!
Keep reading to discover how CCTV monitoring can take away this stress and maximise your home security systems potential. We’ll take you through everything you need to know, from the initial costs, the installation process, the immediate response options as well as the benefits.
What is CCTV monitoring?
CCTV monitoring is when you pay a monthly or yearly fee to a security monitoring company, which will then professionally monitor your CCTV cameras 24/7, 356 days a year for any unexpected activity. If activity is detected, the monitoring team will check the CCTV to see if it is a false alarm and if not, will action an immediate response, such as a police call-out.
How does CCTV monitoring work?
When your CCTV system is professionally monitored and activity on your CCTV cameras is detected, the following steps will occur:
1. A signal from your security system will be sent to the monitoring provider to notify them that there has been activity on your home CCTV camera.
2. Depending on your monitoring account set-up, the monitoring operatives will contact you to check that it isn’t a false alarm. For instance, if it is during a time you and your household are likely to be at home.
3. If you have confirmed it is not a false alarm, during the night, or if you have informed the team you are on holiday, then the monitoring operative will action an immediate response, such as an audio challenge to the intruder as well as a police call-out.
From the moment the CCTV was triggered to the police being called, it can be a matter of minutes.
What are the benefits of CCTV monitoring?
There are many benefits of CCTV monitoring that will enhance your current home security system and CCTV cameras, as well as improve the protection of your loved ones.
Improved Security
Whether you’re on holiday, at work or asleep at night, with 24/7 monitoring in place, you’ll have an extra layer of protection against intruders, especially when your home is unoccupied and at its most vulnerable.
Rapid Response
A monitoring provider is able to identify triggered CCTV activity instantly. The monitoring operatives will be highly trained and can action an immediate response quickly and efficiently within minutes of the activity being detected.
Less Stress
With CCTV monitoring in place, you’ll no longer need to be checking your home CCTV camera for unusual activity. You’ll also not need to rely on your neighbours to let you know if they see something suspicious – the monitoring team will already be on it.
Peace of Mind
Knowing that automatic action will be taken if your home is at risk of intrusion will give immense peace of mind to you and your family.
What are the costs of CCTV monitoring?
The costs of CCTV monitoring can differ depending on the size of your property, the type of your security system and the number of CCTV cameras you have operating. At Homewatch, our monitoring packages start at just £9.99 per month and also include full maintenance of your system to ensure it is always in working order.
Does the installation process differ from unmonitored systems?
No! The same initial installation process of a CCTV system takes place for both monitored and unmonitored home CCTV systems. You can decide at a later date to add a monitoring service to your CCTV system after it has been installed.
Get in touch today!
At Homewatch we can help you with home CCTV monitoring. Whether you want to install a new system, want to change monitoring contracts or just want to know more, call us on 0330 094 7404 today.
