Comparing Home Alarm Monitoring Prices Apples to Apples
One of the biggest mistakes people make when shopping for a home alarm system is comparing home alarm monitoring prices the wrong way. How is that possible, you ask? When comparing prices for, say, a twelve pack of soda it’s pretty easy to choose between one brand and another. Cola is cola. Pretty simple right? Well when it comes to comparing home alarm monitoring prices it is not so easy.
Home alarm monitoring prices will differ based on a number of factors; but have no fear, AlarmSystemReport is here to tell you how to compare home alarm monitoring prices to make sure you’re comparing apples against apples.
The first thing you want to do when comparing home alarm monitoring prices is determine what type of monitoring is being offered. Remember there are three main types of home alarm monitoring – Phone Line Monitoring, Broadband Monitoring and Cellular Monitoring. Up until recently phone line alarm monitoring was the most common type of monitoring sold. Phone line monitoring is also, on average, the cheapest type of home alarm monitoring being priced anywhere from $10 a month to about $20 a month. Broadband alarm monitoring is the least used method for home alarm monitoring, but with homeowners increasingly cutting off phone service at their homes broadband monitoring has become an increasingly popular option. Broadband alarm monitoring prices usually run about $20-$60 a month. Lastly, cellular monitoring is becoming the cream of the home alarm monitoring crop as it provides the safest and most reliable method of home alarm monitoring. Cellular alarm monitoring prices usually run about $30-$60 a month.
Now that we’ve recapped what different types of home alarm monitoring prices are out there it’s pretty simple to figure out how to compare them. The easiest thing to do is determine what type of monitoring is being offered. You will want to make sure to compare home alarm monitoring prices for phone line vs. phone line, cellular vs. cellular and broadband vs. broadband. If one alarm company is advertising a monthly fee that is significantly lower than a competing company it is most likely because they are not offering the same type of monitoring service. So make sure to compare the same type of monitoring.
The next thing to compare will be any additional monitoring services or add-ons. Home alarm monitoring prices can change based on additional features like online access, environmental monitoring or security camera viewing. For instance if home alarm monitoring prices being offered by one company are significantly different than another and the type of monitoring is the same there are often additional things included with the higher monitoring price.
Some of the things that are often added on by alarm companies into there home alarm monitoring prices are, like we said, online/remote access or environmental monitoring like fire protection or carbon monoxide are often additional fees. However, there are a few companies, like FrontPoint Security for instance, that include environmental monitoring and remote access in to their alarm monitoring prices.
Also, the home alarm company’s contract length can affect the monthly price. If you have a shorter contract length your price could be higher, if it’s a long contract length the monthly price could possible be lower. Make sure to take this into account when comparing home alarm monitoring prices as well.
Ultimately, you just need to make sure you’re comparing home alarm monitoring prices using an apples to apples comparison. Broadband monitoring with online access will not be the same price as cellular monitoring with online access, however, if you compare cellular monitoring with online access to another company’s cellular monitoring with online access then you know you’re comparing the same offerings.
You can use this helpful checklist to make sure you are comparing home alarm monitoring prices apples to apples.
- Determine the type of monitoring (phone line, broadband, cellular)
- Are there any additional features like remote access/environmental monitoring?
- Are there the length of contracts the same? (alarm contract lengths can change monitoring fee)
Once you determine the type of monitoring make a checklist of your own listing all the features available with each home alarm monitoring price. This will allow you to make sure you’re comparing home alarm monitoring prices evenly, and don’t end up with something you don’t want because you weren’t comparing the same things.
You can visit AlarmSystemReport’s Best Home Alarm System Reviews for further information on the best alarm companies, the types of monitoring offered and the home alarm monitoring prices associated with each company.
