Dear LPG,

We hear more and more about people whose homes are attacked as the years go by, and also that we elders are thought to be relatively easy targets.  We know that there are increasing numbers of us who live on our own and also that the papers and televisions news broadcasts pin point our local area all too frequently indicating that Lewisham is not the safest place in the world to live for anyone of any age.

Even though I am lucky enough to have a partner, the above notions got us thinking about how we can best protect ourselves.  We got ourselves a burglar alarm and it has just been there for years while we pay the monthly fee. The box is on the wall in the hall and all we have to do is press a key fob on the way out as we leave and enter the house (and I have to admit to often forgetting to even do that sometimes).

The other day we had our front door changed and as soon as the workman removed the door (and its contact sensor) there was a telephone call from the alarm security centre to check that everything was OK.  The incident reminded me that, while it sometimes feels as if we are paying out a monthly fee for nothing, the system is quietly working in the background.  When we first got it there were quite a few times when we forgot to turn off the sleep mode (which protects down stairs while we are free to roam about upstairs), and then went down to the kitchen to make a cup of tea; which left us constantly apologising to the neighbours for a few weeks, but since we have got used to it I honestly can’t remember ever hearing the alarm actually go off.   So I am now of the opinion that having a system that alerts a contact centre before making a noise is not a bad idea.

It was my other half’s idea to have the thing installed and I have to own up to the fact that I thought it a bit of a waste of money at the time…but it does work. 

I wonder sometimes if having a security alarm with the very obvious box on the wall is a message to passers-by that you have something worth investigating even though there appear to be more houses with them these days, or is it still fact that those who burgle are put off by the prospect of an alarm box on the wall be it real or fake. 

The question is in interesting one but I don’t know the answer.

HH, New Cross.

LPG found some information online and noted that many of the sites offering negative feedback were those of companies who sell the real thing.  We will leave you to make up your own minds…

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