Research by short-term insurer Santam shows that people are lax about using their home alarm systems.
Your insurer may reject a claim for items stolen in a burglary if your alarm was off when you were not at home.
It may be a condition of your insurance that you have an alarm system. If your policy states that you only need burglar bars and security gates, but you inform your insurer that you also have an alarm, you may qualify for a discounted premium as a result of the additional security measure.
However, in either case, if you are burgled when the alarm is off, your claim may be repudiated.
Steffen Gilbert, the chief executive of Santam, says your alarm should always be armed when you are not home, even if you just pop out for a few minutes.
Santam's research also found that only 21 percent of people activate their alarms at night. People do not put on their alarms at night because they forget to, or they don't think it is necessary, or they fear that they, their children or their pets may set them off.
Gilbert says people are inclined to install cheap, poor quality alarms in order to save money, rather than ones that are endorsed by the South African Insurance Association.
Cheap alarms often don't have the requisite number of sensors necessary for effective detection, Gilbert says.
Make sure your alarm system complies with the requirements of your insurance policy.
Test and maintain your alarm regularly, he says. Wipe the infrared sensors with a damp cloth to keep them free of dust that could affect their functioning.