Scottish homeowners could invalidate their home insurance policy if they don't install the new interlinked alarm system by next month.
As of February 1, the rules, which comes under the new Fire Safety and Smoke Alarm Regulations, will come into force meaning that every property must have an interlinked alarm system which controversially could cost each home up to £400.
This interlinked system means that if one alarm goes off, every alarm will meaning that no matter which room you are in, you'll be able to hear it.
In addition to this, all smoke and heat alarms should be mounted on the ceiling and be interlinked and if you have a carbon-fuelled appliance, like a boiler, fire, heater or flue you must also have a carbon monoxide detector.
This does not need to be linked to the fire alarms and gas cookers and hobs do not need a carbon monoxide detector.
However failure to comply with these laws, according to the Association of British Insurers (ABI) means that the legal safety standard could affect existing insurance policies, reports the Daily Record.
This means that every home and flat will need the following:
- One smoke alarm in the room you spend most of the day - usually your living room
- One smoke alarm in every circulation space on each storey - such as hallways and landings
- One heat alarm in the kitchen
Despite many wanting to delay the change due to lack of access to alarms and awareness, the Scottish Government have recently rejected these calls after it had already been delayed due to the covid pandemic.
Speaking to the Sunday Mail, owner of ABC Electrical in Kilmarnock Stuart McLintock said: "There is definitely a big issue with the fact that the majority of homes still do not have them – and that could obviously have a knock-on effect for insurance policies.
"The Scottish Government is also underestimating the cost on their website when they say a system can be fitted for £220 in an average home.
"The alarms themselves, even if you fit them yourself, are more likely to cost around £280. For a larger house, it will be quite a bit more."
Despite no delays to the new Scottish alarm rules, a Scottish Government spokesman said that "no one will be criminalised if they need more time and there are no penalties for non-compliance."
The types of interlinked alarms you'll need to buy
There are two types of interlinked fire alarms that meet the new rules.
These include:
- Sealed battery alarms – which should be tamper-proof long-life (which can be up to 10 years) batteries. You can fit these alarms yourself.
- Mains-wired alarms - these are cheaper than tamper proof long-life battery alarms, but should be installed by a qualified electrician. These should be replaced every 10 years.
Both types of alarm are interlinked by radio frequency without the need for WiFi.
If the carbon monoxide alarm is battery operated, it must have a sealed battery for the duration of its lifespan, which may be up to 10 years.
Check that each alarm complies with the following standards:
- Smoke alarms: BS EN14604:2005
- Heat alarms: BS 5446-2:2003
- Carbon monoxide detectors: British Kitemark EN 50291-1
