New research suggests that around £16.7 million worth of home insurance claims could be found invalid due to the absence or negligence of smoke alarms

Based on data from the Home Office, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, and StatsWales for the year ending March 2024, insurance comparison site, Go.Compare, found that there were an estimated 13,458 dwelling fires attended by fire and rescue services where an alarm either was not present or did not operate.

Calculating the financial loss for 2023/24 using “average claim payout figures and the estimated number of fires at insured households without working alarms”, Go.Compare stated that not enough policyholders were testing their smoke alarms regularly, with many at risk of invalidating their home insurance in the event of a fire.

Around 1% (equating to 514,000 residents across the UK) claimed not to have a smoke detector in their property. For the year ending March 2024, the website found that a smoke alarm either didn’t operate or was not present in 43% of all dwelling fires across Britain.

“It’s also reported that over half (52%) of all fatalities from dwelling fires occurred in incidents where a smoke alarm wasn’t present or didn’t operate. So, failing to install and maintain a working smoke alarm really could be the difference between life and death,” it added.

The survey results also indicate that many residents were unaware that failing to check smoke alarms on a regular basis could make their claim void (62%): “If your alarms aren’t working when a fire occurs, it could affect your ability to claim on your home insurance, which means you would likely have to cover the costs of any damage yourself.”

With only 6% of residents following safety recommendations for smoke alarms, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has shared advice for residents.

“Setting a reminder and making fire alarm testing part of the home routine could be a way that those with battery-powered fire alarms remind themselves to test it. It is vital that home fire safety is at the forefront of our minds, and as routine as cleaning.”

For those unaware of how to test a smoke alarm, the NFCC added: “The manufacturer’s instructions should give directions on how to test fire alarms. Additionally, NFCC have developed the free-to-use Online Home Fire Safety Check, which can help people identify areas of risk, including around the testing, placement, and age of their fire alarms.”

Nathan Blackler, home insurance expert at Go.Compare, added: “It goes without saying that failing to install and regularly test a smoke alarm could have catastrophic consequences. But on top of the huge safety risk, your insurer likely won’t pay out if your smoke alarm wasn’t working when a fire occurred, so you’d suffer the financial consequences of the blaze – as well as the emotional ones.

“It might feel like one of the more mundane tasks on your to-do list, but it’s also one of the most important. Testing your alarm takes just seconds. Consider setting a weekly reminder so that you’re less likely to forget. If you have difficulty maintaining your alarms yourself, you can contact your local fire service for support. If you don’t know how to test it, you will likely find instructions in the manufacturer’s manual.”