Wired or wireless burglar alarm: which should you choose?

The cable matters less than who fits it and how it is monitored.

The answer in 2 lines. A wireless alarm suits most homes, especially if you rent or the house is already decorated: it goes in quickly with no channels cut into walls, but you will need to change detector batteries and choose a system that detects jamming. A wired alarm is very dependable but means running cables, so it makes most sense during a build or a big renovation. Whichever you choose, what decides police response and how your insurer sees it is the installer and the monitoring: use a company approved by the NSI or SSAIB and ask your insurer what it requires before you buy. If someone is breaking in, call 999.

The first 3 steps

Look at your home: do you own or rent, are works planned, how many rooms and ways in are there?
Ask your home insurer whether it requires a particular type of alarm, an approved installer or a certificate, and whether it changes your premium.
List the entry points to protect: front and back doors, patio doors, garage, and windows that are easy to reach.

Stop: danger

Intruder in your home right now: do not confront them. Get to a safe place and call 999.
Alarm going off and you are away: do not go in alone if you think someone may still be inside; call 999 and wait for the police.

Wired or wireless: how they compare

What matters	Wired	Wireless
Installation	Cables run through walls, floors or trunking: more disruption	Fitted in a few hours, little or no making good
Reliability	Very stable, no radio link to interfere with	Good, but can be affected by jamming and by thick walls
Upkeep	Mains-powered panel with a backup battery	Detector batteries to watch and replace, plus the panel's backup battery
Moving house	Stays with the property	Can be taken down and moved
Best for	New builds, major renovations, large houses	Rented homes, flats, homes already decorated

Hybrid systems also exist: a wired panel with wireless detectors added where a cable would be hard to run. The European standard for intruder alarms (BS EN 50131) covers both wired and wireless systems, so wireless is not second-rate by definition.

The weak point of wireless: jamming

A radio jammer can stop detectors talking to the control panel. Using one to interfere with radio signals is a criminal offence in the UK (Ofcom), but that does not stop burglars trying.
Choose a system that detects jamming and raises an alert. Not every kit does: check the product documentation or ask the installer in writing.
Check supervision too: the panel should tell you when a detector stops responding or its battery is low.

What not to do

Buying a kit without checking that it reports low batteries and jamming.
Signing on the spot with a doorstep salesperson without getting other quotes.
Taking a company's word that it is "approved" without checking it on the NSI or SSAIB finder.

The quality marks that count in England

NSI and SSAIB are the two inspectorates that approve alarm companies. To get a police response to a monitored alarm, you need an approved installer and an approved Alarm Receiving Centre, and the system must follow the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) requirements.
Check an installer: on the NSI home alarms page, open the Company Finder, enter your town or postcode and look at the approvals listed for each company. On the SSAIB supplier search, choose the product (intruder alarms) and your region. You can also ask to see the company's certificate of approval.
Paperwork: after installation, an approved company gives you a certificate (NSI Certificate of Compliance or SSAIB Certificate of Conformity) that you can show your insurer.
Grades: BS EN 50131 sorts systems into four grades, 4 being the highest. Your insurer or installer can tell you which grade suits your home.

Bells-only or monitored?

Bells-only: the siren sounds and relies on someone nearby to act. No automatic police response.
Monitored: an Alarm Receiving Centre checks the signal around the clock and, if the system complies, can pass it to the police. Otherwise it calls your keyholders.
False alarms: in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, immediate police response can be withdrawn after three false calls in a rolling twelve months (NSI). Scotland's police have their own policy.

Contracts, renting and neighbours

Signed at home: if you agree to a contract while a trader is in your home, you usually have 14 days to cancel. Citizens Advice has a template cancellation letter: fill in your details and the date of the contract, then post it or paste the text into an email and keep a copy.
If you rent: a wireless alarm needs few holes. Ask your landlord in writing before any drilling or wiring.
Siren cut-out: councils can act against an alarm that rings on and becomes a noise nuisance. Many, such as Basingstoke and Deane, ask for the external siren to cut out after 20 minutes at most. Give the council or your neighbours a keyholder's details.

Good to know

Test the alarm regularly using the panel's test mode, and change batteries as soon as the panel asks.
Backup batteries in the panel typically need replacing every two to four years (NSI).
Keep your code to your household and change it if you have given it to a tradesperson.
An alarm does not replace the basics: doors locked and windows shut when you go out.

In Nottingham, Priya rents a two-bedroom flat. She asks her landlord by email, then picks a wireless alarm that reports jamming and low batteries and sends alerts to her phone. Her uncle, who is renovating his house near Derby, has cables laid while the floors are up and uses an NSI-approved company for a wired system with two wireless detectors in the garage. He sends the certificate to his insurer.

A made-up story, for illustration.

Bobby

Sources, verification, confidence

Verified on 6 November 2026, for England. Confidence: high for the role of the NSI and SSAIB, the conditions for police response and the false-alarm rule (NSI, Crimestoppers); high for the 14-day cancellation right on contracts signed at home (Citizens Advice); medium for the wired versus wireless comparison, which depends on the model: check the product documentation. The 20-minute cut-out is council guidance, not a single national rule. This guide describes common cases and does not recommend any product or company.