Households willing to pay an average of £95 to ensure their home is burglar proof – pet owners are happy to pay more
Households would be willing to pay an average of £95 to ensure their homes are burglar-proof over the next 12 months, a report from the Center for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) suggests.
Younger residents are willing to pay significantly more, with 18- to 24-year-olds handing over £238 on average, compared to just £45 for those over 65.
Pet owners would also pay more to make their homes burglar-proof. They would spend an average of £113, compared to £55 for those without pets.
On the lookout: Pet owners would pay more to make their homes burglar-resistant – they would spend an average of £113, compared to £55 for those without pets
People living in areas with higher burglary rates are willing to pay significantly more than people in low-risk areas. For example, households in London and the North East would pay an average of £113, while households in Northern Ireland, the South West and Scotland would pay £75, according to the study carried out for home security company Ring.
Owen Good, head of economic advice at the CEBR, says UK households would collectively pay £2.7bn a year to ensure the safety of their homes.
“In terms of age distribution, it is interesting that the younger age group is the most willing to pay, possibly due to the higher perceived risk of burglary within this group,” he says.
On average, 527 homes were broken into every day in England and Wales last year, data from insurer Churchill showed last week.
More than half of the burglars were present in the building at the time. The average value of stolen items was £1,368.