We Did the Math: How Home Security Systems Can Help You Save Money [CNET]

It’s easy to think that home security is about the “big” events, like house fires or a full-fledged burglary. But home security technology also makes an impact in smaller ways, and that can save serious dollars when you adopt a new security system.

We ran through the calculations, studied expense estimates and found out just how much you can save with everyday home security additions or a few tweaks in how you use your system. Here’s what we found.

Homeowners insurance discounts

Cost: $300 – $500

Savings: 5% to 15% off homeowners insurance — about $7 to $20 savings per month

You can find many promises online about how much home security devices can shave off your homeowners insurance bills. We have more details here, but it really depends on if your insurance company allows it and what specific devices you have.

Insurance companies prefer to see an entire home security system that you can arm, preferably with smart locks and professional home monitoring. At the high end, you can save around 15% or even more. With the average homeowners insurance bill coming to about $150 to $200 per month these days, that can yield appreciable monthly savings.

Replace professional home monitoring with smart alerts

Cost: $0 to $20 per month

Savings: $20 to $50 per month

Professional home security monitoring can be expensive, with traditional plans often costing over $50 per month. But you don’t have to get home monitoring — if you’re willing to do it yourself. Many of today’s devices like security cameras or DIY home security systems allow you to switch to a lighter plan (or even no subscription) that includes smart alerts, human recognition, live view and two-way audio capabilities.

That’s enough for you to act as your own home monitor if you don’t mind checking your phone notifications. If you want to make things even easier, plans like Ring’s Protect Pro ($20) or Arlo’s Secure Plus ($18) or even Alexa Emergency Assist ($6) let you immediately contact emergency responders 24/7 via their apps to save time.

Stop leaks right away with leak detectors

Cost: around $30 to $50

Savings: $200 to very high costs when accidents occur

Leak detectors work with many different home security systems and monitor the presence of water or freezing conditions. You can put them near pipes, behind toilets, under sinks and by water heaters, where they’ll let you know if anything is going wrong leakwise. You can shut off water right away and avoid stains, water damage or even bad mold problems.

When a leak springs up, that detector can save serious money. Flooring water damage can start around $200 to repair and rise to thousands of dollars for widespread leaks that go unnoticed for too long.

Connect a smart thermostat to your system

Cost: Around $300

Savings: $50 per year

Many home security systems can integrate with third-party smart thermostats like those offered by Nest or Ecobee or offer smart thermostats of their own. These thermostats are easy to set up up, app-controlled and can work with nearly any HVAC system. Thanks to their suggestions and automation, these thermostats are extra efficient at keeping your home the right temperature. How efficient? Energy Star estimates a smart thermostat saves an average of $50 or more if you live in a more extreme climate.

Switch over to smart lights

Cost: $10 to $20 per bulb

Savings: $200 per year or more

Smart lights use LEDs and app scheduling to become incredibly efficient. Many work with home security systems, allowing you to set their timers, brightness and other settings from the same place you arm your system. Smart LEDs are more affordable than ever, and the US Department of Energy estimates the average household can save around $225 per year by switching all lights over to LEDs and using product improvements light scheduling.

Porch piracy prevention

Cost: $100 – $200

Savings: Around $50 per package

Porch pirates are more common than ever, and the data says that the average package stolen is worth between $50 and $100. That can add up if porch pirates tend to hit your neighborhood every holiday season or so. But there are ways you can stop them. A video doorbell, which start around $50, can deter porch pirates if they notice it watching them. Or you can choose a full delivery lock box, which start at $200 and makes it impossible for thieves to reach dropped-off packages at your home.

As a final stop before you go, consider reviewing our guides on how to deter burglars, how to get security subscriptions for less or what you need to know about smart home hacking.