Potentially over 100,000 businesses and private clients could be affected by BT’s recently announced decision to pull their Redcare service from 1st August 2025.
No doubt many alarm supply and maintenance providers will see this as a significant business opportunity. However, most customers won’t have a thorough understanding of the technical spec of the Redcare service they currently receive. So how can they be sure that they’ll be comparing apples with apples when considering a replacement service?
And does it even matter?
Well, the short answer is, yes. And not just from a usability or peace of mind perspective. The criticality of some alarm systems to customers’ insurance policies, could result in clients being in breach of their policies, if the apples of a new supplier aren’t quite as rosy as BT’s – or worse, and they actually turn out to be bananas!
The reality is, there are very few potential alternative suppliers. Also, individual insurers are likely to vary in what they regard as an acceptable alternative to Redcare. However, alarm signalling products like the CSL Dualcom Gradeshift Pro DP3 or any dual path Alarm Transmission System with performance level DP3 certificated to BSEN50136-1:2012 are likely to be in the mix of acceptable solutions. (But would need to be checked on a provider-by-provider basis.)
Clients need to appreciate that although August 2025 may seem like a long way off, the sheer number of systems requiring updating means that product supply and availability of installers, will eventually become restricted and begin to create bottlenecks. And once we’re into 2025, demand will increase exponentially.
It’s also essential that clients choose a replacement service that is:
- Installed by a company regulated by the National Security Inspectorate (NSI) which incorporates the National Approval Council for Security Systems (NACOSS) or a company regulated by the Security Systems and Alarm Inspection Board (SSAIB).
- Maintained under an annual maintenance contract with an appropriate alarm maintenance company or installer regulated by the NSI or by the Security Systems and Alarm Inspection Board (SSAIB).
It’s also highly likely that an insurer would want to see evidence of the maintenance agreement in the event of a claim.
We completely recognise that, for a Redcare customer, this is a minefield both in terms of knowledge and the potential consequences of making the wrong choice in replacing their alarm signalling service. To help restore that peace of mind, we’re happy to hear from any current BT Redcare subscriber, regardless of whether they’re a client, to help talk them through viable options.
Because when you’re unsure if you’re comparing apples with apples, the last thing you want is to slip up on a banana skin.