Closure of BT Redcare Operations
On 31st January 2024, BT announced that they had made the decision to close all BT Redcare operations on 1 August 2025.
Intruder and fire alarm installers have recently been sent an Important Notice advising them of this and the need to move all customers using BT Redcare services to an alternative service provider by this date.
What is BT Redcare?
BT’s Redcare division has been a prominent provider of alarm signalling systems to UK homes and businesses for over 30 years and has provided an extensive range of alarm signalling products, including the first self-monitoring Alarm Transmission System, Redcare ‘Classic’ and their dual path product, Redcare GSM (Global System for Mobile).
As part of the switch-off of the Public Switched Telephone Network, many of these systems will cease to operate and alarm installers are already migrating customers to new products which will work on the new fibre network. BT Redcare also have a portfolio of products that reflected the move of the UK telephone network to all-IP, which includes Redcare Essential, Advanced and Advanced Extra – these services will also discontinue from 1st August 2025.
Choosing a replacement Alarm Transmission System
Given the importance of alarm systems to a business’s insurance cover, advice may be sought from an insurance broker and it’s important that the replacement product chosen provides a like-for-like performance level.
Current alarm standards in place in the UK have introduced a number of single path (SP) and dual path (DP) categories of Alarm Transmission System and a product comparable to Redcare Classic or GSM would be a dual path ATS meeting category DP3.
Any dual path Alarm Transmission System certified as meeting the latest adopted version of BS EN 50136 and performing at DP3 will be accepted by Aviva as a like-for-like replacement. Currently, that would be a product such as CSL Dualcom Gradeshift Pro DP3.
It's also important that any replacement system is:
- Installed by a company regulated by the National Security Inspectorate (NSI) or the Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board (SSAIB).
- Maintained in full working order under a contract for preventative and corrective maintenance by a company or installer listed by one of the two police approved alarm inspectorates noted above.
BT have provided alarm installers with as much notice as possible of the need to migrate services and alternative providers are committed to supporting the alarm signalling industry. However, customers and alarm installers are advised to act as soon as possible in order to avoid any product shortages which may occur closer to the 1 August 2025 deadline.
Many alarm companies will include within their correspondence a note to the effect that the customer should check with their insurer that the proposed replacement Alarm Transmission System is acceptable.
If you’re impacted by the closure of BT Redcare operations, or if you’re uncertain if their new systems meet the requirements, please contact Aviva Risk Management Solutions.
If you have any specific questions, you can contact Andy Grieve, Aviva Risk Management Solutions Security Technical Specialist at: andrew.grieve@aviva.com