The first-of-its-kind research reveals Londoners are willing to pay[1] a collective £994m each year to protect their homes[2].
According to the whitepaper report by Ring and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) entitled, ‘Value of UK Home Security’, over a quarter (26%) of Londoners believe they could be burgled within the next year. As a result, locals are willing to pay £113 each to ensure their home is burglar-proof over the next 12 months. This is £18 more than the national average of £95.
Top reasons for willing to pay for home security include living in an area with a high crime rate (15%) and having a neighbour (11%) or family member or close friend (9%) who have been burgled within the last year. Whilst 8% said they had been burgled within the last 12 months and again 8% said they had been burgled more than a year ago.
Despite this, a fifth (21%) say they have ‘good security measures’ in place to prevent a burglary. What’s more, 68% say they have home insurance in place, including contents (41%) and building insurance (56%) to protect their homes.
In terms of the reasons for deciding how much to pay for home security, ‘to feel safer when at home’ ranked top (40%), followed by ‘peace of mind’ (39%) and ‘to see who is at the front door’ and parcel deliveries (26%). Other reasons included active remote monitoring, such as the ability to view (21%) and control (17%) from anywhere.
When it comes to the most popular smart home security devices purchased by those living in London, the top five included:
Video doorbell – 34%
Outdoor camera ­– 31%
Smart alarm system – 24%
Outdoor camera with spotlight – 13%
Smart Intercom – 15%
Additional or advanced Motion Detection (e.g., infrared sensors) – 11%

Owen Good, Head of Economic Advisory, from Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr), said: “Our whitepaper report with Ring estimated the willingness to pay of UK households for improved home security, and highlighted variations in this within different segments of the population. Intuitively, one of the key findings was a positive correlation between those living in areas with higher burglary rates and the willingness to pay for perfect home security. Individuals living in London and North East England have the highest willingness to pay at £113. Whist Northern Ireland, the South West region, and Scotland have the lowest willingness to pay at £75.”
Dave Ward, Managing Director EU & International at Ring, said: “This research with Cebr confirms what we believe at Ring – having smart home security devices is a valuable investment that provides peace of mind to households across the UK. We hear stories all the time about the benefits of Ring devices, and this report highlights the importance of a primary one – peace of mind – and how much customers in London are willing to pay for that based on how safe they feel in their neighbourhoods. We are committed to continue designing products and services that give our customers peace of mind in their homes wherever they may be.”