My Alarm Center Monitoring Plans Explained
My Alarm Center does business kind of like ADT. They sell their products through a network of local dealers. As such, prices may vary by region. However, the average pricing is explained on My Alarm Center's website.
My Alarm Center has a three-tiered plan structure, with MyEssential being the lowest tier, MyHome being the mid-tier, and MyHome Premier being the most expensive.
MyEssential starts at $34.99 per month. The features of MyEssential are pretty basic, giving you access only to professional monitoring that watches out for burglary, fire, and medical emergencies. MyEssential uses cellular signal to communicate, which is considered the most secure form of communication in the security industry.
MyHome, starting at $49.99 per month, offers the sames features but upgrades your system so you can access it remotely using a smartphone and add home automation products to make your home more intelligent. Home automation features are usually regarded as a way to make your living more convenient, but they can also add extra layers to your home security. For example, with MyHome and a compatible smart lock, you can lock and unlock your door wherever you are. Home automation also adds energy saving benefits, especially if you connect a smart thermostat or smart outlets to your smart home system.
Finally, MyHome Premier, as the name implies, is similar to MyHome but with an extra premium feature: video monitoring. If you're looking into adding cameras to your home security system, this is the monitoring plan for you. It starts at $59.99 per month.
Other Fees You Should Know About
If you're thinking of choosing My Alarm Center as your alarm company, our biggest advice is to check the contract thoroughly before signing. Although My Alarm Center is vocal about their pricing plans, the contract is the key to uncovering hidden fees that they might charge you. In particular, we advise you to look out for installation and activation fees. My Alarm Center requires professional installation, which means a technician will set up your security system for you, most likely for a price. The usual rate of other alarm companies is $99, but we've seen companies that charge well over $100 for the installation and activation of the system. If the contract doesn't mention anything about an installation or activation fee, we highly suggest looking deeper into these fees by reading customer reviews and explicitly asking a My Alarm Center sales rep.
Aside from the installation and activation fees, we also suggest looking into penalties. Most alarm companies have policies, like if you cancel service while under contract, they will charge you an early termination penalty equivalent to your remaining balance.
The takeaway here is that most alarm companies have hidden charges, fees, and penalties that you can only learn about in their contracts. Before signing anything, be sure that you've read and understood the contents of the contract. This goes whether you're planning to get a security system from My Alarm Center or any other alarm company.
Ways To Save
If you really like what My Alarm Center offers but think that it's a little out of your budget, we have good news for you. While gathering information about their monitoring plans, we also uncovered ways to save or at least recoup some of your home security expenses.
Negotiate With The Dealer
As My Alarm Center moves their products through a network of local dealers, it's much easier to negotiate with local dealership owners than with My Alarm Center directly. When getting a quote, be sure to ask if they are currently running promotions. Even if My Alarm Center isn't currently offering deals, the local dealer might be. You can also negotiate with the dealer, within reason, and try to squeeze out a better deal.
Set Up Service With LivSecure
Although we don't know the exact cost of installation services, we do know that you can completely avoid paying it by setting up service with LivSecure instead of My Alarm Center. My Alarm Center requires professional installation, which means you'll have to pay for installation one way or another. LivSecure, on the other hand, offers self-installed systems with no installation fees. Because the two companies essentially offer the same equipment and services, the quality of products and services is the same but the cost is lower with LivSecure. Even My Alarm Center approves of this tip, explicitly leaving the following statement on their website:
"Interested in installing your own home security system? Check out LivSecure, our self install security solution backed by our 24/7 professional monitoring."
Claim Your Homeowners Insurance Discount
Most homeowners insurance companies offer discounts to homeowners who install monitored security and safety systems in their homes. On average, insurance companies take off up to 20% of the insurance premium. If your insurance company offers such discounts, you can claim it by getting a proof of monitoring from My Alarm Center and showing it to your insurance company. Not all insurance companies offer such discounts though, but it's still worth the try.
