Important Notice – BT Redcare Closure

On 31st January 2024, BT announced that they were to stop selling new alarm signalling products from the end of February 2024 and would close all BT Redcare operations by 1st August 2025.

We have written directly to Folgate brokers with mutual customers affected by this change, but would like to provide our entire broker community with the important information below.

As one of the biggest providers of alarm monitoring systems for over 30 years, BT Redcare’s closure is said to impact up to 120,000 customers across the UK.

BT’s Redcare division has provided an extensive range of alarm signalling products, including the first self-monitoring Alarm Transmission System (ATS), Redcare ‘Classic’ and their dual path product, Redcare Global System for Mobile (GSM).

BT Redcare also have a portfolio of next generation products that reflected the recent move of the UK telephone network to a digital Internet Protocol (IP) network (further information below), including Redcare Essential, Advanced and Advanced Extra – these services will also discontinue from 1st August 2025.

AddSecure collaboration with BT Redcare

Through a collaboration agreement, existing customers of BT Redcare have the option to migrate to AddSecure; a leading European provider of alarm signalling for continued service and migration expertise.

BT and AddSecure’s collaboration aims to ensure a seamless transition for BT Redcare Next Generation Portfolio (NGP) customers who choose to migrate over to AddSecure, allowing services to remain uninterrupted following BT Redcare’s plans to cease operations from the 1st August 2025.

For BT Redcare customers using older units such as BT Redcare Secure, Classic or GSM, these will stop working – exposing policyholders to potential security risks and operational disruptions.

AddSecure and BT Redcare plan to prioritise the transition from legacy alarm platforms to digital ones, offering customers high-quality service and support throughout the process.

It is important that any BT Redcare customer choosing to migrate to AddSecure, takes the necessary steps to transition including identifying any outdated systems and updating their ATS where required.

For more information, please go to www.addsecure.com.

The impact on policyholders using BT Redcare

The alarm system installed at a property is important not just for policyholder safety and property protection but is fundamental to the effective operation of Folgate’s and many other insurers’ commercial insurance policies. Therefore, where we have agreed to provide insurance based on a BT Redcare alarm being fitted and operational at any insured premises, it is critical that policyholders find a suitable equivalent alarm solution by 1st August 2025.

Any fire or intruder alarm that is currently connected to BT Redcare will need to be changed as soon as possible to maintain property protection and safety, and to ensure that the affected policyholders insurance remain valid when BT Redcare goes offline.

The replacement ATS must provide a like-for-like performance level to the existing BT Redcare system.

For customers choosing to move over from BT Redcare to AddSecure, AddSecure are able to offer a like-for-like replacement solution that meets Folgate’s requirements. If not, customers will still need to find a like-for-like replacement ATS.

Choosing a replacement ATS

Given the importance of alarm systems to insurance cover, and the importance of the chosen replacement ATS providing a like-for-like performance level, we recommend that affected policyholders seek advice from an appropriate expert to ensure a suitable replacement ATS is selected.

Current alarm standards in the UK have a number of single path (SP) and dual path (DP) categories of ATS. These categories essentially denote the level of sophistication of the alarm monitoring unit, and therefore its suitability for properties of varying degrees of risk.

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, we strongly recommend that affected policyholders replace their alarm system as soon as possible in order to avoid any product shortages which may occur as we approach the 1st August 2025 deadline.

Many alarm companies will include within their correspondence a note to the effect that the policyholder should check with their insurer that the proposed replacement ATS is acceptable, and Folgate underwriters are available on 0207 256 3100 to help brokers with any such enquiries.

Folgate requirements

Where we have agreed to provide any insurance policy subject to a BT Redcare alarm being fitted and operational at the insured premises (as noted on the statement of facts for the insurance), policyholders must have a suitable replacement ATS installed and fully operational by 1st August 2025.

Any DP ATS with a performance level DP3 certificated to current British Standards (BSEN50136-1:2012) will be accepted by Folgate as a like-for-like replacement for any existing BT Redcare ATS.

It’s also important that any replacement system is:

1.Installed by a company regulated by the National Security Inspectorate (NSI) or the Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board (SSAIB).
2.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.
3.Compliant with the Intruder alarm condition in the applicable Policy Wording.

If any affected policyholder does not replace their existing BT Redcare ATS with a suitable replacement by the 1st August 2025, or fails to comply with any part of the Intruder alarm condition or any other condition precedent to Folgate’s liability, we may:

1.Not pay a claim (or part of a claim), where the loss is attributable to the policyholder’s failure to comply with the condition, and/or
2.Suspend the cover granted under the policy:
a) from the date the policyholder failed to comply with the condition (or any part of it);
b) until the policyholder has fulfilled their obligation(s) under the condition.

If you would like to discuss the closure of BT Redcare operations and the impact on Folgate policyholders further, please contact one of our underwriters by calling 0207 256 3100. Where necessary, policy terms and conditions will be updated to reflect the closure of BT Redcare.

Other changes to communications networks and infrastructure

Openreach Ltd.’s announcement in March 2018 detailed the phasing out of the current Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to a fibre optic network as part of the ‘BT all IP by 2025’ initiative. In effect, the PSTN network is being phased out as analogue phone lines are replaced with digital technology.

This change affects numerous systems that rely on landline connections, including alarm systems like Redcare GSM and CSL Dualcom. Any communication or alarm systems that utilise these analogue phone lines will need to switch to a digital IP network or mobile phone option no later than December 2025.

We recommend that policyholders speak with their communications providers for further information regarding this transition.