TELUS SmartHome Security

What a SmartHome Security System Actually Includes

A system is built from a hub plus the sensors and cameras that suit your home, rather than a single fixed package. A small apartment usually needs a hub, a door sensor and one camera; a detached house with a back lane typically needs outdoor coverage and more entry points. Our staff will size it with you rather than selling you a package number.

• Entry sensors for doors and windows
• Indoor and outdoor cameras with recorded clips
• Smart locks and video doorbells
• Motion, smoke, carbon monoxide and water-leak detection
• Control from the TELUS app whether you are home or away

Is a Home Security System Worth It in Canada?

It depends on what you are actually worried about, and it is worth being honest about that before spending anything. If the concern is package theft and knowing who came to the door, a video doorbell and one camera solve it and a full alarm system does not add much. If the concern is a break-in while the house is empty, entry sensors and monitoring are the part that matters and cameras alone will only tell you afterwards. Most people who regret the spend bought the wrong half of the system for their situation.

• Worth it if the house is empty for long stretches, or you travel
• Worth it if you have already had a break-in or a neighbour has
• Worth it for water-leak and carbon monoxide detection alone in older homes
• Often not worth a full alarm if package theft is the only concern
• Some home insurers reduce premiums for monitored systems — ask yours first

What It Costs to Run, Not Just to Buy

The equipment is the visible cost and the monitoring is the recurring one, and it is the recurring one people forget when comparing options. A self-monitored system has no monthly monitoring fee but puts the response on you. A professionally monitored system adds a monthly cost and a staffed centre that can dispatch emergency services when you cannot be reached. Neither is automatically right — we will tell you what the ongoing cost looks like for the setup you are considering before you commit, so it is a decision rather than a surprise on the second bill.

Professional Monitoring or Self-Monitoring

Self-monitoring sends alerts to your phone and leaves the response to you, which suits people who are rarely far from their device. Professional monitoring adds a staffed centre that can dispatch police or fire when an alarm triggers and you cannot be reached — the difference matters most when you are asleep, abroad or in a meeting. Both use the same equipment, so you can start with one and change later.

Renting, Owning and Installation

Most equipment mounts without permanent alteration, so renters can install a system and take it with them; if you rent, check your tenancy agreement about anything screwed into a door frame. Professional installation is available and is worth it for outdoor cameras and anything that needs to reach a power source, while a basic indoor setup is genuinely a do-it-yourself job for most people.

Bundling With Internet and TV

SmartHome Security runs over your home internet, so it is commonly set up alongside TELUS PureFibre or Optik TV. Bundling can reduce what you pay in total, but not always and not for every combination — bring your current bill to any Bolt Wireless store and we will work out whether it does for yours before you change anything.