Heat and smoke alarms

From 1 February 2022, every home in Scotland must have interlinked heat and smoke alarms, and a carbon monoxide alarm where necessary. 

These new rules are designed to keep property and people safe – and SELECT is committed to helping everyone understand what they need to do next.

To help explain the new rules clearly, we’ve produced an easy-to-follow animation and two advice brochures for Members and the public, plus an in-depth Technical Update. We’ve also compiled a list of FAQs to help Members answer some of the most common queries put to them by customers.

Social media messaging is also available to help Members promote their services and ensure any work is carried out by a qualified electrician - plus we can provide a SELECT installation certificate to ensure further customer peace of mind. Training is also available through the free Expert Installer programme from Aico.


Find an electrician

Always use a qualified electrician to fit your mains-powered heat and smoke alarms, or if you’re unable to install your battery-powered alarms. To find your nearest SELECT Member, click here.

Download

Print copies of all brochures are also available by emailing [email protected]

 

FAQs

What are the new rules?

From 1 February 2022, every home in Scotland must have an effective system in place for detecting and warning of smoke, fire and carbon monoxide (CO). This means every property must have interconnected smoke and heat alarms fitted throughout, with a CO alarm required in the relevant room. 

Where do I need alarms?

Under the new regulations, at least one smoke or heat alarm should be fitted in your living room, hallway, landing, kitchen and loft conversion. Any rooms you pass through to reach the hallway from the kitchen or living room must also have an alarm fitted, unless the living room or kitchen has its own escape route. CO alarms should be fitted anywhere there is a fuel-burning appliance or a flue.

What properties are affected?

The new regulations apply to ALL homes, homeowners and landlords in Scotland, including social housing, private rentals and domestic dwellings.

What kind of alarms do I need?

Two types of interlinked fire alarms meet the new rules:
  • Sealed battery alarms – which should be tamper-proof and long-life, i.e. with batteries lasting up to 10 years.
  • Mains-wired alarms - these are cheaper than tamper proof long-life battery alarms, but should be installed by a qualified electrician and replaced every 10 years. Find your nearest SELECT Member here.

Both types of alarm can be interlinked by radio frequency without the need for WiFi. If the CO alarm is battery operated, it must have a sealed battery for the duration of its lifespan, which may be up to 10 years.

How much will it cost?

The Scottish Government has said the average cost for a self-installed interlinked long-life battery system in a two-storey house is “around £220”. However, it is important to stress that this figure will obviously change if the system is installed by a qualified electrician.

What are the penalties for not complying?

All homes in Scotland must meet the new regulations by 1 February 2022. If you’re not up to standard, your local authority could use its statutory powers to make you carry out any work required.

Will it impact my home insurance if I don’t do it?

Despite some initial confusion, this will depend on the terms and conditions of individual home insurance policies. Homeowners should always contact their insurer to check if the new rules are included in their policy.

Certification

For customer peace of mind, a certificate of design, installation and commissioning is available that SELECT Members can give to clients to show that an installation complies with the relevant standard.

Available via SELECTcerts or in paper format, the certificate is specifically for the certification of domestic fire detection and fire alarm Grade C, D or F systems and is is based on the model in Annex E of standard BS 5839-6:2019 +A1:2020.

Pads of certificates are £11.50 including VAT and can be obtained by calling SELECT on 0131 445 5577 and quoting ‘Stock code 30214’ or from the shop here.

Social media messaging

SELECT has created an image for Members to use on social media which can be downloaded here. An example of accompanying messaging is below:

From 1 February 2022, all homes in Scotland must have interlinked heat and smoke alarms, to keep you and your property safe. As a member of SELECT, Scotland’s largest construction trade association, we can install and test your system for complete peace of mind. To find out more, contact us on [INSERT YOUR DETAILS HERE]

Training

Aico offers a free CPD accredited training scheme, Expert Installer, which is designed to provide electrical contractors with all the information they require to select, site, install and maintain Aico alarms to the highest quality. It also ensures that attendees are up to date with the latest legislation and requirements. For further details, email [email protected]

Further information and useful links

  • Advice from the Scottish Government can be found here.
  • Information on alarms from Aico can be found here.