Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms — what should my house have?

Homes on the estate have hardwired, interlinked smoke alarms with battery backup — when one triggers, they all sound, and they keep working in a power cut.

Random beeping or false alarms: persistent unexplained triggering usually means a faulty unit, not something you have to live with — report it to your developer’s customer care and they’ll replace it under warranty.

Carbon monoxide alarms: a CO alarm is required wherever there’s a fixed combustion appliance — for most houses here, that means the room with the boiler. Some homes have combined smoke/CO units fitted and some don’t, so check what you actually have (the label on the unit says). If there’s no CO alarm near your boiler, a standalone battery one costs £15–25 and takes two minutes to fit.