Consumers who fit extra security such as locks to their properties and vehicles are unlikely to benefit from lower car and home insurance premiums, new research has found.

People who invest in alarms for their houses save an average of £5 on their cover costs, while those who fitted them to their automobiles reduced their premiums by £1.70, according to a study by Tescocompare.com.

Director of commercial and partnerships at the website, Paul Baxter, claims burglars may be deterred by extra security measures, however consumers will be left disappointed if they are hoping to make significant savings by installing them.

"If you are planning on adding extra security like this, solely because you want to lower your home or car insurance premium, you may find it does very little to bring down costs," he said.

Meanwhile, Ashton Berkhauer, from uSwitch.com, has warned consumers considering making improvements to their properties they must inform their insurance provider before doing so, to ensure they are covered.

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