Companies that provide home security services need to be separated two ways. The first is companies that provide monitoring only versus those that provide the home security equipment itself and the monitoring service behind it. In other words, its possible to buy your own home security system and install it and service it (maintain it) yourself, but you'll need to find a monitoring service if you want the police to actually respond when something happens. Some companies sell both the gear and the monitoring service, while some sell just the gear or just the monitoring service.

The second important separator is companies (or monitoring stations) that are and are not UL or ULC listed. ULC is the same as UL - its just its Canadian name. You only want to deal with firms that are UL or ULC listed, so always ask a salesperson if their company has that designation. If they don't, move on. Your home insurance company may not give you a discount if the company or monitoring service you are working with is not UL or ULC listed. Of course, some companies that aren't UL listed are doing very good work, but if you have any possible choice, its always better to be safe than sorry and go with the UL approved firm.

So what, exactly does "UL approved" mean? It means that a safety certification organization named "Underwriters Laboratories" has tested that company's products or services on-site and found the company passes muster. UL certification is for monitoring stations, and one of the primary requirements of the UL certification is that the monitoring station be for alarm monitoring only - there can be no side business for an answering service, for example. To make the grade they have to be doing alarm monitoring and nothing else.

Let's return to the differences between companies that do monitoring only versus the home security companies that sell you the "gear", install it for you and maintain it for you and manage the monitoring. These firms are segmented as being national or local. Nation-wide alarm companies like ADT provide both the gear and the monitoring. These firms also have subdealers that are independent firms selling their own home security gear but including the monitoring services of their corporate partner as part of the deal.

One tier down are nation wide companies that provide monitoring only or home security gear only. This would include places like SmartHome, X-10.com and others. These companies may not be UL listed - be sure to ask.

Finally, there are local companies operating at a state wide or even county or town wide market that provide monitoring and gear, or just gear and monitoring. Definitely ask these folks if they are UL listed. Of course, they may be perfectly good even if they aren't, but where you have the option of a UL listed firm (which you might not have if you live out in the "boonies"), you'd probably be better off going with the recognized designation.