WHERE
At least one on every level
Fit alarms on the ceiling, in the middle of a room, hallway and landing, so they protect your escape routes. Bedrooms and other high-risk rooms add extra cover.
Check your alarms
WHAT THE FIRE GUIDANCE SAYS
Press the
button.
The cheapest life-saver in the house.
England's fire statistics show people in homes without a working smoke alarm are around 11 times more likely to die in a dwelling fire. The government's Fire Kills campaign boils it down to three words: get them, install them, test them.
TEST at least monthly
Check your alarms- One on every level
- Test every month
- Replace about every ten years
- Working alarms, in the right places
THE SHORT ANSWER
Enough alarms,
and every one working.
An alarm can only warn you if smoke reaches it.
That is why where you fit them matters as much as how many.
TEST
Once a month, every alarm
Press the button until the alarm sounds. It tests the sensor and the battery or power supply. If it does not sound, replace the battery or the alarm.
How to look after them
KITCHEN
Heat alarm, not smoke alarm
Do not put smoke alarms in or near kitchens or bathrooms, where smoke or steam can set them off by accident. A heat alarm can go in the kitchen.
See the numbers
FOUR HABITS
Two minutes a month,
ten years of cover.
Looking after smoke alarms takes very little time. These habits follow the Fire Kills campaign's advice.
Choose ten-year sealed batteries
They are the best option for most people. Alarms with one-year batteries need a new battery every year, which is easy to forget.
Test on the same day each month
Press and hold the test button until the alarm sounds, on every alarm in the home.
Interlink if you can
Interlinked alarms all go off together when one detects a fire, so the alarm is heard throughout the home.
Think about who will hear it
Strobe light and vibrating-pad alarms are available for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
Working matters,
and so does where.
One figure on what a working alarm is worth,
one on why alarms most often miss a fire.
≈ 11× higher
Higher risk of dying in a home fire without a working alarm
Based on five years of fire and English Housing Survey data, people in homes without a working smoke alarm were around 11 times more likely to die in a dwelling fire.
RISK · ENGLAND FIRE STATISTICS
63%
Alarm failures where smoke never reached it
In the year to March 2025, 'fire products did not reach detector' and 'fire in area not covered' made up 63% of the reasons smoke alarms failed to operate in dwelling fires.
FAILURES · ENGLAND FIRE STATISTICS
The English Housing Survey found 92% of households had a working smoke alarm in the year ending March 2024. Even so, fires with no smoke alarm present made up 24% of dwelling fires and 31% of dwelling fire deaths in England in the year ending March 2025.
A QUICK ALARM CHECK
How are your
alarms doing?
Pick the situation closest to yours. The bar shows how urgently the guidance says to act.
Based on the government's Fire Kills campaign advice on smoke alarms. In an emergency, get out, stay out and call 999.
IF YOU RENT IN ENGLAND
Your landlord
has duties too.
Since 1 October 2022, private and social landlords in England must fit at least one smoke alarm on each storey with a room used as living accommodation, and a carbon monoxide alarm in any such room with a fixed combustion appliance, excluding gas cookers.
Landlords must repair or replace faulty alarms once told about them. Local authorities enforce the rules and can fine a landlord up to £5,000 for failing to comply with a remedial notice.
Questions
Questions people ask
How often should I test my smoke alarm?
At least monthly, whatever type of alarm you have. Press the button until the alarm sounds; if it does not, replace the battery or possibly the alarm.
Where is the best place to fit a smoke alarm?
On the ceiling, in the middle of a room, and on the hallway and landing, with at least one on every level. Bedrooms and rooms with fire hazards give extra protection.
Why does my smoke alarm keep chirping?
Regular chirping usually means the battery needs replacing immediately. With a ten-year sealed battery alarm, you replace the whole alarm.
How long do smoke alarms last?
Many show an expiry date. The Fire Kills campaign says replacing alarms every ten years is generally a good idea, or sooner depending on use and dirt.
Do I need a carbon monoxide alarm?
Fire Kills suggests considering one, as carbon monoxide cannot be seen, tasted or smelt. A 2021 government consultation said around 20 people die from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning every year. In England, landlords must fit one in living rooms with a fixed combustion appliance, excluding gas cookers.
Sources
- Fire Kills (GOV.UK campaign): Detect fires with smoke alarms
- GOV.UK: Detailed analysis of fires attended by fire and rescue services, England, April 2024 to March 2025
- GOV.UK: Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022, guidance for landlords and tenants
- GOV.UK: Domestic smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, proposals to extend regulations (consultation)
Updated