If you're among the numerous individuals in the UK who invest in a personal alarm system, it's likely that you're not aware of a hidden fee that has been tacked onto your invoice.

In times of emergencies and false alarms, customers are being directed to call premium rate numbers when seeking assistance during a crisis.

Ten prominent personal alarm companies in the UK utilize 084 numbers, which impose a hefty fee of nearly £1 per minute on customers who call.

In numerous instances, when an individual's alarm system goes off, it notifies the alarm monitoring center through an 084 number, which incurs charges for the customer as well.

The alarm system software is connected to your phone line, so when it is activated, it reaches out to the alarm monitoring centers. They evaluate the situation and subsequently call to ensure your safety.

A collaborative inquiry conducted alongside the Fair Telecoms Campaign (FTC) discovered that 11 security firms providing alarm monitoring services prominently display 084 numbers on their websites, typically for customers to use in case of alarm emergencies.

According to the Fair Telecom Campaign (FTC), this implies that customers might incur costs close to £1 per minute for calls made from a mobile phone, or approximately 35p per minute for calls from a landline.

However, industry experts indicate that numerous personal alarm systems utilize 084 numbers, meaning that if they are activated, you will be responsible for the premium rate call charges.

Research suggests that nearly 40 percent of households in the UK have personal alarm systems, although not all of these systems are actively monitored.

The FTC highlights that elderly individuals and those in vulnerable situations, who depend on personal alarms and alarm monitoring services, face significant risks as they may not realize they are dialing premium rate numbers.

One of the companies is Telecare 24, supported by Dr. Hilary Jones, which asserts that it offers 'cost-effective personal alarms for seniors'.

The installation of a personal alarm system in your residence typically ranges from £600 to £1200, not including VAT, with an additional monthly fee of approximately £30 for the monitoring service.

Custodian, a key player within the expansive Chubb Fire and Security group, ranks among the largest alarm monitoring firms in the nation and features 084 numbers on its website.

Numerous websites do not explicitly mention the charges associated with dialing an 084 number, despite being legally obligated to provide this information.

Consumer regulations established in 2013 clearly state that 084 numbers cannot be utilized for existing customers in relation to services or products they have previously purchased.

Current customers should be billed at a 'standard' rate, which corresponds to the typical charge for a regular telephone call.

David Hickson from the FTC argues that the alarm companies' use of these numbers violates consumer regulations, as they ought to be charging a 'basic rate' equivalent to that of a standard phone call.

To make things even more confusing, most of the fees associated with these 084 numbers do not benefit the security firms; instead, they are collected by your telephone service provider.

Hickson is of the opinion that a stricter enforcement of trading standards on security companies would reveal their violations of consumer rights protections.

He stated, "Alarm monitoring companies have historically been recognized as some of the most problematic offenders. This issue is compounded by the reality that numerous calls are generated automatically when the alarm systems are activated, leaving victims unaware unless they review their phone bills and grasp the situation."

"This raises significant concerns regarding personal alarms, as they are inherently designed for use by individuals who are in vulnerable situations."

"We believe that any organization currently utilizing 084 or 087 numbers for communication with contracted consumers is in violation of the regulations established under the Consumer Rights Directive since its inception in 2014."

Julian Shersby, aged 61, has dedicated two decades to fighting against premium rate phone numbers. So when he saw the 084 prefix appear on his mobile screen, it immediately set off alarm signals for him.

The former financial data analyst received a call from Custodian, as his personal alarm had been inadvertently set off.

After installing a costly new alarm system from Southern Fire Security (SFS) in his Surrey apartment in October, Shersby found that things were about to get even worse.

He mentioned, "My mother passed away seven years ago, but I recall back in 2015 finding out that her alarm system had an 084 number programmed into its auto-dial feature, which meant she was incurring charges at a premium rate."

"That's the issue, isn't it? A lot of individuals purchasing these alarm monitoring services might assume that an 084 number is a standard number included in their calling plan. They often only discover it's not when they check their phone bill."

"I've been advocating for the closure of these numbers since 2004. Even with consumer rights regulations introduced in 2014 aimed at preventing such practices, here I am two decades later, and this issue persists."

The experience of Shersby illustrates just how complex the picture is. Although his alarm was installed by Southern Fire & Security, and the contract is with SFS, it is monitored by Custodian, one of the largest companies in the UK.

Shersby remarked, "With Custodian, they encourage you to utilize 084 for every interaction, including their sales number. It appears that when individuals don't perceive any ethical issues with 084 numbers, they tend to employ them at every opportunity."

"The contacts page does not mention any access or service fees associated with these numbers. While these companies assert that they do not profit from these numbers, it seems unlikely they would utilize them without some financial benefit."

The complexities continue beyond that. The phrase "premium rate" itself is quite tricky. While you may incur a premium rate when dialing 084 numbers, Ofcom limits this classification to 09, 118, and 087 numbers only.

These offer high-quality services, including adult entertainment, directory assistance, contests, and mobile gaming.

While you will incur the same access fee from your provider for both 084 and premium rate numbers, the service charge for an 09 number can reach as high as £3.60 per minute.

Since 2015, calling these numbers has involved two distinct fees: a service charge that is paid to the recipient, which in this instance is the alarm monitoring service, and an access charge that goes to the telephone service provider.

Currently, BT landlines impose an access charge of 28.18p per minute, while EE mobiles have a significantly higher rate of 89p per minute, as reported by the FTC. In contrast, the service charge, which is the responsibility of the recipient, can reach up to 7p per minute.

David Hickson from the Fair Telecoms Campaign estimates that making a five-minute call to an 084 number using an EE mobile would incur an access charge of £4.45 (£3.71 to EE plus 74p VAT), along with a service charge of 35p (29p to the alarm company and 6p VAT).

A representative from the Department of Business and Trade stated, "When a trader provides a telephone line for consumers to inquire about an ongoing contract, the charges for that call cannot exceed the standard rate."

The Mail reached out to the companies in question. EE chose not to provide a comment. O2 stated that they maintain transparency regarding network charges and that it is at the discretion of companies to select their own numbers. Vodafone did not reply.

Andrew Gordon from ABS Alarms stated that they function solely as an installation company and outsource their alarm monitoring services to Custodian, clarifying that they do not have any responsibility for the 084 numbers.

Cornerstone Group stated that they "do not profit from individuals calling this number," but they chose not to provide any additional information.

AIM Alarms stated that they exclusively serve as an alarm monitoring provider for installation companies and provide basic rate alternative contact numbers.

J&D Security said that they were only an installation company that uses another company for alarm monitoring and had now removed the premium number from their website. They declined to comment on whether they had removed this number because of our approach.

Custodian, AMCO, Chubb, SFS, APS, Clymac, EMCS, Abel, and Telecare24 have not provided a response.