From early warning to action: A new approach for fire prevention for insurers

In the Netherlands, fire department data shows a 27 percent increase in the number of fires between 2019 and 2024. For insurers, it underlines why prevention programs need to connect to early detection with a clear response journey, so alerts lead to action before damage escalates.

Homes are changing rapidly, and household electrical loads are increasing. EV chargers, heat pumps, solar panels, and home batteries are becoming standard and push higher demand over longer periods. As loads increase, the risk of heat buildup and developing faults increases too, often inside the consumer unit where the home's electrical system is concentrated.

In most cases, incidents do not start with flames. They start with small, easy to miss issues that build over time inside the electrical installation.

This topic is also discussed in Insurtech Digest, powered by Insurtech Amsterdam, where Laurens de Nooyer, Head of Sales and Business Development, Benelux, shares his perspectives on how prevention programs can create measurable claims impact.

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Why the consumer unit is becoming a key prevention zone

In many homes, the consumer unit is where risk concentrates. It is the point where incoming power is distributed across circuits, and where components are under pressure when loads rise. As homes draw more electricity for longer periods, weak connections and worn parts are more likely to generate heat. That is often how incidents begin.

Early warning sign are often easy to miss. A smell of overheated plastic. Unusual heat around the installation. Sometimes the first clear signal is a smoke alarm, triggered before anyone notices visible smoke in living spaces.

For insurers, that is why the consumer unit matters. It is more than a technical detail. It is a prevention zone where early alerting and a clear response can reduce severity and turn a potential large claim into a manageable incident.

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Early detection is only valuable when the response journey is clear

Fire prevention is a race against time. The earlier an issue is detected, the greater the chance of limiting damage. Connected smoke and heat detection can help by sending alerts immediately, even when the customer is not at home.

But detection alone does not reduce claims. What creates impact is the journey that follows the alert. The customer needs to understand what is happening, what to do next, and how to get support if the situation requires intervention. When the response is clear and practical, small incidents are more likely to stay small.

In more advanced setups, alerts can also be routed to predefined contacts or monitoring services, so the response does not depend on one person noticing a notification at the right time. That is how early detection becomes a real prevention service rather than a piece of technology.

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What this means for insurers

Fire prevention can reduce the number of claims, but it can also improve outcomes when incidents still happen. Faster detection supports faster response, which can limit damage and make it easier to document what occured.

Prevention programs also change the relationship between insurers and customers. Instead of only interacting when something goes wrong, insurers can offer protection that customers feel in everyday life. That creates more relevant digital touchpoints, strengthens engagement, and supports retention over time.

When prevention is designed as a service and not just a product add-on, it becomes a structural claims reducer and a clearer value story for customers.

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A scalable approach to prevention

At Onics, we support insurers with end-to-end prevention solutions designed to scale across portfolios. The focus is on reliable real-world data, mature technology, and operational readiness, so prevention can fit into existing insurance offerings and deliver measurable impact.

This use case is featured in Insurtech Digest, powered by Insurtech Amsterdam. The article goes further into why the consumer unit is a key prevention zone and how insurers can translate early alerts into clear action and measurable claims impact.

Read the full article here: Insurtech Digest Powered by Insurtech Amsterdam | February - Insurtech Amsterdam