Clocks Go Back on 25 October: A Home and Business Security Checklist for Clacton and Colchester

Oct 12

7 min read

The clocks go back one hour at 2am on Sunday 25 October 2026, when British Summer Time ends. From that week, it will be dark before many people in Clacton, Colchester and the rest of Tendring get home from work. Darker evenings change how your property looks from the street, so the days before the clock change are a good time to check that your lights, locks, burglar alarm and CCTV are ready for winter.

This checklist covers what homeowners, landlords and business owners can do now. Most of it takes an afternoon and costs little or nothing.

Why darker evenings matter for security

Essex Police's darker nights advice warns that during winter, homes are more likely to be burgled in the early evening. It recommends putting lights on timers in the rooms you use most, so the house looks occupied.

National figures show the same pattern. Office for National Statistics (ONS) analysis of the Crime Survey for England and Wales found that around three-fifths of domestic burglaries take place in the evening or at night, between 6pm and 6am. The same analysis found that in over half of burglaries where the offender got inside, someone was at home at the time, and that entry was through a door around 70% of the time.

So the checklist below focuses on three things: making your property look occupied, making doors and windows harder to get through, and making sure your alarm and cameras work when it matters.

Home security checklist

1. Put lights on timers and check your outdoor lighting

Fit plug-in timers to lamps in the rooms you use most in the evening, such as the living room and kitchen.
Reset any timers you already have after 25 October. A mechanical plug-in timer does not change with the clocks, so it will switch on an hour out.
Check your outdoor security lights work and replace any blown bulbs.
Essex Police recommends external lighting with a dusk-to-dawn sensor, as burglars are less likely to approach a home that has security lighting.

If you want new external lighting wired in, our electrical team can install it alongside your alarm or cameras. It is also worth reading our guide on booking an electrical safety check before winter.

2. Lock doors and windows, even when you are in

Lock doors when you are at home, not only when you go out. The ONS figures above show that someone is often in the house when a burglar gets inside.
On uPVC doors, lift the handle, turn the key and then remove it. Essex Police advises keeping the key somewhere you can reach it in an emergency but out of sight from the door.
Never hang a spare key inside the letterbox or leave one under a mat.
Fit window locks to any window that is easy to reach from the ground or a flat roof.

3. Test your burglar alarm and set it every time

Check the control panel for fault messages and replace any batteries the manufacturer's instructions say are due.
Set the alarm every time you go out, even for a short trip.
If your system has a part-set or zoning option, use it at night so the downstairs is protected while you sleep.
Update the keyholder contacts held by you or your monitoring company, so the right people are called if the alarm goes off.

If your alarm is old, faulty or regularly goes off for no reason, book a service before winter. Our intruder alarm team installs and maintains wired and wireless burglar alarms across Clacton, Colchester and Essex.

4. Make sure your CCTV works in the dark

View each camera's live picture after dark. Infrared night vision can be blocked by dirt, cobwebs or a plant that has grown in front of the lens over the summer.
Check the date and time on your recorder after 25 October. If your system does not adjust for the clock change automatically, set it by hand, so your footage shows the correct time if you ever need to give it to the police or your insurer.
Play back a recording to confirm the system is recording, not only showing a live picture.
Check that the phone app still connects and sends motion alerts.
Check what each camera can see. According to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), if your CCTV records beyond your property boundary, data protection law applies and you have to follow its rules.

Need cameras that give a clear picture at night? Find out more about our CCTV installation in Colchester, Clacton and across Essex.

5. Secure sheds, garages and side gates

Lock sheds and garages, and keep ladders and tools locked away so they cannot be used to break into the house.
Lock side gates that lead to the back garden. Essex Police notes that burglars prefer to get in at the rear, out of sight.
Essex Police publishes detailed advice on securing sheds and garages on its crime prevention pages.

6. Record and mark your valuables

Essex Police recommends keeping a list of valuable items with serial numbers and photographs.
Use a property marking product so items can be identified and returned if they are stolen and recovered.

Business and landlord security checklist

Offices, shops, residential blocks and HMOs face the same darker evenings, often with more doors, more people and longer periods left empty. Before the clocks go back:

Review opening and closing routines. Staff locking up will now do it in the dark. Check who sets the alarm, who checks the rear doors and windows, and that external lights come on before closing time.
Update keyholder lists. Make sure your alarm monitoring company has current names and phone numbers for staff or contractors who can attend out of hours.
Check external lighting. Entrances, car parks, bin stores and communal doors should all be lit when people use them.
Check CCTV coverage and timestamps. Confirm cameras still cover entrances and communal areas at night, and that recorders show the correct time after the clock change. CCTV run by a business or landlord is covered by data protection law, so check your signage is still visible and that footage is kept only as long as you need it. The ICO publishes guidance for organisations.
Check door entry and access control. Communal doors should close and lock on their own. A door held open by a faulty closer or a failed maglock lets anyone into the building.
Check emergency lighting. Escape routes need to be lit if the power fails, and in winter more of the working day is spent in darkness. Find out more about our emergency lighting services in Essex.

Essex Police also publishes advice on keeping burglars out of business premises on its crime prevention pages.

Will the police respond to your burglar alarm?

Many people assume the police will attend whenever their alarm goes off. That depends on the type of system you have.

Police in England and Wales only register and respond to monitored alarm systems that meet National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) requirements. A system needs a police Unique Reference Number (URN), and URNs are only issued for systems installed by companies approved by a UKAS-accredited inspectorate, such as NSI or SSAIB. If a system with a URN sends three false alarms in a rolling 12-month period, police response is withdrawn.

That is one more reason to have your alarm serviced before winter: regular maintenance helps prevent false alarms. If you have a bells-only alarm, it will sound on site but will not alert anyone automatically, so make sure a neighbour or keyholder knows what to do if they hear it.

Your checklist before 25 October

Timers fitted to lamps in the rooms you use most, and existing timers reset after the clock change
Outdoor security lights working, with blown bulbs replaced
Doors locked even when you are in, and keys out of sight
Window locks on easy-to-reach windows
Burglar alarm panel free of faults, keyholder details up to date, alarm set every time you go out
CCTV checked after dark, recorder time correct, recordings playing back
Sheds, garages and side gates locked, with ladders and tools secured
Valuables photographed and recorded
For businesses and landlords: closing routines, keyholder lists, communal doors and emergency lighting checked

Book a security check before the nights draw in

Advanced Protection is based on Gorse Lane Industrial Estate in Clacton-on-Sea and installs and maintains burglar alarms, CCTV and security lighting for homes, landlords and businesses across Clacton, Colchester and the wider Essex area. If your alarm needs a service, your cameras struggle at night or you want a new system before winter, contact us to book a free site survey or call 01255 860018.

Frequently asked questions

When do the clocks go back in 2026?

The clocks go back one hour at 2am on Sunday 25 October 2026, moving from 2am to 1am. This marks the end of British Summer Time and the return to Greenwich Mean Time. They go forward again on Sunday 28 March 2027.

Are homes more likely to be burgled in winter?

Essex Police warns that during winter, homes are more likely to be burgled in the early evening, when many houses are dark and empty. ONS analysis has found that around three-fifths of domestic burglaries happen in the evening or at night. Lights on timers, locked doors and a working alarm all reduce the risk.

Will my CCTV change the time automatically when the clocks go back?

Some recorders adjust for daylight saving automatically and some do not, depending on the model and its settings. Check the time shown on your footage after 25 October and correct it if needed, so recordings show the right time if you need them as evidence.

Will the police come if my burglar alarm goes off?

Only if your alarm is monitored, meets National Police Chiefs' Council requirements and has a police Unique Reference Number. These are only issued for systems installed by companies approved by an accredited inspectorate such as NSI or SSAIB. A bells-only alarm sounds on site but does not alert the police.