Not long ago, we received a free offer from State Farm, which provide our home insurance. On request, they would send us a free “Ting,” a small device that plugs into an electrical socket and monitors your home’s system.

It is designed to detect electrical faults that, they say, are responsible for many devasting home fires.

If they’ve convinced State Farm to sponsor the free offer, that sounded like something that we wouldn’t want to refuse. So I replied, Yes, and in a couple of week the little yellow box containing a Ting monitor arrived on our front steps.

It’s small. A little over half the length of an iPhone, although thicker. It plugs into any socket.

It ended up in one of our bathrooms, plugged in next to a nightlight.

It was easy to set up with the Ting app we downloaded, with connects to the internet via your home’s wifi system.

Here’s what the company says.

**If an electrical fire hazard is detected, your service also includes the following concierge services, which we’ve designed to be easy, provide you peace of mind, and ensure you’re never on your own.

Notification via the Ting Sensor app and separate outreach to you via email, phone, and/or text
Instructions from a Ting Fire Safety Team expert

IF professional remediation is needed:
Coordination with you for onsite professional remediation

NOTE: Not all hazards require professional remediation; we don’t arrange onsite visits without your permission.
Live, remote moderation by Ting technician of onsite professional remediation
$1,000 credit towards labor cost of professional remediation

If the hazard is an external ‘electric utility service’ hazard: guidance for reaching out to your utility

You then receive a weekly report, with graphs showing each day of the week with the recorded voltage.

I don’t know whether other insurers are making similar offers, but I would grab one if you have an opportunity.