In recent years news reports have shown the utter devastation caused by rivers breaking their banks and waterfront properties wrecked due to insufficient flood defences as the warming of the planet increases.
Unsurprisingly this has led to an increase in the number of flood claims received by insurers. This may have contributed to home insurance price rises and, for homeowners worst affected by floods, could even result in them facing the prospect of prohibitively high home insurance premiums.
According to the Environment Agency, more than five million properties in England alone are at risk of flood, with more warnings in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. So, how can Flood Re help?
What is Flood Re?
Flood Re is an agreement between the government and UK insurers, including Admiral, which allows us to offer more affordable insurance for areas most at risk of flooding.
If your home's at risk, we may be able to save you money. Take a look at Admiral Flood Insurance to find out more.
What is the eligibility criteria for Flood Re?
The Flood Re scheme applies to residential properties built before 2009. The scheme does not apply to commercial properties including:
- Bed and breakfasts
- Blocks of residential flats
- Company houses or flats
- Farm outbuildings
- Residential buy to let
- Static caravans
You can find out more by reading the Flood Re's eligibility criteria.
What this means for customers affected by flooding
There’s no change to the way you currently shop for home insurance. If you do need to make a claim, the process you go through remains exactly the same. You’ll still need to inform your insurer of any loss or damage who will then deal with your claim.
The only difference lies at the insurer’s end as it could mean the Flood Re scheme may fund some of your flood claim.
How can Admiral Flood Insurance help?
Even with flood warnings occurring during winter, we want you to be able to have a sustainable lifestyle; so since the 4th April 2016, Admiral has used the Flood Re scheme to provide more affordable home insurance to homes at risk of flooding.
If your property is classed as a high flood risk, you may be paying a lot for your home insurance, but Flood Re should make it more affordable.
You don’t have to wait until your renewal to start saving money; you can shop around at any point.
Flood Re Build Back Better
The Build Back Better scheme aims to help people prevent and recover from flooding.
In the event of a flood claim with us that meets the criteria, Build Back Better will give the option to install property flood resilience measures up to the value of £10,000, with your permission, as part of the repairs.
You may have received a letter from us informing you of this benefit on your policy. If you are unsure if your home policy benefits from this scheme, please get in touch with us.
You can read more about the Build Back Better scheme on the Build Back Better Flood Re webpage. To learn more about Flood Re, check out our article explaining how it works.
What to do if your home floods
A flooded home is one of the most devastating things you can experience; whatever is left behind by the floodwaters is often un-salvageable.
You should contact your insurer as soon as it's safe to do so and they'll be able to help you with next steps.
If you have Admiral Home Insurance you can call 0333 220 2035 to find out what you’ll need to do to make a claim. Find out more in our guide on what to do if your house floods.
For more information on Admiral Home Insurance, we've busted the jargon and broken down what can affect your home insurance price.
