Claiming on flood insurance

The cost of flood insurance people pay nowadays is affected by the location where their house is located. Those people whose houses are located in higher-risk areas pay higher premiums and higher excess on flood-related claims as compared to those whose houses are in low-risk areas. Premiums on a house in a high-risk area may differ for example around 20 to 30 per cent than in low-risk areas.

In the United Kingdom, more than two million properties are located at flood risk areas. When you seek the services of a flood insurance provider, they have their own maps to determine if you live in a low-risk area. Although your insurance plan should pay for all flood damage, your insurance provider also expects you to take necessary precautions to protect your properties in case of a flood, too.

If you live in a flood plain, expect your premiums to be higher and an expensive burden. Some insurance providers may even refuse flood cover on people in high-risk areas cover. You can not expect insurance providers to give you a policy when your house is a on a flood path and you get hit by floods often. It will be suicide on their part, unless you will want to pay a high premium.

If the insurance providers think your house is in a high-risk area, they may even resort to getting a surveyor's report before giving you a policy. If they give a policy to whoever applies without considering the high-risk factor, they will have to increase the cost of premiums for everybody to meet the cost of insurance claims.

An estimate by the Government's Foresight Future Flooding report in 2004 showed that the annual average flood damage could increase even up to 20 times by the end of the century as a result of climate change, so not only the UK suffering from flooding because this is a global problem.

Floods can not be prevented but the people can do something to protect their homes from floods. Here are some tips from the Association of British Insurers (ABI). Concrete floors can be replaced with wood and cover with tiles. Chipboard or kitchen and bathroom units can be replaced with plastic equivalents.

The same is true with gypsum plaster. This can be replaced with more water-resistant material, such as lime plaster or cement render. You can also move service meters, boiler and electrical points to areas above likely flood level. One-way valves could also be put into drainage pipes to prevent sewage backing up into the house, hence to prevent flooding.

The bottom line is that if you are moving house or buying a property for the first time, always check whether your intended new home is on a flood plain or not. This information is readily available on the internet on official Government web sites, so there is really no excuse for not knowing - and if you do not know, you can be sure that you future insurance company does!