To mark the one-year anniversary of its Build Back Better scheme, Flood Re is launching a consumer-focused campaign aimed at promoting the take-up of prevention measures to reduce damage and loss caused by flooding.
The initial social media campaign, which will be rolled out from April 1, draws on the results of a commissioned survey of 2000 UK adults, which highlights the most at-risk household items during a flood. This will be supported by a much wider consumer campaign due to run in partnership with the Environment Agency this summer.
According to the survey, paper-based possessions such as family photographs, birth certificates, passports, insurance policy documents, and family heirlooms are the most cherished household items. They are also the most at risk from flood, as the majority of respondents keep these items on the ground floor or in their cellars or basements.
Proportion of householders who keep household items on the ground floor or cellars in their homes
|
Household items |
Proportion of Brits who keep item(s) on the ground floor or cellar/basement |
|---|---|
|
Family photographs |
64% |
|
Important documents (birth certificates / insurance policy documents and so on) |
48% |
|
Family heirlooms / items you’ve inherited |
45% |
|
Sentimental items and keepsakes (e.g., children’s drawings) |
43% |
|
Passports |
41% |
|
Wedding album or related items (e.g., wedding dress) |
31% |
Source: Flood Re, March 2023
“As many as one in four properties in the UK are at risk of flooding and this number will increase as the planet gets warmer and wetter as a result of climate change,” said Flood Re CEO Andy Bord. “We can’t stop floods from happening altogether. But there are a number of things people can do to protect their homes and the items they cherish. If they have been flooded before, or think they might be at risk, looking for ways to adapt their home to make it more resilient will prevent loss and distress.”
Flood Re's campaign is focused on encouraging homeowners to take simple steps to protect their possessions and homes, such as signing up for free flood warnings, creating a flood kit checklist, and moving valuable or sentimental items to the highest point in the home.
This is an approach that underpins the Build Back Better scheme, which enables participating home insurance providers to offer customers reimbursement costs of up to £10,000. Flood Re noted in a press release that it has already secured the support of 64% of the UK’s residential property insurance market.
“Build Back Better’s success and widespread industry support so far is a fantastic start, meaning more householders will see a reduction in the loss, cost and distress caused by flood events in the future,” Bord said. “However, there is still progress to be made to ensure it becomes a standard part of home insurance policies, as we all work together to adapt UK homes to make them more resilient to flood and climate change.”
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