Zurich UK is launching what it calls an “industry-first” drive to help homeowners and businesses better protect themselves against the mounting risk of flood.
The drive involves Zurich UK taking a more proactive approach when it comes to serving flood-stricken customers. Instead of merely paying claims to restore a flood-damaged property back to its previous state, the insurer will inform customers of simple changes that they could make to limit their exposure to future flooding.
The insurer will also refer its customers to specialist advice on flood resilience, available grants, and other resources.
As part of this new drive, Zurich UK has launched its “Flood Resilience Toolkit,” which establishes a formal process for loss adjusters to follow to make sure that every flood claim will also have a resilience plan in place.
“We need to ‘batten down the hatches’ and prepare for a future where extreme weather fuelled by climate change is commonplace. Although we can’t prevent flooding, we can ensure properties are better protected,” said Zurich regional major loss property claims manager Paul Redington. “We’ve transformed the way we handle claims to help flood-hit customers build back better. This will mean every claim is a potential opportunity to make homes and businesses more resilient, and reduce the misery and disruption of being flooded time and again.”
“It’s great to be working with Zurich who are taking this approach to property resilience and making it their default position,” commented Ian Gibbs, a national technical manager at loss adjuster Sedgwick. “Their ‘Flood Resilience Toolkit’ will help the wider loss adjusting community to have the conversation about resilient repairs with customers and encourage wider take up of this important aspect of flood mitigation.”
In a release, Zurich also explained that its new approach to handling flood claims also aims to reduce the carbon footprint involved in replacing and reinstating damage.
Zurich UK’s announcement comes nearly a week after parent company Zurich Insurance Group revealed during an investor event that it would be taking “decisive” steps in its sustainability strategy – by halting all underwriting of greenfield oil exploration projects, as well as oil and gas drilling and production in the Arctic. The insurer is also committed to a full phase-out of thermal coal from its underwriting portfolio by 2030.
