One in four UK adults don’t know if their home is at risk of flooding or storm damage, according to fresh research from the Association of British Insurers. Of those, only 27% said they’d know how to check.
The ABI’s flooding and storm preparedness survey also found that one in ten people have already faced flood or storm damage in their current home. Almost half of them—45%—wish they had done more to prevent it.
Weather-related insurance claims reached £424mn in the first half of this year alone. The trade body said prevention is cheaper and less stressful than repair, urging households to carry out basic checks before autumn brings harsher conditions.
Most people said they’ve done something to protect their homes, but the data shows gaps in crucial areas. More than half haven’t cleared gutters or checked roof tiles.
Two-thirds ignore tree branches overhanging their properties. Three-quarters haven’t signed up for flood alerts. And very few have invested in resilience measures like flood doors or air brick covers.
The ABI’s data shows that while 84% of Brits said that they had taken some measures to protect their home, the figure drops when it comes to key preventative steps they should take:
- 55% haven’t unblocked gutters and drains
- 56% don’t check their roof tiles
- 68% don’t remove overhanging or loose branches near their home
- 76% haven’t signed up to flood alerts
- 83% haven’t installed flood doors
- 84% haven’t installed air brick covers
To limit the damage that adverse weather may cause to your home, the ABI is urging people to consider:
- Fixing loose tiles or damaged guttering, and clearing out leaves etc. from gutters and downpipes
- Keeping an eye out for leaks by looking for puddles of water, discolouration or a change of texture in walls or ceilings, musty smells or signs of mould or mildew, and fix these early
- Checking any trees near your property and safely removing any overhanging or loose branches. If the tree isn’t on your land, contact the owner – it could be a neighbour or the council
- Repairing any cracks or loose fittings in doors and windows
The ABI is encouraging homeowners to fix loose tiles and guttering, clear downpipes, look out for leaks and mould, check trees nearby, and repair cracks in doors and windows.
Annual boiler servicing and steps to avoid frozen pipes are also advised. For high-risk properties, simple design choices—raising sockets, using tile flooring, installing barriers or self-sealing airbricks—can make recovery from flooding quicker and less costly.
Louise Clark, ABI’s general insurance policy manager, said extreme weather is inevitable but preparation can soften the blow.
Flooding or storm damage can be incredibly distressing and costly. Unfortunately, we can’t control the weather, but we can take steps to help lessen the damage it can cause to our homes – and the disruption to our lives.
Louise Clark, Manager of General Insurance Policy at the ABI
Insurers, she added, will prioritise getting customers back on their feet after events, but prevention remains the smarter option.
“During extreme weather events, insurers’ first priority will be to help their customers return to normal life as quickly as possible. But prevention is always better than cure, so we’d encourage everyone to take action and prepare their homes in case of extreme weather strikes,” Louise Clark said.
ABI’s survey of 2,000 people was carried out by Opinium Research. The group said policyholders should always contact their insurer as soon as possible if their home suffers weather damage.
Insurers expect bad weather to strike at any time and events such as storm damage or flooding are exactly what insurance is there for.
If your property has been affected by adverse weather, contact your insurer as soon as you can, and they will be able to offer help and advice.
