Flood warnings throughout England

Commenting on flood warnings throughout much of England, Richard Mason, director of insurance at price comparison site moneysupermarket.com, said: “As the spectre of flooding hits Britain again, people in the Midlands, East Anglia and south west England could be facing the woe of having to leave their homes.

“After the chaos of flooding last summer and again towards the end of the year, many people will be devastated at the renewed risk, and insurance will again be at the forefront of people’s minds. For those who narrowly escaped the floods last year, it became clear that without insurance cover they could be left footing bills for tens of thousands of pounds in the future. moneysupermarket.com saw a 300 per cent increase in home insurance applications in many affected areas immediately after the flooding.

“Households that are at risk must have good-quality home insurance for their contents. Doing so ensures they will continue to be covered regardless of what happens in the future. I advise homeowners at risk to have your policy with well known insurers such as Norwich Union or Halifax, as they are less likely to withdraw cover if your situation deteriorates. People should check the details of what their buildings and contents policies cover as well as the limits and excesses on both.

“According to the Environment Agency, about 2.3 million homes are built on flood plains. With 40 per cent of property owners in the UK electing not to have home insurance, there may well be over 900,000 homes on flood plains without cover at the moment.

"If you are unfortunate enough to be flooded, you may need to claim on both your contents and buildings policies. Fixtures such as fireplaces and electric lights, which you may have thought would be covered under a buildings policy, will usually be classified as contents. Those at risk from the flooding should take expensive portable items upstairs or somewhere else dry. Your insurer will expect you to minimise your claim in this way.”