• Build Back Better enables homeowners to install property flood resilience measures up to the value of £10,000 when repairing their properties after a flood.

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  • Sandra from Ballater in Aberdeenshire was flooded in December 2015. Following this, she was in temporary accommodation for 17 months whilst her home was renovated. The experience of the flood and being out of her home for so long, brought its own stress and upset. As part of the post- flooding renovations, Sandra had a number of property resilience measures installed including concrete floors to replace the original timber ones; waterproof membrane on walls and she made use of the work to install close cell insulation on her walls. She has also invested in flood resistance measures, including airbrick covers and flood barriers for all the doors – these give her great reassurance that should flooding happen again she would have time to prepare and move valuables before any water makes it into her home.

     

  • Tim and June from Yalding in Kent bought their home with some property flood resilience measures already in place, however in December 2013 the flood skirt protecting their home was overtopped. Since then they have further adapted their home to reduce the impacts of future floods – including reconfiguring the layout of their living and sleeping areas by adding an extra storey. These changes have significantly reduced the trauma and disruption that flooding causes to their family’s life.

  • Paul from Bewdley in Worcestershire and his family were in temporary accommodation for 15 months following their first flood. The stress of the flood, as well as living in a two bedroom flat with his wife and four teenage children, brought its own challenges. Since then, they’ve installed a number of property flood resilience measures in their home, including a flood door, extra pumps, raised sockets, hardwood skirting boards and porcelain tiles. The family were so well prepared for the next flood in February 2022 that they didn’t need to move out at all. They had such little water in their home they were dry and watching TV in the lounge 48 hours later thanks to the property flood resilience measures they had in place.

  • Gordon from Ballater in Aberdeenshire and his wife were flooded on Hogmanay in 2015. They came home to find their Christmas tree knocked over and mud throughout their home, covering their carpets and up their walls. Months of drying out and renovations followed with concrete floors reinstated and non-return valves installed. Since then, they’ve invested in a number of property resilience measures including hydrosacks, air brick covers and flood barriers for their doors. They now live with the reassurance and peace of mind that if flooding were to happen again, the combination of concrete floors and barriers mean that their home is better protected.

Build Back Better is designed to reduce the cost and impact of future floods by including property resilience measures as part of flood repairs.

The devastating impact of flooding on a home can take weeks or even months to put right, meaning families often endure the emotional distress a flood brings long after the water level has returned to normal. Repairing homes to the same state they were before leaves them wide open for the next flood – this not only has huge financial costs to homeowners and insurers, but also has a unique burden on the mental health and wellbeing of families who are affected.

Build Back Better offers homeowners the chance to install Property Flood Resilience measures up to the value of £10,000 when repairing their properties after a flood. This way the next time the area floods their home will be better prepared to keep as much of the water out as possible.  Measures can also be installed so that when water does enter it is easier, quicker and safer for families to clean up and move back in – often in a number of days rather than many months.

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Your stories

David Hegarty, Bewdley resident: “The last two floods – a year ago and two years ago – we had about two foot of water in the house and it was contaminated with sewage and diesel. After the first flood, we were out of the house for about a month, then we moved back in albeit to the upper floors.

“The second flood we managed a lot better. We were back in the house within a few days, albeit a lot of the damage from the first flood hadn’t been dealt with yet. This time round it was a comparable flood, it was 5.5 metres and the house didn’t flood, and we kept the water out.

“We’ve changed the whole ground floor to porcelain tiles, changed all the lower level plaster work, improved the electric circuitry, installed multiple pumps in areas that are high risk, as well as put a system in place to get all of our furniture off the floor.

“It strikes me that if you flood and you have a lot of damage, it’s ridiculous to just put everything back to how it was before.

“If those lessons have been learnt and you can improve your home environment, make it more resilient and safer, why wouldn’t you? One of the only reasons I can think of is not being able to afford the adaptation measures. If there is a process that will enable people to make their homes more resilient based on the lessons learnt from a flood, I think that’s a great idea.”

Insurers currently live with Build Back Better

Future Build Back Better insurers and MGAs

Hiscox

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Covea

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AXA

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Zurich

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Esure

Build Back Better awards:

  • British Insurance Awards ESG: Sustainability Initiative of the Year 2022
  • Flood Expo Excellence in Innovation Award 2022
  • Claims and Fraud AwardsESG: The Sustainable Claims Initiative of the Year Award 2022

In the News

Prestige Underwriting first MGA to sign up to property resilience initiative

Read the Insurance Times article here.

Prestige Underwriting signs up for Build Back Better scheme

Read the Insurance Business article here.

Prestige Underwriting first MGA to sign up to Flood Re’s Build Back Better scheme

Prestige Underwriting has signed up to Flood Re’s Build Back Better scheme, making it the first managing general agent to be able to offer its customers access to reimbursement costs of up to £10,000, over and above work to repair damage and

Flood Re launches awareness campaign

Read the Insurance Today article here.

Flood Re launches campaign to promote flood prevention measures

Read the Insurance Business article here.

Axa UK joins Build Back Better scheme

Read the Insurance Today article here.

Axa UK joins Flood Re property resilience scheme

Read The Insurer article here.

AXA UK commits to Flood Re’s Build Back Better scheme

Read the Reinsurance News article here.

AXA UK signs up to Flood Re’s Build Back Better scheme

AXA UK announced today they have signed-up to the Flood Re’s Build Back Better scheme. This means they will be able to offer relevant customers access to reimbursement costs of up to £10,000, over and above work to repair damage and loss

‘Action not just Ambition’ at COP27 as three more insurers commit to help UK adapt to the changing climate by joining ‘Build Back Better’

Speaking at the World Climate Summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, Monday 14 November, Andy Bord, Flood Re’s CEO announced that three more leading UK insurers have joined the world-leading Build Back Better Scheme. The ground-breaking Build Back Better scheme launched by Flood Re

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