Compare home insurance deals
Check Which? insurance ratings and compare deals using the service provided by Confused.com
Get a quoteBy clicking a retailer link you consent to third-party cookies that track your onward journey. This enables W? to receive an affiliate commission if you make a purchase, which supports our mission to be the UK's consumer champion.
Flood-risk homes could pay £239 more a year for home insurance: how does your area compare?
Plus 5 ways to cut the cost of home insurance in flood-risk areas
The average flood claim was £30,000 last year, according to the Association of British Insurers (ABI). With flood costs and the numbers of homes at risk on the rise, more of us could find ourselves forking out extra for home insurance.
New data from comparison website Compare the Market shows how much this can add to your annual premium. If your home has flooded before, you could pay £437 a year for your cover – £239 more than the UK average annual premium of £198.
Even living near water can push costs up slightly, with average annual premiums at £210 – around £12 higher than the UK average of £198.
But the effects vary across the UK. Here, we break down where customers pay the most and least because of flood risk, and what you can do to get the best available price.
Where you live makes a difference
Compare the Market's data suggests that those with flood histories or risk pay differently depending on where they live.
In the East Midlands, people whose homes have previously flooded pay £294 more than the regional average – a 164% increase. In Northern Ireland, those living near water pay £74 more than the local average.
Check how affected you are in your region using the table below.
| Region | Average premium | Average near water | Average previously flooded | Premium difference – near water | Premium difference – previously flooded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Anglia | £218 | £239 | £446 | +10% | +105% |
| East Midlands | £179 | £197 | £473 | +10% | +164% |
| East of England | £160 | £177 | £342 | +11% | +114% |
| Greater London | £297 | £313 | £669 | +6% | +125% |
| North-east | £157 | £175 | £360 | +11% | +129% |
| North-west | £176 | £185 | £430 | +5% | +144% |
| Northern Ireland | £483 | £556 | £754 | +15% | +56% |
| Scotland | £202 | £219 | £408 | +8% | +102% |
| South-east | £222 | £242 | £507 | +9% | +128% |
| South-west | £188 | £202 | £443 | +8% | +136% |
| Wales | £187 | £198 | £425 | +6% | +127% |
| West Midlands | £174 | £181 | £400 | +4% | +130% |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | £179 | £195 | £379 | +9% | +111% |
Data source: Compare the Market, January 2026.
How flooding is getting worse
According to Met Office statistics, the winter of 2025-26 was the wettest since 1836 for the West Midlands, Cornwall and Leicestershire. The trend was widespread, with various UK counties recording seasonal rainfall rates among the top 10 on record. Of the four UK nations, only Scotland had a drier-than-average winter.
These form part of a longer term UK trend of generally wetter weather, driven in part by climate change.
According to the Association of British Insurers, ‘adverse weather claims’ – such as floods and storms – are responsible for an increasing proportion of the total costs insurers pay out per year. In 2025, the amount spent on flood claims rose by 38% to £312m.
- Find out more: best home insurance policies 2026
How this affects premiums
At present, average home insurance premiums are falling and have been since late 2024.
However, this trend could change if flood claim costs continue going up, with those living in high-risk areas likely to see the worst of it. And more of us will find ourselves in this category.
In England alone, approximately 6.3m homes and business are considered to be at risk of flooding, according to the Environment Agency. It estimates this figure to rise to 8m by around 2050.
Amy Rootham, home insurance expert at Compare the Market, said: 'With millions of homes across the UK already at risk – and climate change expected to increase that number significantly in the coming decades – it’s becoming increasingly important for homeowners to understand their property’s flood risk and consider taking steps to improve resilience where possible.'
- Find out more: does your insurance policy cover you for storm damage?
Money off Money - Save 50%
Make your money work harder. Get the best deals, avoid scams, and grow your savings with expert guidance for just £24.50 for a year.
Get 50% off Which? MoneySave 50% – was £49, now £24.50 for a year, offer ends 6 April 2026.
How you can get affordable flood cover
If your property presented a higher-than-average flood risk, it used to be the case that insurance could be unavailable or impractically expensive. Fortunately, there are options to find reasonably priced cover.
Check our top five below, but also read our guide on flooding and home insurance for more tips.
- Take out a policy with an insurer that's backed by Flood Re Flood Re was set up to help insurers provide affordable cover to customers in higher flood-risk areas and has more than 50 insurers, including most of the major ones, as partners. You can find a list of companies and details on which homes are eligible on its website.
- Consider a broker If your home was built after 2009, you won't be eligible for Flood Re support. If that's the case, and you're struggling to find reasonable insurance quotes, it could be worth seeking specialist help. The British Insurance Brokers' Association (BIBA) maintains a directory of flood specialists who can help you find cover if you've hit a dead end with the comparison websites.
- Resilience measures These include water-resistant paints and plasters, or raised electrical sockets, all of which can help to reduce the damage to a property that's flooded, which in turn will reduce the level of claim. This is good for you and your insurer. Some insurers will take the fact that you've installed these measures into account when deciding whether to accept you, and what your premium might be.
- Be accurate about your flood risk When you're applying for insurance, take care when agreeing to assumptions or answering questions about your property’s flood history. If the insurer doesn't have accurate information about your home, it could invalidate a claim
- Watch out for exclusions and steep excesses If an insurer or broker can’t cover you for flooding affordably, it might offer you cover with specific exclusions that remove the flood cover from the policy. This should be made clear before you buy the policy and in the policy schedule (the document that sets out the exact cover you have), but these details can easily be missed, so check carefully.
