Ageas will become one of the first insurers in the UK to offer a new scheme which will help protect flood victims from further devastation.

Ageas has signed up to Flood Re’s Build Back Better scheme, which offers homeowners the opportunity to have flood resistance and resilience measures installed by their insurer if their home is damaged by flooding.

Instead of simply fixing the damage, the insurer will help to fund and install measures for qualifying homeowners which can reduce the impact should the worst happen again.

These measures could include flood barriers, self-closing airbricks or moving plug sockets higher up walls so they’re less likely to be submerged by flood water.

The scheme is designed to help some of the people who are most at risk from flooding across the UK.

Ageas Claims Director Robin Challand says:

We know from speaking to our customers just how devastating it can be when your home is flooded. It’s clear to me that if we can take steps to reduce the damage flooding would cause if it happened again, we should. We’re proud to be one of the first insurers in the UK to offer Build Back Better.

Andy Bord, CEO, Flood Re, which is behind the Build Back Better initiative, said:

In the UK, since 1998 we have seen six of the wettest years on record. The trajectory will only continue to worsen without urgent, collective action – there is no time to waste. It is vital we encourage and incentivise adaptation among homeowners. It’s hugely encouraging that Ageas has partnered with us to offer Build Back Better provisions to its customers, and I am encouraged that, together we will truly make a difference.

The average Flood Re insurance claim after a home floods is £35,000. Installing some simple measures to keep the water out or reduce the impact that flood water does have when it enters a property can significantly reduce the cost of future repairs.

Flood claims tend to take longer to fix than other types of claims like storm damage, due to the type of damage water causes and the amount of work that’s needed to get the property back to its former state.

Often, the true extent of the damage isn’t obvious on the surface. The process of cleaning the mess left behind by the dirty water and making it safe, including things like checking the electric and gas, is just the beginning.

A vital part is making sure the home is thoroughly dried out, which can take weeks or months. Only then can the task of repair and redecorating get underway.

Robin explains:

While it may appear to be a lengthy process, it’s important that everything’s done right first time to enable our customers to return to their homes and resume their normal lives. It makes complete sense to me that while we’re in customers’ homes fixing the damage, we should take the opportunity to install measures that will help to reduce the levels of any future damage should the worst happen again.

Ageas will offer the scheme to qualifying* new and existing customers from June 1.

ENDS

*Ageas is offering Build Back Better to any new or existing buildings insurance customer from June 1 whose:

Properties will be eligible if they are the customer’s primary residence, has been flooded by coastal, river or flash flooding and where the claim is expected to cost over £10,000. The property also needs to be located in a high risk flood area or have suffered previous flooding at some point.

You can find out more about our home insurance here.

Build Back Better applies to Ageas-handled claims.